Chow Chow

I am lucky enough to own two female Chinese Chow Chows called Mami and Maddie. They are very beautiful and both different in temperament. Mami is the eldest Chow and she is seven years old. She is black in colour and has a very regal attitude. She has a nice nature, and we socialised her well as a puppy. She is mainly my husbands dog and follows him everywhere. She can be very aloof with strangers,even though when we welcome guests she grants them entry. They are very cat like and love to be petted and fussed on their terms. Chows only bark for a reason and overall they’re very calm dogs.

Maddie is six years old and a fawn colour. She has a different attitude. She is mostly my dog but she can easily get out of control. She does not like strangers at all. Maddie is true to her origins and believes that she should be treat with respect and live in a palace. Both dogs get on well together and often have play fights. They are a breed that don’t need long walks, but due to their lion appearance and beauty, you get stopped by people all the time. They love the fresh air and want doors open all the time so they can see and guard their family. They need to be brushed every day and groomed because they can suffer from hot spots and eczema. They have blue tongues which is always a speaking point.In fact according to Chinese fairy stories when the world was being created, whichever dog was granted to lick up all the Littlepieces of blue sky which fell on the earth when the stars were being set in their place? The Chow Chow, stated Li Pu, and that is how they got their blue tongues.

In China, historians have found references to Chow Chows as far back as the eleventh century BC the dogs being described as heavily built with harsh, bristly hair, straight back legs and blue tongues.Little is known about the Chow Chow in Europe until 1887 when the Earl of Lonsdale took up the breed. It must be said, however, that in 1780 a pair of Chows were brought from Canton and are described by Gilbert White in his Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne.Queen Victoria was also stated to have been presented with a Chow Chow which lived in aHuge cage at Windsor, living out a lonely life as a zoo exhibit.

I love the breed, but if someone is thinking of owning a Chow please do your research as they may not suit everyone.