Chow Chow Dog Breed

Posted by Jeanne on December 10, 2008

Chow Chows are natives of China and are dogs of great individuality and distinctive appearance. While playful, intelligent, and willing to obey their masters, they, as a rule, have absolutely no interest in and will notice no other person. They are generally courageous but do not seek trouble. With their profuse coat, they are handsome in appearance and proud and aristocratic in bearing. Young Chow puppies are very popular and attractive due to their resemblance to the well-known “Teddy bear.”

• Head – Large and massive, with broad, flat skull, well filled under the eyes, moderate stop, proudly carried, with characteristic scowl.
• Muzzle – Short in comparison to length of skull; broad from eyes to end of nose, and of great depth. The lips should be full and overhanging.
• Teeth – Strong and level.
• Nose – Large, broad and black in color.
• Tongue – A blue-black. The inside of the mouth should be of the same color.
• Eyes – Dark, deep-set, of moderate size, and almond shaped.
• Ears – Small, pointed, stiffly carried. They should be placed wide apart, on the top of skull, and set with a slight forward tilt.
• Body – Short, compact, well ribbed up, and let down in the flank.
• Neck – Strong, full, set well on the shoulders.
• Shoulders – Muscular, slightly sloping.
• Chest – Broad, deep and muscular.
• Back – Short, straight and strong.
• Loins – Broad, deep and powerful.
• Tail – Tail set well up and carried closely to back, following line of spine at start.
• Forelegs – Perfectly straight, with heavy bone and upright pasterns.
• Hindlegs – Straight hocked, muscular and heavy boned. Feet – Compact, round and cat-like.
• Coat – Abundant, dense, straight and outstanding; rather coarse in texture, with a soft woolly undercoat. In the smooth-coated variety, the topcoat should be of about one and a half inches in length.
• Color – Any clear color, solid throughout, or, with lighter shadings on ruff, tail and breeching.
• Size – Chows should be massive and well proportioned.
• General Appearance – Lion-headed, scowling, compact, muscular, short-coupled, dignified, and powerful, with heavy off-standing coat.