Chow Chow

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Chow Chow

Chow Chow Characteristics

Size:
Grooming Needs:
Exercise Needs:
Good With Dogs:
Watchdog Ability:

Chow Chow Breed Information

Breed Group: Non-Sporting

Weight: 45-70 lbs

Height: 17-20 inches

Color(s): solid red, black, blue, cinnamon, and cream

AKC CKC Red Male Chow Chow Puppy

Chow Chow

$650.00

TEX AKC #1

Chow Chow

$750.00

TEX AKC #91

Chow Chow

$650.00

Overview

The Chow Chow is an ancient breed that originated in China more than 2000 years ago. They were an all purpose breed used for hunting, herding, pulling, and protection. They are commonly referred to as "the Chow", and are now used primarily as a companion.

Character

The Chow Chow is a true masterpiece of dignity and beauty. They possess the unique characteristic of having a blue-black tongue. They are keenly intelligent, have an independent spirit, and display a dignified demeanor. The Chow is extremely aloof and discerning.

Temperament

The Chow Chow is most generally polite and patient. They are very loyal and friendly with their family, but exceedingly reserved with strangers. They most often will become attached and overly protective of one particular member of the family. They are bossy, serious, and obstinate. The Chow Chow is a very dominant breed that requires a dominant owner. They are stubborn and have a mind of their own. They are not good with other pets unless they have been raised with them from an early age. They get along well with older well-behaved children. The Chow expects to be treated with respect.

Care

The Chow Chow requires daily brushing. Proper grooming is essential to keep their coat in peak condition. Bathe or dry shampoo as necessary. They are prone to such health issues as entropin, heat prostration, allergies, skin problems, and hip dysplasia. They have a very low tolerance to anesthesia. The Chow does not do well in warm climates.

Coat

The Chow Chow has an abundant and profuse double coat that comes in two different varieties: smooth or rough. The fur is particularly thick around the neck area and resembles a lion's mane. The outer coat is coarse and is supported by a dense under coat. The most common coat colors are red, black, blue, tan, and gray. They are never parti-colored. The Chow is a heavy seasonal shedder.

Training

The Chow Chow requires intense, extensive, and ongoing training in both socialization and obedience. They are relatively easy to housebreak. However, they will only perform tasks that make sense to them. They need to be taught at an early age as to who the master is or they will take over. They require firmness, fairness, and consistency. They do not respond to harshness or a heavy-handed approach and will become aggressive if treated in a disrespectful manner. The Chow is highly talented as a watchdog or guard dog.

Activity

The Chow Chow has a tendency to be lazy. They prefer to stay indoors where they are relatively inactive. They enjoy a small securely fenced yard, but cannot remain outside for extended periods of time in hot weather. They benefit from short daily walks. The Chow is well suited for apartment dwelling provided they are given sufficient exercise.

Ask a Question Chow Chow Questions & Answers

QUESTION: how can i determine if a chow chow dog is pure bred?

Anonymous - 1/31/2012 9:59:08 AM

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QUESTION: My female chow was accidently bred with my 6 year old male chow. She is 14 years old. Is there any possibility she is pregnant

Anonymous - 1/27/2012 6:07:42 PM

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QUESTION: my 1 year old chow likes to climb on my neighbors picnic table how can I stop him from doing this

Anonymous - 1/23/2012 9:29:32 PM

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QUESTION: Do all chow chows have the blue-black tounge?

Anonymous - 1/23/2012 3:07:36 PM

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QUESTION: My Chow bit my son not once but 3/4 times - why?

Anonymous - 1/19/2012 4:28:08 AM

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First. how old is your son and what was he doing that got him bit?

Anonymous - 1/26/2012 2:26:34 PM

QUESTION: what are you doing with the older chow parents that cannot breed any more. please email back.

Anonymous - 1/15/2012 3:48:35 AM

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QUESTION: How long do chows live?

Anonymous - 1/4/2012 11:48:58 AM

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QUESTION: I have girl lab 6, boy chow 5, and a boy chow4 - they are all fixed. I cannot make the 2 male chows get along. They fight to death. They cannot even go in the fenced in yard together without killing each other. I tried to lasso a noose over one because I cannot seperate them the young one turned on me and permanately injured my wrist and hand help!!

Anonymous - 1/3/2012 9:39:53 AM

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The chows are fighting because they are trying to dominate each other to be the Alpha. There can only be 1 Alpha, which should be you. I see you have 2 choices, 1) take them to a dog obedience course or 2) one has to go before someone else (kids or your other pet) becomes seriously injured.

Anonymous - 1/26/2012 2:36:11 PM

QUESTION: how do chow-chows do with other pets if the chow-chow is about 10 years old?

