The truth about chows rivals the fiction. One rumor that follows the handsome dogs is that their black tongues signify a poisonous bite! Ridiculous. Several animals have the trademark black tongues including the Shar-Pei breed of dog. Yet, the Chow is the only one to be labeled as poisonous because of its tongue color.
Looking at the Chow next to a Shar-Pei, it is easy to imagine some brave Shar-Pei found his lady love in the form of a bear. The Chow bears the thick, glorious coat which looks very bearlike, while the face is wrinkled to the point that the dog’s eyes almost disappear. Perhaps part of the Chow line IS Shar-Pei. However, no one seems to know what crossed breeds made this magnificent animal.
What we do know is it originated in China, for use in hunting, keeping watch over herd animals, and protection of its master’s family. Today, it is primarily used for companionship, however, that does not mean it stopped being protective.
My husband and I both had experiences with Chows. Through them we saw two very different sides of the dogs.
Check Before Going Inside a Fence
As a sideline to his primary career, my husband, Bruce, worked as a real estate agent. A couple brought the address of a house they very much wanted to see and Bruce called to set up the appointment through the Listing Agent.
“The lock box is on the back door,” the agent told him.
He and his clients arrived after dusk. Deep shadows covered much of the front and back yards. Bruce, opened the gate to the back yard and went around to the back door. When he started up the steps, he got the eerie feeling of being watched. Out of the corner of his eye, far across the yard, he saw movement. Something was moving fast! He turned and ran for his life, as two huge black Chows emerged from the blackness. He managed to get through the gate and close it as both dogs slammed into it from the other side!
Returning the clients to the office and fuming with anger, he called the other agent.
“You forgot to mention two dogs in the back yard! What were you thinking? And the owners need to put up ‘beware of dog’ sign,” he yelled at the man.
“Hey, I remembered it later and left a message at the office. I can’t help it if you didn’t get it.” During those days we did not have cell phones, so calling after the fact could be dangerous to all parties.
That agent almost lost his license for not fully informing another agent of problems with showing that property. However, Bruce learned a powerful lesson. Always check what is on the other side of a fence before walking into the yard.
A Friend Indeed?
My own experience gave me a heart-stopping moment, but nothing like my husband’s. A neighbor hired my daughter as dog walker/feeder twice a day for a Maltese dog. She proudly took her responsibilities to heart and took excellent care of Bombie. Without my knowledge, the neighbor had found a homeless Red Chow and taken it in. My daughter never mentioned it either.
One day, I decided to pick her up from the job before a pending downpour. Walking to the door, I knocked and went in to tell her I was waiting outside. Halfway across the room, although I heard nothing, I knew someone now stood behind me. Slowly turning my head, I found the Chow standing there, fully alert. After Bruce’s experience, my heart couldn’t decide whether to stop or just jump out of my throat as I screamed. Before either happened, Jaimie walked into the room.
“Hey, Mama. See Chipper.” She pointed to my guard. “Good Chipper.” The dog bounced over to her, his tail wagging. My heart settled back into place.
“Chipper? I thought you fed Bombie.”
“Feed two.”
She led me out to the lanai, where Bombie rested in her opened cage. At that moment, thunder boomed and the rains came down.
“Guess we better sit here until the storm lets up,” I said and we gathered on the wicker furniture to watch God’s show.
I felt a paw on my leg. Then another paw followed. Paw and foot, the huge Chipper climbed into my lap, shaking from fear. Seems he did not care for the show or the sound effects. For thirty, lap-numbing minutes, I sat cuddling that huge fur ball and murmuring sweet things to calm him. We became good friends after that.
Who’s the Boss?
No matter who owns a Chow or any dog, they must socialize the animal at an early age. The owner also needs to be Top Dog in the house, because if the Chow or any dog thinks there is no human capable of leading the pack, the dog will automatically take over that task and it will not give up leadership easily.
That Chipper became my friend proved not all Chows are aloof with strangers, but most have that reputation. With their families, the story is completely different. They are patient, loving pets who give their all to their humans. They do choose one person as their primary, giving them unparalleled loyalty.
Caring for Your Chow
With the luscious thick coats, chows require daily brushings to get all the excess hair off. Their top coat is thick, but so is the undercoat. As seasons change, the shedding begins, in copious amounts. There are various ways to have the dog clipped and most depend on the animal of which they remind their owners. Most keep their full hair and resemble the bear rambling over their terrain. However, the ‘ruff’ around their necks can grow so huge, it reminds owners of a lion’s mane. And, oh, my goodness, yes, they shave them down, poodle-style, to be even more feline.
The lion cut does allow them a bit more comfort in hot climates, while the full coat serves them well in colder areas. No matter what cut is used, these beautiful dogs are subject to heat stroke, allergies, inversion of hip dysplasia. With heat stroke being a major problem, it is not smart to keep them in really hot climes.
It takes house rules seriously and is fairly easy to housetrain to go outside.
Color Choice
Chows come in a variety of colors, but their coats are never multi-colored. There are white, blonde, red, brown and black Chows. They come in long and short coats. Even those with short coats have loose skin around their necks that form a mini-mane.
Last Word
Things to keep in mind when buying a Chow. It fares badly in hot climates. This dog does have some health problems, such as heat stroke, allergies, hip dysplasia. It is patient and kind with its humans, but be aware that it fares better with older children who treat animals with kindness. A chow is generally aloof and cold around strangers. Constant grooming keeps its coat healthy.
A smart breed, chows are easy to house train. More than anything, the owner must be strong enough to train and control the Chow. If not, the Chow becomes head of household. By the way, for those health conscious walkers, who want a partner, the Chow is NOT a good choice. It much prefers to be a couch potato, walking in short bursts around its domain.