I have lived with Chow Chows virtually all my life. In 1934, Fu Chang Wangli, a deep red dog, was my mother's first, and since then there has always bea Chow in our household.
This poem will give you an idea of the breed (by kind permission of the Chow Chow Club, written by M Mettam):
Oh, see the Chow Chow prancing along,
With his stilted gait and black tongue,
He just doesn't know right from wrong.
If this is something you'd regret
A Chow is not the dog to get.
A Chow is an animal with whom you can't deal,
You can't even make him walk to heel.
He pulls you over when you take him out,
He just ignores it when he hears you shout.
He makes a fool of you fifty times a day,
The Chow-ist says, "It's just his way!"
A Chow is strong, courageous and bold,
He can withstand hunger and cold,
And he never seems to look old.
A Chow is really built to last
It's just the owners who age so fast!
A Chow is an animal that comes from a bear,
And just like a bear, he doesn't care!
If he won't give a paw to you or fetch a ball,
If he won't carry newspapers or come to your call,
Then you must surely realise by now
That dog has to be a Chow.
Oh, see the Chow Chows there at the shows,
Blacks and blues and red, all in rows,
We love them so, heaven knows.
Each time I vow to give them up
I go and buy another pup!
As you can see from the above poem, they are not the easiest of breeds. You either love them or loathe them. They have minds of their own, are a strong powerful dog for their size, with a very dense, medium length coat which takes quite a lot of work to keep in good condition. Don't expect a Chow to listen to or obey you, they only do that when they want to. Showing them is like a game of roulette!!
On the good side, they aren't noisy, except when warning strangers off, are very good guards, always faithful to their owners, sensitive to your every mood, and they don't require excessive amounts of exercise. They are very good with children, exceptionally clean in every way, are not aggressive to other dogs, though if attacked they are more than capable of holding their own.
On the whole, they are very good to live with - I have to admit and I enjoy the challenge they present!!
