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General Appearance Characteristics An ancient breed of northern Chinese origin, this all-purpose dog of China was used for hunting, herding, pulling and protection of the home. While primarily a companion today, his working origin must always be remembered when assessing true Chow type. A powerful, sturdy, squarely built, upstanding dog of Arctic type, medium in size with strong muscular development and heavy bone. The body is compact, short coupled, broad and deep, the tail set high and carried closely to the back, the whole supported by four straight, strong, sound legs. Viewed from the side, the hind legs have little apparent angulation and the hock joint and metatarsals are directly beneath the hip joint. It is this structure which produces the characteristic shorter, stilted gait unique to the breed. The large head with broad, flat skull and short, broad and deep muzzle is proudly carried and accentuated by a ruff. Elegance and substance must be combined into a well balanced whole, never so massive as to outweigh his ability to be active, alert and agile. Clothed in a smooth or an offstanding rough double coat, the Chow is a masterpiece of beauty, dignity and naturalness. Essential to true Chow type are his unique blue-black tongue, scowling expression and stilted gait.
Size, Proportions, Substance
Size--The average height of adult specimens is 17 to 20 inches at the
withers but in every case consideration of overall proportions and type should
take precedence over size. Proportions-- Square in profile and close
coupled. Distance from forechest to point of buttocks equals height at the
highest points of the withers. Serious Fault Profile other than square.
Distance from tip of elbow to ground is half the height at the withers. Floor of
chest level with tips of elbows. Width viewed from the front and rear is the
same and must be broad. It is these proportions that are essential to true Chow
type. In judging puppies, no allowance should be made for their failure to
conform to these proportions. Substance--Medium in size with strong
muscular development and heavy bone. Equally objectionable are snipy, fine boned
specimens and overdone, ponderous, cloddy specimens. In comparing specimens of
different sex, due allowance must be made in favor of the bitches who may not
have as much head or substance as do the males. There is an impression of
femininity in bitches as compared to an impression of masculinity in dogs.
Head
Proudly carried, large in proportion to the size of the dog but never so
exaggerated as to make the dog seem top-heavy or to result in a low carriage. Expression
essentially scowling, dignified, lordly, discerning, sober and snobbish, one of
independence. The scowl is achieved by a marked brow with a padded button of
skin just above the inner, upper corner of each eye; by sufficient play of skin
to form frowning brows and a distinct furrow between the eyes beginning at the
base of the muzzle and extending up the forehead; by the correct eye shape and
placement and by the correct ear shape, carriage and placement. Excessive loose
skin is not desirable. Wrinkles on the muzzle do not contribute to expression
and are not required. Eyes dark brown, deep set and placed wide apart
and obliquely, of moderate size, almond in shape. The correct placement and
shape should create an Oriental appearance. The eye rims black with lids which
neither turn in nor droop and the pupils of the eyes clearly visible. Serious
Faults Entropion or ectropion, or pupils wholly or partially obscured by
loose skin. Ears small, moderately thick, triangular in shape with a
slight rounding at the tip, carried stiffly erect but with a slight forward
tilt. Placed wide apart with the inner corner on top of the skull. An ear which
flops as the dog moves is very undesirable. Disqualifying Fault Drop
ear or ears. A drop ear is one which breaks at any point from its base to its
tip or which is not carried stiffly erect but lies parallel to the top of the
skull. Skull The top skull is broad and flat from side to side and
front to back. Coat and loose skin cannot substitute for the correct bone
structure. Viewed in profile, the toplines of the muzzle and skull are
approximately parallel, joined by a moderate stop. The padding of the brows may
make the stop appear steeper than it is. The muzzle is short in comparison to
the length of the top skull but never less than one-third of the head length.
The muzzle is broad and well filled out under the eyes, its width and depth are
equal and both dimensions should appear to be the same from its base to its tip.
This square appearance is achieved by correct bone structure plus padding of the
muzzle and full cushioned lips. The muzzle should never be so padded or
cushioned as to make it appear other than square in shape. The upper lips
completely cover the lower lips when the mouth is closed but should not be
pendulous. Nose large, broad and black in color with well opened
nostrils. Disqualifying Fault Nose spotted
or distinctly other color than black, except in blue Chows which may have solid
blue or slate noses. Mouth and Tongue Edges of the lips black,
tissues of the mouth mostly black, gums preferably black. A solid black
mouth is ideal. The top surface and edges of the tongue a solid
blue-black, the darker the better. Disqualifying Fault The
top surface or edges of the tongue red or pink or with one or more spots of red
or pink. Teeth strong and even with a scissors bite.
