Chow Chows

Before studying the scraps of evidence and measure of conjecture that form modern man's knowledge of what the Chow Chow might have been it may be well to set forth what the Chow Chow is. 

The standard of the Chow Chow Club describes him as "a massive, cobby, powerful dog, active and alert, with strong, muscular development, and perfect balance. Body square with height of leg at shoulder; head, broad and flat, with short, broad and deep muzzle, accentuated by a ruff; the whole supported by straight, strong legs. Clothed in a shining, off standing coat, the Chow is a masterpiece of beauty, dignity and untouched naturalness."

You can read about "Dalmatian" here

Based on the history. The Chow Chow is a dog of ancient China. That much is sure, with evidence pointing to ancestry at least as far back as the Han Dynasty, about 150 B.C. He was a hunting dog, used by the emperors and other aristocrats. While the name has an Oriental sound, it is believed of pidgin English derivation. In China he has been called the "Black-Tongue Dog," the "Wolf Dog ," the "Bear dog" and the "Canton Dog." 

The breed resembles in some measure the Eskimo, the Samoyed, the Norwegian Elkhound, the Keeshond and the Pomeranian and related. Some contend the Chow came first. If so, he did not pass on his most unique characteristic, the blue-black tongue.

The first English appearance may have been through a brace brought by a trading Vessel in 1780, but about a hundred years elapsed before they entered the Occident in any real numbers. The breed's first American show was Westminster in 1890. There was one specimen, Miss A.C. Derby's Takya. Beginning with this century the breed has made fair progress in the America. 

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