Chow Chow

Chow Chow, or Chow is a breed of dog originating from China, where it is referred to as Songshi Quan, which literally means "puffy-lion dog". The breed has also been called the Tang Quan, "Dog of the Tang Empire".

The Chow Chow is a stocky dog with broad skull and small, rounded ears. The breed has a very dense coat that is either smooth or rough. The fur is particularly thick around the neck, giving the distinctive ruff or mane. The coat may be one of several colours including reddish-brown (described as "red"), black, blue, cinnamon, cream, or white. Not all these colour varieties are recognised as valid in all countries. Individuals with patchy or particoloured coats are considered to be outside the breed standard. Chow Chows are unusual in having a blue-black tongue and very straight hind legs that result in a rather stilted gait.

While now commonly kept as a companion dog, the Chow Chow has a reputation for being a willful and independent breed that is sometimes difficult to train. They can be very aloof and wary of strangers.

Like many heavy-set dogs, the Chow Chow may be prone to hip dysplasia. They may also be succeptable to entropion, an eye irritation caused by an eyelid abnormality. It is a unique type of dog, thought to be one of the oldest recognisable breeds. A bas-relief from 150 BC (during the Han Dynasty) includes a hunting dog similar in appearance to the Chow Chow.

Recent DNA analysis confirms that this is one of the oldest breeds of dog. Chow Chows were originally bred as a general-purpose working dog for herding, hunting, and guarding. The breed has also been used to pull sleds and for meat and fur. Click here to learn more about Chow Chow

Finding a Dog Breeder

If you’re in the market for a purebred dog, you’ll need to find a dog breeder from which to purchase the animal. This can often be as easy as opening the classified advertising section of your local newspaper, but you’ll want to be sure that the dog breeder you’ve chosen is reputable. There are several ways to help ensure that the breeder you’ve found knows his stuff and is reliable, professional, and trustworthy.

Ask for References

Any good dog breeder will be able to provide you references of clients he has worked with in the past. These will be people who have purchased a puppy or utilized stud services and will be happy to share their experiences with you. Choosing a dog breeder that was used by someone you know is a good choice as well. If your friend or family member was happy with the service and treatment he or she received from the breeder, the odds are good that you will be as well.

Prepare to be Asked Questions

A good dog breeder will have as many questions for you as you have for him, perhaps more. Good breeders work to ensure that the dogs they breed are placed with the correct people. They may ask whether you have children, what size home or yard you have, and numerous other questions to help them let you know whether the dog you’re seeking is right for you and your family. A dog breeder that doesn’t ask these types of questions may be looking just for the money from the sale of the dog and is probably not the sort of breeder you want to do business with. A good dog breeder always has the best interest of both the dog and the clients in mind.

Guarantees

A good dog breeder will have had the puppies checked for potential health risks before ever selling the animal. Some problems, however, simply are not detectable until later in life. If you purchase a golden retriever pup, for example, and six months later discover that it has hip dysplasia (a genetic defect in the animals hip joints, it is often nearly undetectable until the animal is several months old), a good breeder will issue a refund to you, no questions asked. Genetic defects like this are avoided by the use of selective breeding (hip dysplasia in dogs has between a 25% and 85% chance that it is genetic in origin), but sometimes a pup will display the disorder even if there is no trace of it in either parent’s history.

Other Sources

Aside from looking in the newspaper of on the internet for a dog breeder, breeders can be found through veterinarian’s offices, pet supply stores, and at dog shows. Dog shows are a very good choice since the breeders that attend these events are often showing one of their dogs or are there to see the performance of one that they bred and sold in the past.