• HISTORICAL SUMMARY  

Originally from China, where it was kept as a guard dog and also used for hunting. Chows have been recognized in China for over 2,000 years and are related to Nordic dogs.  Because of China's "closed-door" policy to the rest of the world, Chows didn't start appearing in other countries until around 1800.

​

Country of Origin: China.

​

GENERAL APPEARANCE: Active, compact, short loin and above all well balanced, leonine looking, dignified and proud; well structured; the tail is clearly carried over the back. It must always be able to move freely and not have so much hair that it impedes its activities or causes suffering in hot climates. A bluish-black tongue is characteristic.

​

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS:  The distance from the withers to the elbow is equal to the distance from the elbow to the ground.

BEHAVIOR AND TEMPERAMENT: Calm, good guardian. Independent, loyal and reserved.

HEAD

​

• CRANIAL REGION  
   

Skull : Wide and flat.
 

Stop : Not pronounced.

​

• FACIAL REGION

Snout:  Of moderate length and wide from the eyes to the tip (never pointed like a fox). Well filled under the eyes.

​

Truffle:  Large and wide, always black (with the exception of cream-colored or almost white specimens, in which a light colored nose is allowed; in blue and fawn, a nose of the same color as the fur is admitted.
 

Jaws and Teeth:  Strong and straight teeth; Strong jaws with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, ie the upper teeth overlap the lower teeth and are set squarely to the jaws.
 

Lips: A solid black mouth, including the roof of the mouth and lips, with a bluish-black tongue is ideal. However, some dilution may be evident in the gums of blues and fawns and this dilution may be more pronounced in creams and whites.

Eyes:  Dark, oval in shape, medium in size and clean. A matching coat color is allowed in blues and fawns. Clean eyes, free of entropion; should never be penalized merely on account of size.

Ears : Small, thick, slightly rounded ends; carried erect, rigid and well apart, set above the eyes, facing forward, slightly converging, which gives the dog the characteristic expression of the breed, with a frown. This expression should never be achieved by the effect of wrinkles on the skin of the head.

​

NECK :  Strong, full, without being short, well set on the shoulders, slightly arched. Long enough to carry the head proudly above the topline.

​

• TRUNK
   

Loin:  Robust

Back:  Short, flat and strong.

chest :  Long and deep. Ribs well sprung, but not barreled.
 

TAIL:  Set on high, carried over the back.
 

• MEMBERS

PREVIOUS
 

Shoulders:  Muscular and oblique.

​

Elbows:  Equal distance between the withers and the ground.

Forearm: Perfectly straight, with good bone.
 

Paws:  Small, round, like cat's feet, set and well supported by the toes.

​

HINDQUARTERS :  In profile, the paws are directly under the hip joint.

​

Thighs:  Well developed.

Knees:  Just a slight bend

Legs:  Well developed.
 

Paws :  Small, round, like cat's feet, set and well supported by the toes.

​

• DRIVE :  Appearing to walk with short, quick steps, at her fingertips. The hind legs do not rise very much, seeming to graze the ground. When the dog moves quickly, one or the other shoulder moves forward. Flawless movement is of paramount importance.
   

• COAT

​

By :  It can be rough or smooth.  

1. Rough: Very abundant, dense, straight and bristly, but not of excessive length. The coat texture is rough, with the undercoat soft and wooly. The coat is particularly dense around the neck, where it forms a mane and, on the back of the thighs, in full breeches.

​

two.  Smooth: Short hair, dense, straight, flat, whole, not flat, with a plush-like texture.

​

• COLOR:  Unicolor black, red, blue, fawn, cream or white, often with nuances, but without spots or particolor (under the tail and on the back of the thighs the color is often lighter).
   

SIZE: Males: 48 to 56 cm. Females: 46 to 51 cm.

​

• FAULTS  

​

Any deviation from the terms of this standard should be considered a fault and penalized in exact proportion to its severity and its effects on the health and well being of the dog.  

​

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS

• Aggressiveness or excessive shyness.

• Any dog that shows any sign of physical or behavioral anomaly must be disqualified.

​

• GRADES

• Males must have both testicles, of normal appearance, well let down and accommodated in the scrotum.

• Only clinically and functionally healthy dogs with typical breed conformation should be used for breeding.