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Chow Chow, or Chow, is a breed of dog that was first developed in Mongolia about 4,000 years ago and was later introduced into China, where it is referred to as Songshi Quan which literally means “puffy-lion dog.”Westerners believed that Chow Chow was the original model for the Chinese guardian lion. In ancient China, where the real lion was unknown, Buddhist monks from India brought descriptions of the traditional stone lions that guarded their native temples. Hearing these stories, Chinese sculptors modeled statues of Fu or Foo lions, the lions of Buddha, after these native dogs and created an icon of an animal never before seen in China. However this idea is left unsupported due to lack of evidence.The Chow is thought to be one of the oldest recognizable dog breeds, and recent DNA analysis confirms that it is one of the oldest breeds of dog. Research indicates it is one of the first primitive breeds to evolve from the wolf, and is thought to have originated in the arid steppes of northern China/Mongolia. A Chinese bas-relief from 150 BC shows a hunting dog similar in appearance to the Chow. Later, Chow Chows were bred as general-purpose working dogs for herding, hunting, pulling and guarding.In the United States, the Chow Chow was a highly popular pet among the rich and famous during the Roaring Twenties. President Calvin Coolidge and his wife owned a black Chow named Timmy.Chow Chows were also popular in the 1930s and 1980s.The chow chow is a dignified and aloof dog. It is intelligent but can be detached and is especially reserved with strangers. It is loyal to its family. With socialization and training it can be quite good with children but often does poorly with other animals.The chow chow requires a firm, experienced owner; it can adapt to a city, suburban, or rural home. Chows require grooming, socialization, and training.

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This entry was posted on Wednesday, May 2nd, 2012 at 5:56 am and is filed under Dog Videos. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. You can leave a response, or trackback from your own site.