Chau Chau: Photo and Dog Description

Characteristics

Brief information

Story

China is considered the birthplace of the Chow Chow breed, although the most ancient ancestors of these dogs lived in Siberia and initially came to the Tatar-Mongols as military trophies. It was they who brought outlandish pets to the Celestial Empire as a gift to the emperor. The ruler liked the dog so much that it became an integral accessory at court. Subsequently, the interest of the nobility in the breed faded, and the dogs passed into public use.

The name of the breed comes from the Chinese word “kau” (dog). In addition, in Chinese there is also the word “chaow”, which means “strong, big and courageous dog”.

The first mention of the breed dates back to the 3rd century. BC.uh., however, during excavations, statuettes of such dogs were found dating back to the 2nd millennium BC.uh. It is not known for certain which animal these dogs originated from, most likely they were polar wolves.

A huge contribution to the careful selection was made by Tibetan monks. Thanks to them, it was possible to preserve the unique appearance of the breed. In 1780, exotic dogs were first brought to Europe, but only by the end of the 19th century became widespread in the West.

These dogs came to Russia through the Far East and from East Germany after 1945. Only in the late 70s, domestic dog breeders managed to get closer to the breed standard and form a purebred population.

Character

Chow Chow is a very ancient and very difficult breed. According to some legends, these dogs descended from bears, inheriting from them the backbone, blue mouth and fearlessness (as well as a short nasopharynx, which is why many chow chows snore in their sleep). Now more and more often you can find information about the relationship with the Tibetan wolf. In any case, the Chow Chow is not just a pet. This is an independent member of the family, with his own opinion and place in the pack.

The main feature of the Chow Chow is that these dogs are very capricious. They independently assess the situation and decide how to act, not focusing on the opinion of the owner. For a long time, they were not even recommended to be trained, as this led to outbreaks of aggression from animals.

Chow Chows are absolutely devoted to their owner. They cannot be bribed with treats or petting. They don’t let strangers in at all. This dog breed has a strong sense of ownership. They will bravely defend their home and family from the encroachments of strangers. And in the event of an extreme situation, which the dog perceives as a threat, it will attack without warning.

In addition, Chow Chows are monogamous. They can be on good terms with all family members and even build a kind of hierarchy, communicating with children and adults in different ways, but they will be unquestioningly devoted to only one person.

Given the complexity of the nature of this breed, stubbornness and originality, it should also be noted that they do not always get along well with other animals. But this moment is very personal. Chow Chows that have grown up with cats get along well with them and consider them family members, also protecting them.

Description of chow chow

Although the legends say that the chow chow is the child of a husky and a polar bear, this is not true. Outwardly, this dog really resembles a bear cub, but the breed owes its appearance to the cold climate of the ancient habitat and genetics.

These dogs are quite large, with a large, slightly flattened head and a broad muzzle. The nose is black, but in some individuals a lighter shade is allowed. Eyes are usually cinnamon or blue.  A distinctive feature of this breed is a blue-black tongue. Here, too, there were beautiful legends: a Chinese legend says that the tongue darkened, as the first chow-chow dog licked the edge of the night sky. This feature is most likely a mutational feature that manifests itself in conditions of lack of oxygen above the Arctic Circle. Interestingly, puppies are born with a pink tongue, and only after a couple of months it changes color.

The front limbs of these dogs are absolutely straight, and the hind limbs have almost no hock angles, which is why the dogs move a little waddling. The tail is carried very high and lies on the back.

The coat should be long, straight, fluffy and coarse. Shorter version allowed, plush smooth. Color can only be uniform: black, cinnamon, red, fawn, blue, cream and white.

Care

Luxurious Chow Chow mane needs regular combing. The coat of dogs of this breed grows vertically, so they should be combed in the direction from the tail to the muzzle. In addition, the Chow Chow has a very thick undercoat, which should also be brushed regularly. This is especially important as it affects the thermal exchange. Now you can often find recommendations for grooming dogs of this breed. Previously, breeders categorically did not recommend doing this and insisted on combing. Haircut was used only in extreme cases, to hide the external defects of the breed.

Conditions of detention

Chow Chow is not an active dog. These animals are not very playful and prefer calm, sedate walks. But the owner should be prepared for the fact that the walks should be long. It is better to build them in such a way that the dog is forced to show physical activity: climb up the hill and go down the hill, run down the stairs this will favorably affect the development of muscles.

Chow-chows feel great both in a city apartment and in a country house. Perhaps the only thing worth paying special attention to: dogs of this breed can hardly tolerate heat. Therefore, it is very important that they have a cool place and free access to fresh cold water.

Predisposition to disease

Dogs of this breed are distinguished by good health, but they have a predisposition to certain hereditary diseases.

They may suffer from myopathy, which leads to muscle weakness and atrophy, especially in the forelimbs and neck. Also, dogs can get atopic dermatitis due to exposure to allergens (pollen, dust, fungal spores), which can flow into otitis. With this disease, the dog has inflammation of the skin and itching.

From birth, a dog may have an inversion of the eyelids, when the eyelids are turned inward with eyelashes and rub the eyes, causing tearing and suppuration. Timely therapy or surgery can eliminate the problem forever.