In the origins of the Chow Chow dog breed there is a set of legends. These were most probably created because this dog has a purple tongue and they relate to the story of how it came to be that way. They are very curious and I will tell you a couple of them. One tells of a seriously ill monk who, in the middle of a very cold winter, was helped by his dogs, chow chows, to look for wood, because he was no longer able to do so. So his dogs went into the woods to collect wood, but instead they found charred logs from a fire, and carrying them with their mouths, they burnt themselves and their tongues turned purple forever.
In another there is even talk of Buddha, who is intent on painting the sky blue in the company of his dog, a chow chow, who, to help his master, began to clean with his tongue all the drops of sky that fell to the ground, dyeing it purple forever.
Apart from the legends, its origins go back thousands of years and it is perhaps the oldest Chinese dog breed, and it is still unclear whether this breed developed from Spitz-type dogs or whether the latter developed from the Chow Chow. The peculiarity of the purple tongue is not unique in the animal kingdom, some types of bears also have this peculiarity. Some palaeontologists have suggested that there may be an evolutionary link and that they may be descended from lemucyon, an animal halfway between the ancestor of dogs and daphoneus, the ancestor of bears. And another thing chow chows have in common with the latter, they have 44 teeth like bears, instead of the 42 of dogs.
This dog has had many uses in a wide variety of fields. It was used as a sled dog, hunting dog, livestock guardian and was also unfortunately eaten. Even today its fur and meat are much sought after by the Chinese and Koreans, who often breed them for food, together with many other dogs, both purebred and not. In fact, the name chow chow may derive from the Chinese word “chou”, which means edible, although another school of thought believes that this name derives from a dialect term meaning rare, this dog being an Oriental rarity. But there are many other explanations for this name, so the true one will never be known.
In the western world this dog arrived towards the end of the 1800s and was immediately a great success, but in China things were different as many dogs were eliminated during the Cultural Revolution. Towards the end of the nineteenth century it was possible to find a few specimens of chow chow in British zoos, because they were thought to be semi-wild dogs. It was the favourite dog of many illustrious men such as Konrad Lorenz, Sigmund Freud and even US President Calvin Coolidge.
Character of the chow chow dog breed
The Chow Chow is a loyal and calm dog, but independent and detached. It likes to bond with one person, at most two, and does not like confusion, frenzy or noise. It needs daily exercise, so you must allow it long walks, but without haste and following its nose very quietly. It can also live in a flat, but because of its size it would be better to have a house with a garden, where it can spend several hours a day. It is not a dog that likes to play and because of its peaceful nature and need for calm is not suitable for families with children.
It is not always willing to socialise with other dogs, even if it is not aggressive or biting, so socialisation from puppyhood with regard to people and other dogs, especially smaller dogs or dogs of the same breed, must be carried out constantly. It must be said, however, that this dog is not suitable for inexperienced people; it does not like impositions and tries to maintain an aptitude for command, so training it is certainly not an easy task and requires the intervention of an expert.
It has no problems being alone, in fact I would say that every now and then it wants to be alone, and is an excellent watchdog if properly trained. With strangers, in fact, it is rather reserved, and if it encounters them in its own territory there is the risk that it may become aggressive. It has a hunter’s temperament, so it would be better for it to run free, when it is perfectly trained, otherwise there is a risk that it will not respond to its owner’s call.
This breed hardly ever barks and never inappropriately. It is a dog that seems to encapsulate all the pride and confidence of the bear and the lion, to whom it bears a close resemblance. Most Chow Chows are not very fond of dog sports.
Appearance of the Chow Chow dog breed
The Chow Chow is a medium-sized dog with a height at withers of around 40-50 centimetres and a weight of 24-34 kilograms. It is a solid, compact dog, superb and full of dignity. Of great power and strength, very muscular and with a strong bone structure. Its bearing is proud and dignified and its lion-like appearance comes from its thick mane. His walk is aristocratic, in fact he always walks with his head held high and with a rather short stride. One of its characteristics is its feline gait, determined by the fact that it walks on its fingertips and is reminiscent of a cat’s walk. There is not much difference in size and weight between males and females.
It is morphologically classified as wolfish. The trunk is straight, the back is short with a powerful lumbar region; the thorax is large and tends to descend downwards. The tail carried on the back has a high hairline. The limbs are well muscled and especially the hind limbs have well developed thighs. The feet look like those of a cat with a round shape and small size.
The head is large, massive and heavy, as is the entire bone structure of the dog. The skull is broad and thin, the truffle is black, which in white specimens may be light in colour, but always large. The eyes are of medium size with an oval shape and generally dark in colour. The facial wrinkles give the dog a sullen expression. The ears are small, thick, slightly rounded at the tip, straight and stiff. The tongue is characteristic of the breed and is bluish-black.
Another characteristic that makes this dog unmistakable is its coat. It has a thick mane that gives it that special lion-like appearance. The coat can be more or less long, although it is usually long and is soft and abundant. It also has a thick, very soft undercoat. The neck tends not to be visible due to the fur collar, especially in males. The most common colours are black, red, fawn, blue, cream or light.
Care and health of the Chow Chow dog breed
In addition to the classic diseases that all dogs can develop, the Chow Chow in particular can suffer from hip and elbow dysplasia, arthrosis, ligament problems, dislocation of the kneecap and skin diseases such as allergies, pyoderma and alopecia. It is also vulnerable to eye diseases. The numerous folds on the neck are easily inflamed and therefore need to be checked and cleaned regularly.
Its life expectancy is about 10-12 years.
As far as the care of the coat is concerned, this is rather demanding. In fact, the Chow Chow must be brushed daily to prevent the dense coat from becoming matted. Particular attention must be paid to the hair behind the ears and, as already mentioned, the collar, as the hair in these areas becomes matted very easily.
As far as feeding is concerned, the chow chow loves rice and eats it very willingly. A diet of rice, meat and boiled vegetables would therefore be ideal for this dog, although the quantity must be controlled as it tends to eat more than is necessary.
