Why does every one think my chow is mixed?

[TyChowgirl]

I met another lover of the chow a couple of days ago who apparently has had them for 30+ years (she said she had to put her last one down) Anyways, I whip out my phone and show her pictures and I get the "Oh well he's mixed with husky or something right?" Ok, so Ty doesn't have AKC papers...we bought him from a breeder who does CKC...but I met his parents! He looks like both of his parents. Sometimes I see his mother, another time I see his dad depending on expression and stance. They both look full chow...I've seen so many on here that look like him...And then she says "Mine had the more open face too but they didn't look like him" I met one in February that scowled at me and told me that my chow was a mix because she had three at home and they don't look like him. (She had the bear, stockier, closed face) and another told me the other day..."I've never seen a blond chow". I figure if you've had chows for years, you should know all about them right? I call Ty a toasty cream. He's a marshmellow that got left near the fire a little too long without the burn. But...yea...it's annoying...

[612guy]

Sometimes photos on phones aren't the best. That especially true outside even with smart phones but really bad with the older phones. Chows come in different sizes, colors and shapes. Some people only like 1 type and think others are inferior. I don't know this for sure but think the close face chows have more problems with their eyes. I wouldn't worry or care what other people say if they have an attitude like that.

[Cam Atis]

Hi TyChowgirl! Made me smile: i thought if you got chows for 30years and havent researched on the breed? Hehehe. I am new to chows yet I know MissV's Slushy is a smOoth coat one. And you said Ty looked like Slushy, coat wise.
Have you 'nicely' retorted that your Chow is a Smooth coat variety? Or better still, just to confuse them more, try : Oh ! Mine is of Lion Type, yours is of Bear Type. LOL!

[PCC]

Chows have a lot more variation than other breeds. Between the smooth and rough coats, the five colors, the size, and shape/look of the face, it is understandable that some might be confused or unconvinced. I get it too, since Dim Sum's tongue is spotted. If someone wants to believe he is mixed, that's their problem, not mine.

[TyChowgirl]

I get that sure, but if you've owned chows for years then I feel like you should know more about them, like Cam said. 3 decades is a long time to have many of a breed and assume there's only one or two variations. I've only had mine for almost a year and I know more than I ever thought I would, but it helps me understand my dog better too. I guess not everyone is like us here at cc.org. Cam yea, I'd say a shorter rough or a longer smooth? He just doesn't have a plethora of fur like some chows but not thick and short like a true smoothie. Haha I don't know.

[Auddymay]

People can be so rude. Back about 6 years ago, we had a member here (she still comes here sometimes with her current Chow) who's Chow Koda had a shorter coat, but was clearly a rough. She linked to a site that showed not only color variations, but length of coats as well. I have tried to find it to no avail. In fact I believe Koda had an 'English coat'. So next time some huffy human says not a PB, tell them they are incorrect, but thanks for the input...BTW, many of our Chows come with longer than normal muzzle lengths. That is why we don't show them.

[PCC]

3 decades is a long time to have many of a breed and assume there's only one or two variations.

I suppose it's possible for someone to have a lot of exposure but no experience. Some people don't know what they're talking about too.

[Cam Atis]

Yea some people can be rude. Pain to bear, but bear them we must.

You know what's rare I have seen is the Brindle Chow shown here. I think it is rare one. Looked brindle from the photos but every inch a chow - from the tail to the ears - black tongue too!
If I'm the breeder I wont sell it because of its coat. I guess some brindle dog -not chow - messed with its great great great grandmother. and it shows as a recessive gene

[hayleedog]

typically blonde isn't a traditional chow color from I have been able to research, the five common chow colors are red, black, blue, cinnamon and cream .

My hannah is also 'blonde' and she is registered, I figure her blonde coloring is either a light red or a dark cream.

Whatever the case I have learned Chows come in all different colors, shapes and sizes as well as fur lengths. I thought hannah was a smooth coat when I got her but have since been told she most likely is an english rough coat.

