Description

Chow Chow is a breed of dog that was developedin China, where it is referred to as Songshi Quan (Pinyin: sōngshīquǎn 鬆獅犬), which literally means "puffy-lion dog".

The Chow Chow is a sturdily built dog, square in profile, with abroad skull and small, triangular, erect ears, which are rounded atthe tips. The breed has a very dense double coat that can be eithersmooth or rough. The fur is particularly thick around the neck,giving the distinctive ruff or mane appearance. The coat may be oneof five colors including red, black, blue, cinnamon/fawn, andcream.

The eyes should be deep set and almond in shape. Chows aredistinguished by their unusual blue-black/purple tongue and verystraight hind legs, resulting in a rather stilted gait. The bluishcolor extends to the chow's lips; the Chow is the only dog breedwith this distinctive bluish color in its lips and oral cavity(other dogs have black or a piebald pattern skin in their mouths).One other distinctive feature is the curly tail. It has thick hairand lies curled on its back. The nose should be black (except theblue which can have a solid blue or slate colored nose). Any othertone is disqualification for showing in the United States under AKCbreed standard. However, FCI countries do allow for a self-colorednose in the cream.

The blue-black/purple tongue gene appears to be dominant, as almostall mixed breed dogs that come from a Chow retain the tonguecolor.[citation needed] This is not to say, however, that everymixed breed dog with spots of purple on the tongue is descendedfrom Chows, as purple spots on the tongue can be found on amultitude of pure breed dogs.