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Chow Chow Dogs 101 Interesting Facts and Information #chowchow #dog

It is said that the Chow Chow combines the nobility of a lion, the drollness of a panda, the appeal of a teddy bear, the grace and independence of a cat, and the loyalty and devotion of a dog. He’s dignified and aloof, as behooves a breed that was once kept in imperial Chinese kennels. Hi, welcome to Animal Facts. Today it’s time to chow down on some fun facts about the intelligent, yet independent Chow Chow. Let’s get started. But, before we start, take a moment to like and subscribe for more fun, fauna facts.

10. According to Chinese legend, the Chow’s tongue got its blue-black hue at the time of creation, when a Chow licked up drops of color as the sky was being painted, according to the book “Dog Tales: Inspirational Stories of Humor, Adventure, and Devotion” by Susy Flory. According to the American Kennel Club, the Chinese Sharpei and the Chow Chow are the only two dog breeds known to have a blue-black tongue. In the Chow Chow breed standard, the darker the tongue the better.

9. Experts have long speculated that the Chow Chow is one of the oldest dog breeds, and genetic testing has proven that to be true. The ancient breed is believed to have originated in Mongolia and Northern China, slowly moving south with the nomadic tribes of Mongolia. Early depictions of dogs resembling the Chow Chow appear in pottery and paintings from the Han Dynasty. One Chinese emperor was said to have kept 2,500 pairs of Chows as hunting dogs and 10,000 men to hunt with them. In addition to hunting, the dogs were used to guard their owners’ possessions.

8. Chow Chows are not usually social, outgoing dogs. They tend to be aloof with strangers and can be aggressive with other dogs. This is fitting with their history as guard dogs for homes and livestock. Early socialization to other dogs, pets, and people is important. Chow Chows are devoted to and protective of their families. To make them good family pets, they need plenty of early socialization including exposure to children. Chow Chows do best with training to clarify their position in the family or they can become dominant.

7. The Chow reached the Western world in the late 1800s and began a rise to popularity, which has landed it in the top-10 American Kennel Club breeds. The breed has not fared so well in its native land where many Chow Chows were eliminated during the Chinese Cultural Revolution from 1956 to 1976.

6. We might call the dogs Chow Chows, but in China, the breed is called songshi quan. The name ‘Chow Chow’ comes from a pidgin-English term used to describe anything coming from the East in the 18th century. The phrase was meant to describe various knick-knacks like dolls, porcelain, and other curios and, despite being living creatures, the dogs were roped in with the other baubles. As a result, the Chow Chow inherited the name from merchants who could not be bothered to properly mark what they were shipping.

5. A scene from Disney’s “Lady and the Tramp” was inspired by a Chow Chow puppy. There have been lots of dogs in the wonderful world of Walt Disney. Early on in his marriage, Walt Disney gave a Chow Chow puppy as a Christmas present to his wife, Lillian. He presented the puppy to her in a hatbox. The idea later made its way into “Lady and the Tramp,” when Jim Dear gives a cocker spaniel named Lady to his wife, Darling, in a hatbox.

4. Among contemporary Chow Chow fans, Martha Stewart may be foremost. Because she is Martha Stewart, she seems to do everything at a high level of sophistication, including dog ownership. Her chows aren’t just regular dogs; they’re champion show dogs. One of her Chow Chows, Genghis Khan II, won Best in Breed at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show in 2012.

3. Sigmund Freud, the founder of modern psychoanalysis, owned a beloved Chow Chow named Jofi. Freud often allowed Jofi sit in on his therapy sessions, and he considered Jofi’s presence to be an important part of the psychoanalytic process. He believed dogs were good judges of human character and could gauge a patient’s mental state.

2. We tend to think of dogs as good swimmers, but not all breeds are built alike in that respect. Chow Chows do not do very well in the water, and it’s all that thick fur that’s to blame. The breed enjoys two coats, including a very wooly undercoat that’s great for keeping the dogs warm in cold weather, but that coat becomes waterlogged and quite heavy when wet.

1. A legend says that the original teddy bears were modeled after Queen Victoria’s Chow Chow puppy. It’s said that she carried the dog everywhere she went. Her cohorts disapproved, claiming that it did not befit a Queen to be seen everywhere with a dog, so they paid a dressmaker to make a stuffed version of the animal for her.

Well, there ya have it – 10 Fascinating Facts about the mysterious, fluffy canine, the Chow Chow. We enjoy hearing about your pets, so tell us all about them in the comments below. Before ya go, take a moment to subscribe for more fun, fauna facts. We publish at least twice a week, so don’t miss a single fact. And as always, catch ya next time.

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