Chow Chow

by Maciek Froncisz

Canvas Print

$53

Framed Print

$78

Art Print

$27

Poster

$27

Metal Print

$76

Acrylic Print

$84

Wood Print

$56

Greeting Card

$6.95

iPhone Case

$27

Title

Chow Chow

Artist

Maciek Froncisz

Medium

Painting

Description

Chow-Chow Dog Breed:

This distinctive-looking dog breed has a proud, independent spirit that some describe as catlike.
The breed's most memorable physical feature may be his blue-black tongue. According to Chinese legend, the tongue got its blue hue at the time of creation, when a Chow licked up drops of the color as the sky was being painted.

Experts have long speculated that the Chow Chow is one of the oldest dog breeds, and genetic testing has proven that to be true. The ancient breed is believed to have originated in Mongolia and Northern China, slowly moving south with the nomadic tribes of Mongolia.

Early depictions of dogs resembling the Chow Chow appear in pottery and paintings from the Han Dynasty (206 BC to 22 AD). One Chinese emperor was said to have kept 2,500 pairs of Chows as hunting dogs. In addition to hunting, the dogs were used to guard their owners' possessions. On the down side, their fur was used to trim coats and their flesh was considered a delicacy.

In China, the breed went by several names: black-tongue dog (hei shi-tou), wolf dog (lang gou), bear dog (xiang gou), and Canton dog (Guangdong gou). How he became the Chow Chow is an interesting story.

British merchants in the late 18th century included some of the bearlike dogs in their cargo. Miscellaneous items, including dogs, were referred to as "chow chow" and the name stuck to the breed.

In 1781, the Chow was described in a British book, Natural History and Antiquities of Selbourne, by naturalist Gilbert White. His neighbors had brought home a pair of Chow Chows from Canton (now Guangdong), and he included them in his observations of country life. Fanciers say the breed has changed little since White wrote about them more than 200 years ago.

It wasn't until a century later, however, that Chow Chows were imported on a regular basis. Queen Victoria, who loved dogs, took an interest in the breed, which boosted its popularity. A breed club formed in England in 1895.

The first Chow Chow to make an appearance at an American dog show was named Takya, who took third place in the Miscellaneous Class at the Westminster Kennel Club show in 1890. The American Kennel Club (AKC) recognized the breed in 1903, and the first Chow registered with the AKC was named Yen How.

Chow Chows were all the rage among the rich and famous during the 1920s. They even made it to the White House, where President Calvin Coolidge and his wife kept Timmy, a red Chow, and Blackberry, a black chow. Analyst Sigmund Freud was also a Chow fan, and his daughter Anna kept and bred the dogs. More recent fans include Martha Stewart; Chows sometimes appear with her on her TV show.

Today, Chow Chows rank 64th in popularity among the 155 breeds and varieties recognized by the AKC.