the breed

more than 2,000 years old, the chow chow was bred tobe an all around working dog capable of surviving in a hostile environment. Hunting, herding, guarding, pulling sleds the chow could do it all. First kept by fierce mongolian tribes in China as a hunting and guard dog, the chow was also used for their meat and fur. The true origin of the breed is unknown; some historians believe it descends from ancient roman mastiff type dog crossed with spitz types. Others believe the chow is the ancestor of modern spitz group of dog as well as the akita and shar pei.
How the chow got his blue black tongue is also a mystrery. A delightful old fable provides an answer: when the God was painting the sky blue, he spilled a few drops as he worked. The chow followed after, licking up the drops of paint and from that day forward, the chow chow had a blue tongue !
The chow's first appearance outside of China was in England in the late 1800's, sailors returning from the east brought them back in the cargo hold of the great trade ship. "Chow chow" was a slang term applied to the large variety of items carried by these ships, like a nocckname, the term stuck to these dogs.
Chows make exceptional house pet, they are very quiet, naturally well behaved, not diggers or barkers and aren't destructive. He, though mother nature gave him a scowl, made him mysterious and quiet, he's a dog that mind his own business thus giving the impression of an aristocrat.
Beauty, loyalty, loving, clean, aristocrattic, intelligent, mysterious and aloof; these are the words so often used to tell of the chow chow. The chow will serve you if you will allow him to be your adoring slave and he will love you with all his being: He ask only for your faith in him.
Chows come in five colors: red, black, cream, blue and cinnamon.
Red varies from a deep mahogany to a liht golden red with light shading on the tail, breeching and ruff.
Black is self-explanatory, black chow sometimes turn "rusty" when kept outside or in the sun.
Cream varies from ivory to a very pale fawn, blue is a steel gray color, sometimes with silver shadings as in the black.
Cinnamon varies from a light tan or fawn to almost red.