What a Chow Chow looks like: description of the breed, popular types and types of colors with photographs

What does a chow chow look like in the photo?

A correctly built dog with a rather massive, square body.

They have a majestic posture and a proud disposition . Despite the fact that Chow Chows are loyal to their owners, they are quite restrained in expressing their feelings.

They do not like noise and fuss and behave with the dignity of true aristocrats: their movements are calm and measured, and their gaze is full of grandeur.

The most characteristic breed characteristics of the Chow Chow include an unusually dense and thick coat, forming a thick collar around the animal’s neck, reminiscent of a lion’s mane, as well as a dark blue tongue .

Breed standard

The Chow Chow's head is quite large, but at the same time proportionate to the body.

The skull is wide and rather flat; the transition from the forehead to the muzzle, which is evenly wide along the entire length, is not sharp.

• The jaws are strong and strong, the bite is regular, scissor-shaped.
• The ears are erect, medium-sized, thick and dense, with slightly rounded ends.
• The eyes are oval, relatively small and dark.
• The neck is of medium length, voluminous and strong.
• The withers are pronounced, the back is level, straight and rather short. The chest is deep and moderately wide, with rounded ribs. The stomach is slightly tucked.
• The tail, lying tightly on the back and set quite high, is abundantly covered with grooming hair.
• The forelimbs are straight and strong.
• Hind limbs with well-developed and voluminous muscles on the thighs and minimal articulation angles. The hocks and metatarsals are directed vertically downward, due to which the dog moves with a kind of “stilted” gait.

Due to the fact that the ears are directed forward and slightly brought together, a gloomy and serious expression is created, typical of the Chow Chow..

Briefly about character and temperament

Chow-chows are calm and almost imperturbable dogs, which are characterized by such character traits as affection for the owner and distrust of strangers.

They are not naturally aggressive; they are quite friendly and phlegmatic animals. However, this does not prevent these dogs from being excellent guards.

IMPORTANT!

Chow Chows tend to become attached to only one owner.

Their early education is of paramount importance, since if by adolescence the Chow Chow does not choose the main owner in the family, then she may refuse to obey and recognize someone’s authority in the house.

These are quite independent and freedom-loving dogs who have their own outlook on life, sometimes not coinciding with the worldview of their owners..

Sometimes they can be incredibly stubborn and refuse to follow commands.

Chow Chows can be markedly distrustful of strangers and are not very friendly towards other people's pets.

They treat children kindly, but at the same time rather indifferently.

Features of training

Already from the description of the character it is clear that difficulties may arise with training a Chow Chow, this is confirmed by reviews from the owners. Yes, the dog carries out tasks without much desire, and before doing so he may think for a while. And if he nevertheless decides to carry out the command, he does everything slowly, taking a deep breath before doing so. Many people mistakenly associate this with laziness or stupidity of dogs, but it's all about their stubbornness.

It is important to teach your pet “good” manners from an early age and ensure that he learns a set of basic commands. It is important not to lose enthusiasm and consistently solve the problems of raising a new family member. If at least once the owner gives up and forgives the dog for disobedience or failure to complete a task, the dog will make the most of its advantage and take on the role of leader.

To prevent this from happening, you need to show your superiority even in small things. Only the owner can choose the route of the walk, be the first to enter any doors, and be the first to eat. It is worth considering that dogs of this breed once had to solve a number of problems on their own, so they will never blindly follow commands without thinking them through. Therefore, you must be patient. However, having comprehended and completed the task, the dog will have the mastered skill for the rest of his life.

Dog handlers recommend taking a Chow Chow into your home as a puppy, this will allow you to correct his behavior. But it will not be possible to re-educate an adult dog. Experts do not advise being rude when training a pet; this will significantly worsen the relationship with your four-legged friend.

Popular types and their descriptions

• Long-haired . The coat of these dogs is completely straight, long, thick and dense, forming a mane or a kind of collar on the neck and feathering on the hind legs. The guard hair is strong and rather coarse, while the undercoat, on the contrary, is soft and fluffy.
• Shorthair (smooth). The coat is straight, short and dense, as if stuffed. The texture and density resembles plush with long pile.

A feature of both long-haired and short-haired Chow Chows is the vertically growing coat that does not lie close to the body.

Features of feeding

Chow Chows need to be fed only one type of food: either homemade natural or factory-sourced. It is not recommended to mix dry food with natural products. This cocktail has a negative impact on your health. When choosing dry food, it is recommended to purchase super premium products. Such food is always of high quality and will have a beneficial effect on the structure of the animal’s coat. The dog is phlegmatic and, with a sedentary lifestyle, is prone to obesity, which results in joint dysplasia. It is important not to overfeed the animal and ensure active pastime while walking.

Varieties by size

There are two size varieties of this breed:

• Standard . The height of males ranges from 48 to 56 cm and weighs 25-32 kg. Bitches are slightly smaller: their height at the withers is 46-51 cm, and their weight is from 20 to 27 kg.
• Mini. The height and weight of these dogs is less than that of standard dogs. On average, a male mini chow chow has a height of 37-40 cm, and a female - from 35 to 38. Minimum weight and height are not indicated, but a height of less than 30 cm for a mini chow chow is considered not very desirable.

The miniature variety of Chow Chow is not recognized by the standard: such dogs are not allowed for exhibitions or for breeding.

Health

Chow chows live on average 9-15 years. They have good health and rarely get sick.

This breed has a predisposition to certain diseases:

• congenital myopathy
• atopic dermatitis
• turn of the century
• joint dysplasia,
• allergic reactions.

It is necessary to regularly carry out preventive vaccinations, starting from 2-3 months. It is also necessary to treat the wool with special insecticidal shampoos to avoid the appearance of parasites. Regular prevention of worm diseases is also recommended.