Neck, Topline, Body
Neck strong, full, well muscled, nicely arched and of sufficient length
to carry the head proudly above the topline when standing at attention. Topline
straight, strong and level from the withers to the root of the tail. Body
short, compact, close coupled, strongly muscled, broad, deep and well let down
in the flank. The body, back, coupling and croup must all be short to give the
required square build. Chest broad, deep and muscular, never narrow or
slab-sided. The ribs close together and well sprung, not barrel. The spring of
the front ribs is somewhat narrowed at their lower ends to permit the shoulder
and upper arm to fit smoothly against the chest wall. The floor of the chest is
broad and deep extending down to the tips of the elbows. The point of sternum
slightly in front of the shoulder points. Serious Faults Labored or
abdominal breathing (not to include normal panting), narrow or slab-sided chest.
Loin well muscled, strong, short, broad and deep. Croup short
and broad with powerful rump and thigh muscles giving a level croup. Tail
set high and carried closely to the back at all times, following the line of the
spine at the start.
Forequarters
Shoulders strong, well muscled, the tips of the shoulder blades
moderately close together; the spine of the shoulder forms an angle
approximately 55 degrees with the horizontal and forms an angle with the upper
arm approximately 110 degrees. Length of upper arm never less than length
of shoulder blade. Elbow joints set well back alongside the chest wall,
elbows turning neither in nor out. Forelegs perfectly straight
from elbow to foot with heavy bone which must be in proportion to the rest of
the dog. Viewed from the front, the forelegs are parallel and widely
spaced commensurate with the broad chest. Pasterns short and
upright. Wrists shall not knuckle over. The dewclaws may be removed.
Feet round, compact, catlike, standing well upon the thick toe pads.
Coat
There are two types of coat; rough and smooth. Both are double coated. Rough
In the rough coat, the outer coat is abundant, dense, straight and offstanding,
rather coarse in texture; the undercoat soft, thick and wooly. Puppy coat soft,
thick and wooly overall. The coat forms a profuse ruff around the head and neck,
framing the head. The coat and ruff generally longer in dogs than in bitches.
Tail well feathered. The coat length varies markedly on different Chows and
thickness, texture and condition should be given greater emphasis than length.
Obvious trimming or shaping is undesirable. Trimming of the whiskers, feet and
metatarsals optional. Smooth The smooth coated Chow is judged by the
same standard as the rough coated Chow except that references to the quantity
and distribution of the outer coat are not applicable to the smooth coated Chow,
which has a hard, dense, smooth outer coat with a definite undercoat. There
should be no obvious ruff or feathering on the legs or tail.
Color
Clear colored, solid or solid with lighter shadings in the ruff, tail and
featherings. There are five colors in the Chow: red (light golden to deep
mahogany), black, blue, cinnamon (light fawn to deep cinnamon) and cream.
Acceptable colors to be judged on an equal basis.
Gait
Proper movement is the crucial test of proper conformation and soundness.
It must be sound, straight moving, agile, brief, quick, and powerful, never
lumbering. The rear gait shorter and stilted because of the straighter
rear assembly. It is from the side that the unique stilted action is most easily
assessed. The rear leg moves up and forward from the hip in a straight, stilted
pendulum-like line with a slight bounce in the rump, the legs extend neither far
forward nor far backward. The hind foot has a strong thrust which transfers
power to the body in an almost straight line due to the minimal rear leg
angulation. To transmit this power efficiently to the front assembly, the
coupling must be short and there should be no roll through the midsection.
Viewed from the rear, the line of bone from hip joint to pad remains straight as
the dog moves. As the speed increases the hind legs incline slightly inward. The
stifle joints must point in the line of travel, not outward resulting in a
bowlegged appearance nor hitching in under the dog. Viewed from the front, the
line of bone from shoulder joint to pad remains straight as the dog moves. As
the speed increases, the forelegs do not move in exact parallel planes, rather,
incline slightly inward. The front legs must not swing out in semicircles nor
mince or show any evidence of hackney action. The front and rear assemblies must
be in dynamic equilibrium. Somewhat lacking in speed, the Chow has excellent
endurance because the sound, straight rear leg provides direct, usable power
efficiently.
Summary
Faults shall be penalized in proportion to their deviation from the standard. In
judging the Chow, the overall picture is of primary consideration. Exaggeration
of any characteristic at the expense of balance or soundness shall be severely
penalized.
Type should include general appearance, temperament, the harmony of all parts, and soundness especially as seen when the dog is in motion. There should be proper emphasis on movement which is the final test of the Chow's conformation, balance and soundness.
Disqualifications
Drop ear or ears. A drop ear is one which breaks at any point from its base
to its tip or which is not carried stiffly erect but lies parallel to the top of
the skull.
Nose spotted or distinctly other color than black, except in blue Chows which
may have solid blue or slate noses.
The top surface or edges of the tongue red or pink or with one or more spots of
red or pink.
Approved October 10, 2005
Effective January 1, 2006
For More information visit AKC.org