The Chow Chow has been identified as a basal breed that predates the emergence of the modern breeds in the 19th Century.^[4] A research study has concluded that the Chow Chow dog breed originated from other indigenous dogs in central China about 8,300 years ago. The ancient breed evolved and manifests both morphological and physiological features for example; the black / purple tongue, coat of fur, and a stronger build.^[5]

One Chinese legend mentions large war dogs from Central Asia that resembled black-tongued lions. One Chinese ruler was said to own 5,000 Chows. The Chinese also used Chows to pull dog sleds through swampy terrain, and this was remarked upon by Marco Polo.^[1]: 11

Today, the American Kennel Club registers approximately 10,000 Chow Chows a year. The Canadian Kennel Club registers approximately 350.^[1]: 4–5

The Chow Chow is a sturdily built dog, square in profile, with a broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears with rounded tips. The breed is known for a very dense double coat that is either smooth or rough.^[1]: 4–5 The fur is particularly thick in the neck area, giving it a distinctive ruff or mane appearance. The coat may be shaded/self-red, black, blue, cinnamon/fawn, or cream.^{[1]: 4–5 [3]} Not all these color varieties are recognized as valid in all countries. Individuals with patchy or multicolored coats are considered to be outside the breed standard. Chow Chow eyes are typically deep set and almond shaped. The breed is unique by their purple/blue-black tongue which no other breed has except Shar Pei, and has very straight hind legs, resulting in a rather stilted gait.^[1]: 4–5 The bluish color extends to the Chow Chow's lips; this is the only dog breed with this distinctive bluish color in its lips and oral cavity (other dogs have black or a piebald pattern skin in their mouths).^[1]: 4–5 Another distinctive feature is the curly tail.^[1]: 4–5 It has thick hair and lies curled on its back. The nose should be black, but blue-coated Chow Chow can have a solid blue or slate-colored nose. According to the American Kennel Club breed standards, any other tone is not acceptable for contests.^[6] FCI countries, however, do allow a self-colored nose in the cream.^[7]

The blue-black/purple tongue gene appears to be dominant, as most mixed breed dogs that come from a Chow Chow retain that tongue color. However, the blue-black/purple tongue can also be found on the Shar Pei. This is not to say that every mixed breed dog with spots of purple on the tongue is descended from Chow Chow, as purple spots on the tongue can be found on other purebred dogs.^[8]

• The distinctive Chow Chow features
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  Straight hind legs
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  Dense double coat on a male Chow Chow
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  Purple-black tongue in a female Chow Chow puppy
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  Bluish lips and oral cavity
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  Sturdy build, square in profile
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  A reddish-brown Chow Chow

Owning a Chow Chow can raise the cost of homeowners insurance because some companies consider them high-risk dogs.^[9] In a study in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association, Chow Chow were responsible for 8 out of 238 fatalities related to dog bites from 1979 to 1998.^[10]

Chow Chows can come in a variety of coat colors. The American Kennel Club (AKC) has classified Chow Chow colors as either standard or non-standard (rare colors). The standard colors for Chow Chows are black, blue, red, cream, and cinnamon. However, colors such as fawn, white, and merle are not considered standard for this breed.^[11][12]

It's important to mention that different canine clubs worldwide may acknowledge different coat colors or even use alternative names for the colors mentioned above.^[12]

• The different Chow Chow colors
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  5 Chow Chows of different coat colors
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  Cream
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  Fawn
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  Red
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  Blue
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  Black

A UK study found the life expectancy of the Chow Chow to be 12.1 years, just higher than the 12 year average for crossbreeds and lower than the 12.7 years average for purebreeds.^[13]

Skeletal conditions edit

A North American study looking at more than a million records of dogs found 6.44% of Chow Chow dogs to have hip dysplasia compared with 3.52% overall. The study also found 4.3% of Chow Chow dogs to have cranial cruciate ligament deficiency compared to 2.52% overall.^[14]

Another North American study looking at more than 250,000 elbow scans found the Chow Chow to have the highest prevalence of elbow dysplasia, with 48.6% of dogs over the age of 2 having elbow dysplasia.^[15]

Ophthalmological conditions edit

A North American study looking at glaucoma in dog breeds found the Chow Chow to have the third highest prevalence with 4.7% of Chow Chow dogs having glaucoma compared to 0.89% overall.^[16]

Dermatological conditions edit

A study looking at records from a small animal clinic at the University of Montreal found the Chow Chow to be predisposed to alopecia X.^[17]

A review of studies in Australia found the Chow Chow to be prediposed to atopic dermatitis with a 7.1 odds ratio.^[18]

A US case study found a predisposition to pemphigus foliaceus with an odds ratio of 12.3.^[19]

Gastrointestinal conditions edit

A UK study looking at exocrine pancreatic insufficiency in breeds found the Chow Chow to be predisposed to the condition.^[20]

Neoplastic conditions edit

An Austrian case series found an odds ratio of 23.53 for contracting stomach cancer.^[21]

A US study looking at cases of oral melanoma found the breed to be over-represented with an odds ratio of 7.89.^[22]

Reproductive conditions edit

In a Belgian study Chow Chow bitches made up 6.4% of cases of pyometra despite the breed making up 1.6% of the population. Pyometra was found to be more extreme in the breed with anaemia and endotoxaemia reported.^[21]

Other conditions edit

The Chow Chow can suffer from diabetes mellitus,^[23] and gastric cancer.^[24] Chow Chows are a high risk breed for autoimmune disease.^[25]

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  A Chow Chow with reddish coat
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  The Chow Chow's fur is particularly thick in the neck area, giving it a distinctive ruff or mane appearance.

Sigmund Freud had a Chow Chow named Jo-Fi Ling who attended all of his therapy sessions because he felt that dogs had a special sense that allows them to judge a person's character accurately, and admitted he depended on Jo-Fi for an assessment of a patient's mental state.^[26]

U.S. Navy admiral George Dewey acquired a Chow Chow in Hong Kong in 1898 and named it Bob. Bob rarely left the admiral's side and had the run of the cruiser USS Olympia. Bob died in 1899 due to eating chocolates given to Dewey by well-wishers upon Olympia's arrival in New York City.^{[citation needed]}

Walt Disney and his wife, Lillian Disney, had a Chow Chow named Sunnee. It was the couple's first dog. Allegedly, Walt gifted Lilly the Chow Chow inside a hat box, which inspired the scene in Lady and the Tramp where Lady is gifted in the same way.^{[27][better source needed]}

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• Chow Chow at Curlie