The Chow Chow

The Songshi Quan or the Chow Chow is a breed of dog that came from China, his name translated means puffy-lion dog.

The Chow is a dog that has a nice sturdy build, being big without giving the impression of being bulky; he has a square profile and a broad skull that is topped off by little ears that are round at the tip. The coat of that Chow can either be rough or smooth but they are both thick and very dense. The thing that gave rise the name puffy-lion dog is the fact that the Chow has particularly thick fur around his neck giving the distinct impression of the dog having a mane. The colors of the coat can either be red or black and cinnamon and cream is also found, the coat needs to be one solid color because the dogs that have multicolored coats are disqualified. One interesting thing about the Chow is that he has a distinct blue-black tongue.

The Chow Chow is today a dog that has found his place in the family; he has become a popular pet. One thing about the Chow is the fact that they have a great sense of what is their own and the need to keep it safe, they are suspicious of strangers and all that combined make a good watch dog.

The owner of the Chow Chow must be a person that is stubborn and knows how to take control of any situation and basically be the alpha dog in the house…because the Chow has this certain little thing about him that makes him all too happy to take up the reins and run the house hold. One must be careful of housing multiple Chows together because of this dog’s nature there might be fights and other stuff on the dog’s part, to secure a dictatorship and put in place a strict social order.

Despite their dominance issues, the Chow Chow is a dog that loves his family and will become very attached to his master; when it comes to strangers that is another issue, anybody that is outside the Chow’s pack is generally not welcome and not accepted…some people have taken this behavior and described it as being closer to that of a domesticated cat then that of a dog.

These are not active dogs, in fact they are perfectly suited to living in a apartment, that is if there is a daily walk for them. Although these are not the most active dogs in the world, they do need time daily for play and mental stimulation to keep them happy and content.

The Chow Chow holds the record for elbow dysplasia, they even get it more often then the Golden Retriever, they also are prone to hip dysplasia, thyroid disease and problems with their eyes. Because of the multiple health problems that the Chow suffers from, it is highly advised to get a dog from a good breeder that has a good reputation; he should be able to show you health certificates stating that the parents of the puppy have been tested for the different health problems.

Back yard breeders and puppy mills are to especially be avoided when you are on the look out for a Chow puppy, these people usually cannot offer any health guarantee and take no thought to the health and future well being of their puppies.

The Chow Chow is a breed that is thought to be among the oldest in existence, recent research has shown that the Chow is one of the first breeds to develop form the wolf….records have even been discovered that demonstrate that the Chow was even a companion to the Mongolian armies that invaded China and Europe in the 12th century.

Even though it is believed that the Chow Chow was first bred to be a hunting dog, records prove that later on people in China started breeding him to be a companion and an all purpose dog that was used to do everything from herding to pulling and guarding.

Even today, you can still find farms in China that raise the Chow for their hides and the meat, but that is not how the Chow Chow got its name as some people believe. When the dog was shipped to Europe the boxes were marked as Chow Chow - which is Pidgin English for miscellaneous - what can I say, the name stuck!