Whatever she is on the outside, inside she is a marshmellow

[TyChowgirl]

Haylee- yea, I think I'm going with cream. Ty isn't quite dark enough to be a shaded red. This English rough thing is interesting. I'll have to see what I can find research wise on that. I can tell you how Ty got to be that goofy in between color...Here's his parents...
- King, Sire
- Misty, Dam


Also, according to King's documentation...one of his parents was a cinnamon and the other a cream. So there's a lot of cream lineage in Ty's background.
His brother Chrysalis is an even odder color. He's like a reddish brown color. When you put them together they are literally night and day as far as shade of color. Or rather, warm and cool.


Definitely easier to see in person. But it's all very interesting, genetics lol.

[Rio]

Honey-blonde ( don't take my word for it , check out Jennifer Anistons pictures if you type honey-blonde into Google ) I would say, very unique, beautiful too. Genetics are neat, I am almost black-haired my hubby is dark brown and we have a blonde haired boy and fair haired boy (human lol)

[nicoleirene]

Ty looks identical to my Chow Kodiak and i always get asked what she is mixed with as well! i started to question whether she was purebred or not just because so many people had asked that question, i was told she was and both her parents look full chow as well but there was something about mine people questioned, dont let it get to you people will think what they want i love my girl just the same full chow or mixed! (:

[Tippsy'smom]

People think he's a mix, probably because they've never seen a purebred and have never bothered to look into the breed. Shoot, I always have people asking if Jasper is a purebred chow and I just look at them and tell them "uh, no, he's definitely a mix."

My dad use to tell me Tippsy wasn't a purebred (even though we had her papers), because she was an open faced/more athletic style chow. He use to make me angry saying that...

[Victory]

I'd say she is probably looking at both his color and his facial conformation. He is definetly not a common "show" type chow and as far as I'm concerned that is a good thing. Neither are his parents. Nice open faces, long straigth strong legs, well preportioned. All four are exactly the type of chow I personally prefer. Athletic, good vision range etc. Usually healthier and normally have fewer problems with joints as they age. They are also much closer to the older type of chow which you can see if you google Freud's chows. You'll find a picture of Jofi, a female with a very open face, longer legs, shorter fur, she looks a lot like your boys mom.

A lot of breeders who breed the heavy, closed faced chows don't know about the other version as you almost never see that type in the show rings. It would be nice to start seeing them again, maybe through obedience shows.

[karenmarie]

Victory is correct Freud, Calvin Coolidge, Georgia O'Keefe, just to name a few, all had open face chows that are more reminiscent to the original breed characteristics. The chows that won best of breed in 1920 were more similar to open face as Victory described. There are many breeds that no longer or just remotely resemble the original breed. It has been the topic of many an argument with the AKC standards. I will find the info and pics I have and post it for you! Sometimes you can teach those that think they know everything!!!
Ty is perfect!!!!!

[karenmarie]

Found the pic's!!
Freud

1901 best of breed show

Top Breeder

Champion Red Craze

Hope you enjoy a little history!! I have many old photos of chows I have collected over the last 40+ years if you would like more.

[TyChowgirl]

KarenMarie- Thanks for that post! That was a nice bit of history and I love the pictures. Of course I would love more! I'm saving these. It's really neat to see how much he looks like them and how much the breed standard for showing has changed. Victory- I would love to do obedience with Ty though I know we're restricted because he doesn't have akc papers. But he knows a lot, a quick learner, and listens well...well most of the time he is a chow after all. If I can make one of the dog events they have with the city this year, they're going to have agility and I want to see how he'd do. He is a bit more atheletic...he runs around with the rest of the dogs at the dog park and loves to run with his buddy Dexter at the dog run down the street. He's only good for short spurts though. I doubt he'd be good at it or maybe not entirely open to it, but I wouldn't mind trying even if his time would be slow. I am chasing a CGC eventually. He's getting much better with people petting him on the head. That part of the stranger greeting is the only thing I think we'd have trouble with. The rest, he can do... at least in my apartment haha.

