Interesting facts about Chow Chow Dogs
Is a Chow Chow perfect for your Australian lifestyle? While this breed looks like a cute teddy bear, this dog is more complicated than that.
Chow Chow dogs are basically powerfully built dogs with sturdy frame because of their past role as a working dog. Throughout centuries, these dogs were used for pulling carts, assist in hunting, and herd livestock. These dogs also served as palace guard dog for the Chinese emperor. While we don’t often see them working like cattle dogs in agriculture or on farms in Australia they are still popular with dog lovers.
A Chow Chow presents an impression of being squarer with its length and height about equal. The rear legs of Chow Chow lack the angulations of some breeds, which provide this dog his quick-paced and stilted walk.
What to Know about Chow Chow’s Personality?
Chow Chows aren’t typically social outgoing dogs. These tend to be aloof with every stranger and may be aggressive with some dogs. It’s fitting with their past as guard dogs for livestock and homes. Early socialization to some dogs, people, and pets is important. These dogs may also be nuisance barkers if alarm barking isn’t controlled.
Chow Chows have a stubborn and independent streak, but are fairly intelligent. Therefore, training is a challenge and you’ll find that getting them to sit still for pet photos is going to be problematic.
To do great in competitions, these dogs need a patient and firm trainer with lots of creativity. They are also fiercely protective and require training to control guarding tendency.
Coat of Chow Chows
This dog is known for its thick coat that covers rolls of flesh. Its rough coat variety is the most common and what you could picture when Chow Chow comes to your mind. There’s also smooth coated variety, even if it’s less common.
Chow Chow’s Purple Tongue
Chow Chows are popular because of their purple tongues. These are genes carried within the dog breed and turn Chow puppy’s tongue purple when puppy is about 9 weeks old.
Grooming Basics for Chow Chow
Chow Chow comes in two types of coat, which include smooth and rough. Both have a top coat and an undercoat. Rough coat has abundant coat, which stands off from the dog’s body. Its head is framed by profuse ruff as well as the tail is plumed. Grooming requires basically depend on the kind of coat. Smooth coated Chow Chow requires brushing only every week. Chow Chows with rough coat must be brushed every other day. Every variety sheds heavily twice yearly during which time coats would come out in handfuls.
Chow Chow and Its Health
Chow Chows have several health issues that may be a concern. These include elbow and hip dysplasia, autoimmune thyroiditis, patellar luxation, and eye concerns including glaucoma and cataracts. Gastric torsion, pemphigus foliaceous, and melanoma are also seen in this dog breed.
Dog breeders should agree to have every test result, negative or positive, published in CHIC database. Never buy a puppy from a dog breeder who can’t give you with written documentation that parents were cleared of some health issues that affect the breed. Having your dog vet checked isn’t a substitute for health testing for genetics. That is why you should check the parent breeds also.
