Chow Chow: temperament, price, health, and breeders

The Chow Chow is an ancient breed originating from China and more broadly from Central Asia. It has been used over the centuries for varied functions, notably guarding, light pulling, hunting and sometimes for its fur. Introduced in Europe in the 19th century, it quickly intrigued with its lion-like appearance, its blue-black tongue and its very particular temperament. In France, the breed mainly developed in the 20th century and has retained an image of a noble, independent and distinctive dog.

The Chow Chow is a compact, powerful and well-built dog, with a short and solid silhouette. Its head is broad, its ears small and erect, its eyes oval and its tail is carried curled over the back. Its coat is always solid and can be black, red, fawn, blue, cream or white. Its coat comes in two varieties, long or short, but remains in all cases very abundant and dense. Its blue-black tongue is one of its most remarkable distinctive signs.

The Chow Chow is a calm, proud, very independent dog and often not very demonstrative. It becomes truly attached to its owner, but rarely expresses its affection in an expansive way. Reserved with strangers, sometimes distant with other dogs, it has a strong temperament and a real sense of territory. It is not aggressive by nature, but needs to be respected and properly socialized.

On a daily basis, the Chow Chow is rather quiet, clean and not very active in the house. It appreciates routine, tolerates solitude relatively well and does not constantly seek play or excitement. Its physical needs remain moderate, but regular outings are essential to prevent weight gain and maintain its fitness. It prefers a calm environment and does not cope well with overly insistent attention.

The education of the Chow Chow must start early and remain consistent, calm and firm. This breed is not particularly docile and does not obey automatically. Its owner must inspire trust, set clear rules and avoid any brutality, otherwise the dog may become defensive. Early socialization is essential to improve its tolerance towards strangers, other dogs and everyday handling.

The Chow Chow is one of the breeds whose purchase price depends heavily on the seriousness of the breeding, the quality of the bloodlines and health monitoring. Its upkeep also requires a regular budget, notably for food, grooming and veterinary follow-up.

The Chow Chow is generally a robust dog, but its selection and morphology expose it to several points of vigilance. Its abundant coat bothers it in high heat and it can be prone to overweight if it lacks exercise or if its ration is not controlled. Regular monitoring of the locomotor system, the eyes and the thyroid is recommended.

The Chow Chow needs a good-quality diet, easy to digest and adapted to its age, weight and rather moderate activity level. As it may have digestive sensitivity and a tendency to gain weight, regularity and portion control are essential.

The Chow Chow is famous for its blue-black tongue, a rare characteristic in dogs. One of the best-known of the breed was Jofi, Sigmund Freud's dog, who attended certain consultations and helped popularize the idea of a soothing relationship between the animal and the human. Its lion-like appearance and stiff gait make it an immediately recognizable breed.