Chow Chow
An ancient northern Chinese breed with a dense double coat and a famously cat-like character. Low exercise needs, heavy grooming, poor heat tolerance, and little patience for being handled.
- Weight
- 20–32 kg
- Lifespan
- 8–12 years
Weight and lifespan are reference ranges from the breed guide. They vary by sex, lineage and individual dog and do not predict your dog’s ideal weight or lifespan. Read the care descriptions alongside the individual dog’s history.
Background and characteristics
The Chow Chow is an old breed from northern China that hunted, guarded, and hauled, and it still carries the equipment for cold weather: a thick double coat, a broad head, and a stilted rear gait created by unusually straight hind legs. The blue-black tongue is the party trick everyone knows. Temperament is often described as cat-like, which is fair.
Chows are attached to their people but choose the terms, and they do not tolerate being grabbed, hugged, or handled on someone else's schedule.
Exercise and play
Exercise is modest, around two half-hour walks a day. This is not a running breed, and heat is a genuine danger, so warm months mean walking after the pavement cools. Give the dog something to chew or sniff out indoors and it settles easily.
Coat and everyday care
Coat care is the real commitment. Brush three or four times a week, right down to the skin, and daily during the twice-yearly shed. Mats form first behind the ears, around the ruff, and in the trousers, and a coat brushed only on the surface hides felted undercoat that leads to sore skin.
Do not shave a Chow to the skin because it looks hot; the coat also buffers heat and protects against sun, and regrowth after a close shave is often poor. Ask a groomer to thin the undercoat instead.
Before bringing this dog home
Two things surprise new owners. First, vision: deep-set eyes and a heavy coat limit peripheral sight, so a Chow that is approached from behind can react before it recognises you. Second, warning style, which is brief and easy to miss.
On health, entropion is common enough that surgical correction is a normal expense, and hip and patella problems, hypothyroidism, glaucoma, and heat stroke all belong on the list. Insurance and rental restrictions apply to this breed in some regions, so check before committing.