Anonymous - 12/30/2011 4:14:33 PM

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The short answer is it depends! It really, really depends on the chow's temperament. My 10 year old female was an aggressive, "alpha" type dog and we moved in with my parents while our home was being built for a few months last year, which meant she got to live with another chow, a 9 year old male chow. It was only tolerable because he was of the opposite sex and was not an alpha. They never became best friends but they didn't kill each other! As she got older she didn't really have the energy to develop new friendships. I've heard that from others too, that say they will probably ignore the new pet.

vjernigan - 1/1/2012 11:09:58 AM

QUESTION: what would be the best brand of dog food for a chow chow

Anonymous - 12/27/2011 1:57:22 PM

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QUESTION: What is the coldest temperature that Chows who live outdoors can tolerate?

Anonymous - 12/19/2011 7:52:30 AM

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QUESTION: We thought our 7 month old chow chow had her first season last month, she was bleeding slightly and peeing around the house again after being house trained. But she has started bleeding again this month and there is considerably more blood and she is peeing around the house again and it has a fishy odor. She seems ok in herself otherwise, can you throw any light on this.

Anonymous - 12/19/2011 6:15:59 AM

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this is more than likely a bladder or urinary tract infection. please take her to the vet asap

Anonymous - 12/31/2011 4:39:51 PM

Bitches first season is normally really light. Take her to the vets if the odor doesn't clear up

Anonymous - 12/22/2011 9:55:22 AM

QUESTION: I'm thinking of getting a chow chow so we can be best buds at my apartment. I noticed that there are two kinds; the smooth and the rough. I want a really furry bear looking chow chow. Which one should i get? and also is there a way to differentiate between a rough or smooth chow chow puppy?

Anonymous - 12/13/2011 1:11:00 PM

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I have 2 chow chows rough coat. A rough coat is like the ones with lion heads. A smooth one has no lion's head

Anonymous - 1/31/2012 9:46:05 AM

QUESTION: My chow is 4 and she HATES the groomers. I trained her as a guard dog and she is exeptional at it but the groomers she can't stand. All the way to the fact where my dad has to pay extra money to put her to sleep and the groom her. Is there a cure????? I love my dog deeply and want her to be clean but if she can't be good for the groomer how am I supposed to deal with that?????? Plus, she can't stand the hose. Advice PLEASE!!!!!!!

Anonymous - 12/7/2011 7:28:31 PM

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First of all you shouldn't have "trained" your chow as a guard dog...she will do this instinctually! As far as hating the groomer, try grooming her yourself. This is not meant to be harsh, but grooming can be a nice bonding time for the two of you. I just bath my chow in my own tub and she loves bath time (she'll jump right in the tub on her own). I can get away with brushing her about once a week. As long as you are consistent grooming doesn't require a lot of time.

Anonymous - 1/12/2012 8:13:42 PM

My 11 year old Chow is the same way. Unfortunately when she goes to the groomer every 6 weeks, we just deal with the extra cost of sedating her. Good luck!

Anonymous - 12/27/2011 9:09:16 PM

QUESTION: I fell in love with a 2 1/2 year old Chow at the animal shelter last weekend and I really want to bring him home with me. I have a 4 year old mutt at home. I'm a first time Chow owner, so I want to make sure I am making the right choice. Can someone give me some advise, please?

Anonymous - 12/6/2011 9:09:23 AM

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sure chows are really socialable. but you might want to take your mutt to the shelter next time with you to see the chow. see how they get along

Anonymous - 12/6/2011 4:27:02 PM

QUESTION: Can a female Chow Chow from a first litter breed with a male from a second litter of the same two breed parent of the male and female but from different litters

Anonymous - 12/3/2011 6:09:41 AM

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THAT IS NEVER OKAY!! They are still siblings no matter which litter they are born into. That just means that they are different ages. Would you have your son and daughter have sex with each other just because they aren't twins? I don't think so! Well it's pretty much the same concept!

Anonymous - 12/14/2011 5:46:10 AM

i have no idea what you are asking. please rephrase

Anonymous - 12/6/2011 4:45:01 PM

QUESTION: What group are chow chows in?

Anonymous - 11/24/2011 1:53:59 PM

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QUESTION: do chow chow puppies start with spoted tongues

Anonymous - 11/23/2011 3:35:42 PM

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IF THE TONGUE IS SPOTTED IT IS NOT FULL BLOODED CHOW

Anonymous - 12/9/2011 1:31:19 PM

No chows start out with pink tongues that later turn to black/blue.

Anonymous - 11/28/2011 6:04:18 PM

QUESTION: how much does a chow and a rednose pitbull worth?

Anonymous - 11/21/2011 7:30:27 PM

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QUESTION: I just bought a 2 month old chow....is it normal that it doesnt bark? She has been with us for 24 hrs yet she hasnt made a single noise.

Anonymous - 11/13/2011 1:00:12 AM

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Our Chow Chow does not bark unless she has a darned good reason. And when she does bark we listen!

Anonymous - 12/9/2011 1:32:34 PM

Chows do bark. My 3month old chow only barks when he's left alone. My 4 year old chow only barks at strangers and when she's super excited, but mostly chows aren't non-stop barkers.

