Chow Chow
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| Other names | Chow, Chowdren, 鬆獅犬 | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Origin | China | ||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
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| Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris) | |||||||||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Traits | |||
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| Weight | Male | 55–70 lb (25–32 kg) | |
| Female | 45–60 lb (20–27 kg) | ||
| Height | 17 to 20 inches (43 to 51 cm) | ||
| Coat | Thick and coarse | ||
| Color | Red (light gold to deep red-brown) Cinnamon (light tan to brown) Black Cream Blue |
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| Litter size | 3–6 | ||
| Life span | 9–15 years | ||
| Classification / standards | |||
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| FCI | Group 5, Section 5 Asian Spitz and related breeds #205 | standard | |
| AKC | Non-Sporting | standard | |
| ANKC | Group 7 Non-Sporting |
standard | |
| CKC | Group 6 Non-Sporting |
standard | |
| KC (UK) | Utility | standard | |
| NZKC | Non-Sporting | standard | |
| UKC | Northern Breed | standard | |
The Chow Chow (sometimes simply Chow) is a dog breed originally from northern China, where it is referred to as Songshi Quan (Pinyin: sōngshī quǎn 鬆獅犬), which means "puffy-lion dog". The breed has also been called the Tang Quan, "Dog of the Tang Empire." It is believed that the Chow Chow is one of the native dogs used as the model for the Foo dog, the traditional stone guardians found in front of Buddhist temples and palaces. It is one of the few ancient dog breeds still in existence in the world today.
One writer has proposed that the Chow Chow originated in China 2,000 years ago or originated in Arctic Asia 3,000 years ago and then migrated to Mongolia, Siberia and then to China.DNA analysis indicates that the Chow Chow is one of the Ancient dog breeds.
The Chow Chow probably originated in the high steppe regions of Siberia or Mongolia, and much later used as temple guards in China, Mongolia and Tibet. A bas-relief from 150 BC (during the Han Dynasty) includes a hunting dog similar in appearance to the Chow. Later Chow Chows were bred as a general-purpose working dog for herding, hunting, pulling and guarding. From what records survive, some historians believe that the Chow was the dog described as accompanying the Mongolian armies as they invaded southward into China as well as west into Europe and southwest into the Middle East in the 13th century AD.
One Chinese legend mentions large war dogs from Central Asia that resembled black-tongued lions. One Chinese ruler was said to own 5,000 Chows. The Chinese also used Chows to pull dog sleds, and this was remarked upon by Marco Polo. The Chow Chow was also bred for human consumption.
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Wikipedia