Dog Training, Breeds, Care, And Health! - Canine HQ
Home / Dog Breed / Chow Chow
Fine By Breed Name

Explore By Characteristic or Group

View all Breeds

RESOURCES FOR NEW & PROSPECTIVE DOG OWNERS

Find Your Match

Answer a few simple questions and find the right dog for you

Compare Breeds

Compare up to 5 different breeds side by side

Find a Puppy

Nunc bibendum, purus eget tristique fermentum.

Choose your Breed

View the collection of dog breeds we have information on.

Why Get a Dog?

Nunc bibendum, purus eget tristique fermentum.

Breeders

Aenean feugiat metus ac nisi dictum tincidunt Interdum et.
Exclusive Deals, 50%+ Off Good & Toys, Health Information & More!
Register your Dog Today!

Chow Chow

dignified / bright / serious-minded
Non-Sporting Group >>

Average sizes and life
expectancy of the breed.

Height

17-20 inches

Weight

45-70 pounds

Life Expectancy

8-12 years

Breed Traits & Characteristics

Affectionate With Family
  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    80% 80%
How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.
Good With Young Children
  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.
GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS
  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    40% 40%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    60% 60%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    40% 40%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

Affectionate With Family

  • Independent Lovey-Dovey
    80% 80%

How affectionate a breed is likely to be with family members, or other people he knows well. Some breeds can be aloof with everyone but their owner, while other breeds treat everyone they know like their best friend.

Good With Young Children

  • Not Recommended Good With Children
    60% 60%
A breed's level of tolerance and patience with childrens' behavior, and overall family-friendly nature. Dogs should always be supervised around young children, or children of any age who have little exposure to dogs.

GOOD WITH OTHER DOGS

  • Not Recommended Good With Other Dogs
    40% 40%
How generally friendly a breed is towards other dogs. Dogs should always be supervised for interactions and introductions with other dogs, but some breeds are innately more likely to get along with other dogs, both at home and in public.

Shedding Level

  • No Shedding Hair Everywhere
    60% 60%
How much fur and hair you can expect the breed to leave behind. Breeds with high shedding will need to be brushed more frequently, are more likely to trigger certain types of allergies, and are more likely to require more consistent vacuuming and lint-rolling.

Coat Grooming Frequency

  • Monthly Daily
    60% 60%
How frequently a breed requires bathing, brushing, trimming, or other kinds of coat maintenance. Consider how much time, patience, and budget you have for this type of care when looking at the grooming effort needed. All breeds require regular nail trimming.

Drooling Level

  • Less Likely to Drool Always Have a Towel
    60% 60%
How drool-prone a breed tends to be. If you're a neat freak, dogs that can leave ropes of slobber on your arm or big wet spots on your clothes may not be the right choice for you.

Coat Type

Corded
Curly
Double
Hairless
Rough
Silky
Smooth
Wavy
Wiry
Canine coats come in many different types, depending on the breed's purpose. Each coat type comes with different grooming needs, allergen potential, and shedding level. You may also just prefer the look or feel of certain coat types over others when choosing a family pet.

Coat Length

Long
Medium
Short
How long the breed's coat is expected to be. Some long-haired breeds can be trimmed short, but this will require additional upkeep to maintain.

Openness To Strangers

  • Reserved Everyone Is My Best Friend
    40% 40%
How welcoming a breed is likely to be towards strangers. Some breeds will be reserved or cautious around all strangers, regardless of the location, while other breeds will be happy to meet a new human whenever one is around!

Playfulness Level

  • Only When You Want To Play Non-Stop
    60% 60%
How enthusiastic about play a breed is likely to be, even past the age of puppyhood. Some breeds will continue wanting to play tug-of-war or fetch well into their adult years, while others will be happy to just relax on the couch with you most of the time.

Watchdog/Protective Nature

  • What's Mine Is Yours Vigilant
    100% 100%
A breed's tendency to alert you that strangers are around. These breeds are more likely to react to any potential threat, whether it's the mailman or a squirrel outside the window. These breeds are likely to warm to strangers who enter the house and are accepted by their family.

Adaptability Level

  • Lives For Routine Highly Adaptable
    60% 60%
How easily a breed handles change. This can include changes in living conditions, noise, weather, daily schedule, and other variations in day-to-day life.

Trainability Level

  • Self-Willed Eager to Please
    60% 60%
How easy it will be to train your dog, and how willing your dog will be to learn new things. Some breeds just want to make their owner proud, while others prefer to do what they want, when they want to, wherever they want!

Energy Level

  • Couch Potato High Energy
    60% 60%
The amount of exercise and mental stimulation a breed needs. High energy breeds are ready to go and eager for their next adventure. They'll spend their time running, jumping, and playing throughout the day. Low energy breeds are like couch potatoes - they're happy to simply lay around and snooze.

Barking Level

  • Only To Alert Very Vocal
    20% 20%
How often this breed vocalizes, whether it's with barks or howls. While some breeds will bark at every passer-by or bird in the window, others will only bark in particular situations. Some barkless breeds can still be vocal, using other sounds to express themselves.

