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The Full Chow Chow Description

The fuzzy, adorable Chow Chow puppy becomes a powerful and independent dog in a few short months. The Chow is highly intelligent and extremely loyal to his owner, but is for an experienced dog owner. He is serious, dignified, and proud.

Did you know?

The Chow Chow is one of the oldest recognisable types of dog (Dating back more than 2000 years).

The Chow Chow possesses the rare characteristic of having a blue-black tongue.

The Chow Chow was used for hunting, herding, pulling and protection of the home in China. Today, the Chow Chow is primarily a companion dog.

So you want to own a Chow Chow?

The Chow Chow's coat will require at least weekly grooming.

The Chow Chow is a possessive dog who endears his family and their possessions to him.

The Chow Chow is a wonderful companion for adults who will take the time to care for them properly.

Indicative Breed Standard

General Appearance

Active, compact, short-coupled and essentially well balanced, leonine in appearance, proud, dignified bearing; well knit frame; tail carried well over back.

Characteristics

Quiet dog, good guard, bluish-black tongue; unique in its stilted gait.

Temperament

Independent, loyal, yet aloof.

Head and Skull

Skull flat, broad; stop not pronounced, well filled out under eyes. Muzzle moderate in length, broad from eyes to end (not pointed at end like a fox). Nose, large and wide in all cases, black (with exception of cream and near white in which case a light-coloured nose permissible, and in blues and fawns a self-coloured nose).

Eyes

Dark, oval shaped, medium sized and clean. A matching coloured eye permissible in blues and fawns. Clean eye, free from entropion, never being penalised for sake of mere size.

Ears

Small, thick, slightly rounded at tip, carried stiffly and wide apart but tilting well forward over eyes and slightly towards each other, giving peculiar characteristic scowling expression of the breed. Scowl never to be achieved by loose wrinkled skin of head.

Mouth

Teeth strong and level, jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Tongue bluish black. Roof of mouth and flews black (blue black), gums preferably black.

Neck

Strong, full, not short, set well on shoulders and slightly arched.

Forequarters

Shoulders muscular and sloping. Forelegs perfectly straight, of moderate length, with good bone.

Body

Chest broad and deep. Ribs well sprung but not barrelled. Back short, level and strong. Loins powerful.

Hindquarters

Hindlegs muscular, hocks well let down, with minimal angulation, essential to produce characteristic stilted gait. From hocks downwards to appear straight, hocks never flexing forward.

Feet

Small, round, cat-like, standing well on toes.

Tail

Set high, carried well over back.

Gait/Movement

Short and stilted. Forelegs and hindlegs moving parallel to each other and straight forward.

Coat

Either rough or smooth. Rough: profuse, abundant, dense, straight and stand-off. Outer coat rather coarse in texture, with soft woolly undercoat. Especially thick round neck forming mane or ruff and with good culottes or breechings on back of thighs. Smooth: coat short, abundant, dense, straight, upstanding, not flat, plush-like in texture. Any artificial shortening of the coat which alters the natural outline or expression should be penalised.

Colour

Whole coloured black, red, blue, fawn, cream or white, frequently shaded but not in patches or parti-coloured (underpart of tail and back of thighs frequently of a lighter colour).

Size

Dogs: 48-56 cms (19-22 ins) at shoulder. Bitches: 46-51 cms (18-20 ins) at shoulder.