Anonymous - 12/5/2011 7:15:12 PM

None of my Chow Chows bark unless someone comes close to the house when they are inside. Not even when they are in the fenced in back yard unless someone pulls up into the driveway or if they hear something in the neighbors yard they will bark.

Anonymous - 11/28/2011 6:06:11 PM

Pretty much Chow we had only barked when she had something to let us know about! Otherwise she was very quite, not to worry and enjoy your new family member!

Anonymous - 11/17/2011 8:38:25 PM

QUESTION: Hi my fiancee and I have decided we would like to get a puppy. He is desperately wanting a chow puppy, because he was raised w/ them. I have never been around the breed but I am a dog lover and he assures me I will love them. We would like a pure-bred chow, but there is quite a hefty price tag on pure chow puppies (we do plan on fixing our puppy so registered is not necessary). We live in SW MO. Is there anywhere nearby we could go to get a full-blooded chow w/o the high price? Any info would be helpful. Thanks!

Anonymous - 11/10/2011 11:46:38 PM

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Try searching the net for nearby chow rescues.

Anonymous - 1/12/2012 8:16:58 PM

QUESTION: Do chow puppies born black, change color?

Anonymous - 10/22/2011 6:00:31 PM

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no. at least not that i know of i have 4 black chows and have had them since puppyhood and they have never changed color

Anonymous - 11/19/2011 10:07:23 PM

QUESTION: i am considering purchasing 2 puppies, one a Chow Chow and the other a Akita. I want them to grow together as they both don't do well with other pets when not raised from a young age. Are they a good fit raised together from a young age?

Anonymous - 10/20/2011 3:44:00 PM

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Yes and no, as long as the puppies are of opposite sex.

Anonymous - 1/12/2012 8:17:45 PM

Yes, they would make a very good pick. They are cousins to each other and both great dogs.

Anonymous - 10/23/2011 7:55:19 PM

QUESTION: DO CHOW CHOWS HAVE BLACK ON THEIR TONGUE's?

Anonymous - 9/21/2011 6:30:38 PM

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A pure bred chow should have a solid black tongue, not just pink with black spots etc. the blacker the mouth and tongue the better.

Anonymous - 10/21/2011 4:16:53 AM

QUESTION: I would like to purchase a Chow Chow for my son by May of 2012 when should I start actually looking for one? Should I purchase it earlier?

Anonymous - 9/20/2011 4:44:44 PM

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I would suggest contacting a breeder shortly after the first of the year. The average pregnancy for a dog is about 2months, then most reputable breeders require the pup to be at least 2months before they let them go to new homes so you would want to be on a waiting list in time to cover that...(you might have to put a deposit down to secure one).

Anonymous - 10/21/2011 4:15:30 AM

QUESTION: Chows with black spots on their tongues, which I think are chow mix, how do they grow up looking?

Anonymous - 9/11/2011 12:36:53 PM

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Is totally dependent on what the parents are and how the genetics mix up. Many dogs may have black spots on their tongues...it would be virtually impossible to tell from just that fact.

Anonymous - 10/21/2011 4:13:11 AM

QUESTION: I am looking for a small size chow chow. Meaning as an adult dog I still would like it to be samll in size. Do they exist?

Anonymous - 8/29/2011 6:36:21 AM

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Not as a rule... and it depends on what you consider small... some chows may top out at 35 to 40lbs but some go 70 or better...small size is generally a poor sign of nutrition or breeding...

Anonymous - 10/21/2011 4:11:24 AM

QUESTION: At what age do Chow Chow puppys stop growing? I have a Chow Chow named Nala and she is 6mo. and she is 42 lbs.

Anonymous - 8/11/2011 11:18:01 AM

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Chows should be full grown by 1 year old.

Anonymous - 12/6/2011 4:43:06 PM

Chows grow rapidly for the first six months and while they may gain a little after that their growth rate slow drastically. The probably gain 80 percent of their growth in those first 6 month.

Anonymous - 10/21/2011 4:09:40 AM

QUESTION: Is mixing a Chow and an Australian Shepherd a bad idea and would it do well in a house with new dogs?

Anonymous - 8/7/2011 11:06:54 AM

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QUESTION: I have a 4 month old white and cream pekingese puppy who seems to be in perfect health, but the underside of her tongue is shiny black and visible only when she licks her nose. Should I be concerned?

Anonymous - 8/6/2011 11:43:35 AM

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never heard of that check with the vet. but it probably might not be anything bad. but check just to be on the safe side

Anonymous - 12/7/2011 6:58:38 PM

If you are looking for Chow Chow puppies for sale from reputable Chow Chow breeders or to adopt a Chow Chow from a Chow Chow rescue then make sure you understand as much about the dog breeds you are interested in as you can. Every puppy breed is different. Begin your research by reading the breed information about the Chow Chow puppy above. Search our dog breeds section to find Chow Chow puppies, dogs and puppies that make great pets.

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