Mental Stimulation Needs

  • Happy to Lounge Needs a Job or Activity
    60% 60%
How much mental stimulation a breed needs to stay happy and healthy. Purpose-bred dogs can have jobs that require decision-making, problem-solving, concentration, or other qualities, and without the brain exercise they need, they'll create their own projects to keep their minds busy -- and they probably won't be the kind of projects you'd like.

About the Breed

The Chow Chow, an all-purpose canine from ancient China, evokes images of a powerful, chest-deep nobleman with a sense of enigmatic timelessness. The Chow Chow is a breed of unusual pleasure that is dignified, serious-minded, and aloof. Chows are large, powerful canines that can reach a shoulder height of 20 inches. A lion’s mane ruff around the head and shoulders, a blue-black tongue, deep-set almond eyes that add to a scowling, haughty attitude, and a stiff-legged walk are some of their distinguishing features. Red, black, blue, cinnamon, or cream-colored coats in various textures are common on chows. Owners claim that Chows are the cleanest dogs since they are believed to be as meticulous as cats, are known to be easy to housebreak, and have little canine odor.

Well-behaved Chows are never ferocious or difficult to handle, but rather always elegant and respectable. They are distant with strangers but devoted to their loved ones no matter what. Chows readily adapt to city life because they are calm and flexible and don’t require any specific exercise.

What To Expect When Caring For a Chow Chow

Owning a dog is not just a privilege; it’s a responsibility. They depend on us for, at minimum, food and shelter, and deserve much more. When you take a dog into your life, you need to understand the commitment that dog ownership entails.

Health

Eyelid entropion, hip dysplasia, elbow dysplasia, allergies, and thyroid dysfunction are possible health problems for Chow Chows. These problems can be identified and treated with veterinary treatment, and they may be reduced through health screening, prudent breeding, and routine health care. On the website of the Chow Chow Club, Inc., there is extensive and in-depth information about the health of the breed.
Recommended Health Tests From the National Breed Club:
  • Patella Evaluation
  • Hip Evaluation
  • Thyroid Evaluation
  • Elbow Evaluation
  • Ophthalmologist Evaluation

Grooming

Both the smooth and rough-coated Chows have a thick double coat that needs to be groomed frequently. The dog's skin and coat can be kept healthy with thorough brushing at least twice a week and monthly baths. Make careful to address any parasite problems, such as fleas or ticks, right away. With every grooming, take care of your ears and eyes, and keep your nails trimmed. If not frequently groomed, the puppy coat and the coat around the head might get very matted. All mats must be pulled out, and the undercoat must be brushed or combed through carefully. After a wash, it is advised to properly dry the Chow using a chilled air dryer.

Exercise

The Chow Chow is a lively, attentive dog with average exercise requirements. The Chow needs daily strolls and moderate toy play, but not excessive roughhousing or vigorous exercise. Exercise should be avoided during the hottest parts of the day because the breed is not adapted to high temperatures or humidity. Four or more daily walks at a moderate pace will keep Chow and owner content and healthy, and participating in activities as a pair strengthens the human-canine bond.

Training

Early socialization and puppy training classes are recommended and help to ensure that the Chow grows into a well-adjusted, well-mannered companion. Patience and positive, consistent reinforcement are the keys to successful training. The Chow Chow is a very intelligent dog but can be stubborn. Harsh training methods are to be avoided in order to develop a trusting relationship. Patience, praise, and regular practice are the best tools to use with your Chow.

Nutrition

Commercial dry and wet dog diets of the highest caliber are widely available. Many pet owners decide to feed a diet low in grains. Even if you haven't changed the commercial diet, regularly examine the Chow's skin for any redness or other allergy symptoms, as dog food manufacturers frequently alter their formulas. Be warned that dog treats can also cause gastrointestinal and allergic problems. Give table scraps infrequently, if at all, and steer clear of cooked bones and items with a lot of fat. Discover which foods fit the bill for canine consumption and which don't. If you have any worries about your dog's weight or diet, consult your veterinarian.

History

Artifacts from China’s Han Dynasty (c. 206 b.c.) depict the Chow Chow, one of the world’s most unusual and potentially oldest breeds. However, evidence suggests that Chows date back much longer and are the ancestors of numerous spitz-type breeds, ranging from the powerful Norwegian Elkhound to the delicate Pomeranian.

Chows have had a variety of roles over their lengthy existence. They served as the Chinese nobility’s lordly companions at times. It is believed that a Tang Dynasty monarch who lived in the seventh century maintained a kennel facility with space for 5,000 Chows and a permanent staff of twice that number. However, they also made a living over the years as guardians, haulers, and hunters. In the distant past of their densely populated, protein-deficient country, their forefathers were even a source of food. The name Chow is thought to have originated from the Cantonese word for “edible,” which is also the nickname for this ancient breed.

The 18th-century British Empire merchant ships are the subject of a more widely accepted reason for the breed name. At that time, the little, unorganized objects in a ship’s cargo that weren’t listed were referred to as “chow chow” in pidgin English. The strange-looking canines that British traders purchased in China were listed on the ship’s manifest under the catchall term “chow chow,” which was just another way of saying “etcetera.”