Main types of colors

Black

The most preferred is pure black without any extraneous shades. However, most Chow Chows of this color have lighter fur on the hind legs and tail.

Blue

It can be any gray-bluish shade: from light steel to dark lead.

Cinnamon

A brownish tint, from almost sandy to a diluted coffee-au-lait color, but always with a cool grayish-silver sheen.

Ginger

It can be either almost fawn or bright, rich red.

Cream

Cream Chow Chows are usually a pale golden or very light fawn color. But the palette of this color is much wider: it covers all shades from almost white to light caramel.

Grey

In fact, this is one of the variants of the blue color, in which sometimes there is a warmish sheen to the coat, which is why it does not look bluish, but rather gray or silver.

White

Pure white color, especially if it is associated with albinism, is considered a defect in the breed. But white in combination with yellowish or pale apricot darkening on the ears is considered a variant of the cream color and is not a plembrac.

The “panda” color popular on the Internet does not exist among chow chows: these are ordinary light cream dogs, whose fur has been artificially dyed black in places..

Boys and girls: how are they different?

Male Chow Chows are larger and more massive than females . They are more muscular and compact in build.

Also, boys of this breed have a larger and more voluminous head, and a wider muzzle.

The coat of males is thicker and longer than that of females, and the mane and fringe are more pronounced.

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What puppies look like (photos)

Below is a description of what Chow Chow puppies look like by month.

1 month

The puppies look well-fed, but not overfed.

They have a rather squat body, short thick paws, rather large heads with a slightly convex skull, short voluminous muzzles and small dense ears still pressed to the head.

The coat of babies is soft and even of long-haired puppies is short and plush . The eyes may retain a slight bluish tint, but the look is already serious and slightly frowning.

2 months

By this age, the coat of long-haired puppies noticeably lengthens, and the ears are slightly raised at the base.

The muzzles of two-month-old Chow Chows look a little longer than before, but the overall “plush” appearance is still retained.

3 months

Three-month-old puppies begin to develop hair in the form of a collar or mane. Their fur is now quite long and thick. The ears no longer sag, but stand up, although perhaps not quite vertically.

At the same time, puppies still look plump because they do not yet have the well-developed muscles characteristic of adult dogs.

4 months

By four months, the Chow Chow's legs and muzzle begin to lengthen.

At this age, they already have fairly long hair, forming a clearly visible mane and collar.

5 months

The little Chow Chow's coat lengthens even further and becomes thicker and denser.

She is no longer as plush as before, but by this age the puppy already has a fairly long mane and feathers on the tail and limbs.

The muzzle becomes longer and not as voluminous as before.

6 months

At six months, the body proportions of a growing chow chow become similar to adults. The legs lengthen so much that the body becomes almost square. Due to the onset of shedding, the fur looks so thick, and the mane and tail feathers become less fluffy.

7 months

Shedding continues, which is why the puppy's coat looks a little patchy and uneven in color.

However, by this age the mane again becomes well defined, and feathering again appears on the hind legs . Body proportions are already close to those of adult dogs.

8-9 months

The puppy is still shedding, and by this age the baby hair has almost completely come out, and the adult hair grows somewhat unevenly, which is why in some places, for example, on the back of the front paws, sparse fringes are formed that look like feathers.

By this age, many young Chow Chows have almost reached their maximum size, but continue to gain muscle mass and weight..

10 months

The molt is completely completed or is nearing its end and by this age the young Chow Chow finally acquires a truly long and thick mane and a fluffy tail.

The hair on the body also lengthens, although it does not yet reach its maximum length . The head and muzzle increase in volume and become more massive.

11-12 months

By this age, the Chow Chow has almost completely grown and the proportions of its body finally acquire the appearance typical for the breed. By this time, he has a long and lush mane, as well as feathering on the tail and hind limbs.

But the hair on the body is still short, it will grow later and reach its final length by about three years of age.

In the period from four to six to seven months, the puppy grows unevenly, but as if in parts, which is why the proportions and sizes of its body, paws and head are constantly changing.

Brown

Another name, Tsimt. Perhaps this variety has the widest palette. Here you will find coffee shades, a light beige version of a fur coat, and the purest cinnamon. Some adults have a mask of light and dark hair on their face. This combination produces a gray hair effect.

To read: Chocolate Havana: origin of the breed, care recommendations

Representatives of cinquefoil are often confused with red ones, and in the early stages with blue ones.

When a puppy is just born, his fur coat has a silvery tint, but it changes towards cinnamon already in the first few weeks of life. Only an experienced breeder can correctly determine the color. Never hesitate to seek professional advice.

How to choose?

People who want to buy a Chow Chow should not rush to buy a dog. First, you need to decide on the gender and color of your future pet.

Bitches have a softer character and are less likely to be stubborn than males . But boys of this breed look more impressive, and therefore future owners who want to successfully exhibit their pets should think about purchasing a male dog.

A girl is better suited as a family dog, since the innate maternal instinct makes bitches more favorable not only to puppies, but also to small children.

You need to purchase a dog through a club or kennel.

However, when choosing a nursery on your own, you need to remember that some of them are not included in the RKF, and, therefore, a chow chow purchased there cannot be shown at all exhibitions, including international ones.

NOTE!

Buying a dog on the market and without documents of origin is fraught with the risk of purchasing not a chow chow at all, but a mixed breed or a mongrel puppy.

When choosing a future pet, you need to remember that it must be healthy, well-fed and moderately mobile. Excessive slowness, as well as excessive fussiness, can be signs of a not very good psyche.

The color of a small Chow Chow can differ noticeably from the color of an adult dog, so, first of all, you need to focus on what the parents of the chosen baby look like.

After all, the puppy will most likely inherit the color from one of them, and not from a more distant ancestor.