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Chow Chow Puppies for Sale
Chow Chow
This is a Rough-Haired Chow Chow and a Smooth-Haired Chow Chow. Photo Courtesy of van Juttersburch Chow Chows Smooth and
Rough.
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Pronunciation |
Chow Chow |
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Description |
The two most distinctive features of the Chow Chow
are its blue-black tongue and its almost straight hind legs, which makes it walk
rather stilted. Its dense furry coat is profuse and comes in two varieties,
smooth coat and rough coat. The most common colors are solid red, black, blue,
cinnamon and cream, but it can also come in tan, gray, or (rarely) white.
The coat sometimes has lighter or darker shades, but is never parti-colored. The
ears are small and rounded and there is a huge ruff behind the head, which gives
it a lion like appearance. Its head is broad and its skull is flat. The muzzle
is broad near the eyes and narrows toward a black nose without becoming pointed.
The chest is broad and deep and the kidney area is short and strong. The tail is
thickly covered with hair and is carried over its back. |
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Temperament |
The Chow Chow is usually well-mannered. Quite good with children. If they get to know cats and other household animals
when they are young, they will get along with them when they are adults. They
must be extensively socialized when very young to combat potential
over-protectiveness as an adult. They need firm training right from the start.
This very dominant breed
requires a dominant owner. The owner of this breed of dog should be a calm
person who is naturally firm, confident, and consistent. With such a handler, the Chow Chow can
develop well. The problems arise when the dog lives with owners who do not understand how to be, and stay in the alpha position. If you allow this dog to believe he is the boss of your house he can be willful, protective, bossy, serious and will independently work at keeping his alpha position in your human pack. He is not being mean, he is instinctually telling you in the way dogs communicate with one another that he gets to decide when and how things are done. He will be self-willed to the point of obstinacy. When you have a Chow Chow who believes he is the ruler of humans, and strangers push
themselves on this dog, he may become aggressive, telling the humans he would like to have his space. Space means a lot to a dog. It is respect in the dog world. Alpha Chow Chows will often be a one-person dog, very loyal to his
family, though he may act reserved, even with them. Alpha Chow Chows like to dominate other dogs. A Chow Chow who is not 100% convinced humans are the boss, will be harder to obedience train. The Chow will feel HE needs to be deciding, what and when, to do things, not the human, as humans must listen to him. These are NOT Chow Chow traits, they are instinctual behaviors, resulting in meek human authority over the dog. If you would like to own a dog, make sure you, and the rest of your family know how to be alpha. All family members, and other humans around the dog must be higher in the pecking order, than the dog.
One owner told me that their Chow can do
tricks, and learns them quite easily at that. Here is a quote from the owner who
has three children and three cats:
"My 8 year old white Chow performs a variety of
"tricks," ranging from dancing on her hind legs on command to rolling
over, and jumping from her hind legs into the air on command. She even knows the
difference between "shake hands" and "shake," as in shake
her mane to dry or fluff after a bath/brushing. After the first
"trick" was learned at a very early age, she usually learns new
activities through a process of three examples from her human friends, then she
readily attempts the feats until successful. Her eagerness to learn from and
please her two masters comes from her love of people. She loves being around
people, even strangers. When threatened, or unsure of the circumstances she is
facing, she quickly becomes protective of her family and home."
This breed can be quite a handful, but it is otherwise polite and
patient. Some do not accept leashes and collars easily, while others do not seem
to mind. This breeds high dominancy levels are mainly due to their past treatment. In China the Chow Chow
was used for guarding things and for pulling carts. Its flesh was eaten and
there was a market for its fur. This sad history, plus the lack of a
single master (due to being a working dog) has given it a naturally stronger instinct to be dominate. It thus sometimes appears introverted, detached, and
indifferent as it struggles with it's alpha position among meek owners. Breeders have been working very hard to breed a Chow with a
"family" temperament. Put the Chow Chow with the right type of owner and he will be an excellent family dog. |
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Height, Weight |
Height: 18-22 inches (46-56 cm.)
Weight: 45-70 pounds (20-32 kg.) |
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Health Problems |
Beware of hip dysplasia. They are prone to suffer
eye irritation called entropion, caused by eyelid abnormality; this can be
corrected with surgery. Other than that they are generally healthy. |
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Living Conditions |
The Chow Chow will do okay in an apartment if it
is sufficiently exercised. It is relatively inactive indoors and a small yard is
sufficient. Sensitive to heat, but can live in or outdoors. |
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Exercise |
Chow Chows can be lazy, but
need to be taken for a
daily walk. Dogs who do not get to go on daily walks are
more likely to display a wide array of behavior problems. |
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Life Expectancy |
About 15 years |
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Grooming |
Regular brushings of the long coat is important to
maintain the lifted, standing-out look. This breed is a seasonal heavy shedder
and extra care is needed when the dog is shedding its dense undercoat. Dry
shampoo when necessary. |
Origin |
The Chow Chow's structure is very similar to that
of the oldest known fossilized dog remains, dated to several million years ago.
The Chow has been known for thousands of years in China, where the breed was put
to work as a hunter, cart puller and boat guard. One Emperor is said to have
kept 2500 Chow pairs. One was given to the Prince of Wales, the future Edward
Val. Over history, the Chow has been used to hunt wolves, sable and pheasant,
and to pull sleds. His fur was used to trim coats. The flesh of these dogs was
considered a delicacy in China. Dog is still eaten in China today. This
beautiful dog was first brought to England by merchants in the late 1800's. The
name probably originated from the pidgin English word "chow-chow," a
term used to describe all sorts of miscellaneous stuff brought back from the Far
East. The Chow has become very popular in the United States as a companion
dog. Some of the Chow Chow's talents are watchdog and guarding. |
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Group |
Northern, AKC Non-Sporting |
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Recognition |
CKC, FCI, AKC, UKC, KCGB, CKC, ANKC, NKC, NZKC,
APRI, ACR |
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CKC = Continental
Kennel Club
FCI = Fédération
Cynologique Internationale
AKC = American
Kennel Club
UKC = United Kennel
Club
KCGB = Kennel
Club of Great Britain
CKC = Canadian
Kennel Club
ANKC = Australian
National Kennel Club
NKC = National
Kennel Club
NZKC = New Zealand
Kennel Club
APRI = American Pet Registry
Inc.
ACR = American Canine Registry |
This is Khan.
Photo taken by John D. Jackson
This is Khan at 8 weeks old.
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Chow Chow Pictures 1
Chow Chow Pictures 2
Chow Chow Pictures 3
Chow Chow Pictures 4
Chow Chow Pictures 5
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