[Cocoa]

Tychowgirl said:

He's getting much better with people petting him on the head. That part of the stranger greeting is the only thing I think we'd have trouble with.

Cocoa doesn't like that either, however (except in the case of small children who she seems to tolerate almost anything from as long as they don't run up to her) I don't feel the need to teach her to allow strangers to use a dominant gesture on her and instead try to educate the strangers how to approach a strange dog. No one should pat a strange dog without asking the owner and allowing the dog to approach and sniff them first. Because chows are so cuddly looking people seem to think they can just reach out and touch them, how often do you see people reaching out to pet a strange pit bull on the head without being properly introduced?

[Cam Atis]

Yeah I also like a more open face chow like what Victory says. Cassie is somewhat like that as well as her parents. I think AKC rule standards is ERR... i cant say it hahaha.
In England, a cream chow is allOwed to have a cream nose. Which I think is sensible. In U.S. only black nose for the creams. A blue chow is allowed to have a slate nose in the AKC, why not the creams?
I envy Ty and MissV's short coated chows really. only the coat.

[Victory]

Sitting and allowing someone to pet them on the head is test #2 for CGC in the US. Most people who get CGC accrediation for their dogs are doing it so that the dog can be a threapy dog or something like that and visit hospitals, nursing homes, schools etc. For visits to those places getting petted on the head is going to happen, and the dog must allow it. Darkwind would have done well as a threapy dog. Firesong and Dreamdancer not so much, now aglitiy for them, oh yeah they could do that. just put a squirrel in front of them, and they'll do anything to get it! So all I'd really have to do is train the squirrel.

[Rory's Dad]

Sadly, i own the currently trending scrunchy face chow...lol. Rory does do AKC shows, and has earned 3 points in 2 weekends worth of shows. And i would say that the vast majority of the dogs being shown are of the short nuzzle, big fur variety. Rory is still showing in puppy fur, and that may have cost a position or two in the judges eyes.

We have seen short haired variety though. And the owner of that dog was the president of the regional Chow club. Very clearly a full bred chow, but even she stated that professional show judges have trouble recognizing them as full bred chows. The AKC separates shorts in the judging program, and very rarely will award them a breed win when up against the 'norm'.

My two prior chows were also fullbreed, but were taller and not as stocky as Rory. Our 1st chow, Kodi, almost had the height of a shepard and throughout his 13 years with us before giving way to extreme hip dysplasia, was always a lean dog. No less chow however. Full black tongue and an attitude to match. Teddee, our 2nd, was about the height of a standard pit bull, with the muscle build to match. Teddee was 9 when he developed seizures related to a tumor, and was always the most loyal, sweet dog. He also had a great sense of his protection and guard duties. Both of these dogs were a light cream.

Point is, as others have stated, chows do vary. There are 5 recognized colors, but lots of in betweens in coloring alone. Lighter creams can certainly appear white with a light undercoat. Rory is (currently) on the cinnamon side, but has a black undercoat, so parts appear to be a true red. He is registered as a red. Black coats with a silver undercoat can look blue.

I like to think of myself as an experienced chow owner. I have had 3 chows over the past 15 years. Am I an expert, heck no. I offer opinions based on what i see in my dogs, and i think the people you have run into are the same. I think i would tell these people that your dog has been DNA tested, and is a direct descendent of one of the Freud dogs KarenMarie posted.

[TyChowgirl]

That made me laugh pretty hard Victory. Only because it's true. Ty has now acknowledged the word squirrel for...well a squirrel. I say it and he starts looking, including up trees, kind of like one of the pictures I have. And cocoa, you're not wrong. I again, have nothing against any of the bully breeds. But where I lived has ruined them for me as my county has ranked them number two according to their registration as most popular breed. Part of me hates that people tell me how vicious my dog is and then walk up to a Pitt. It's the same thing. Seriously. I had a woman come into work who wears a hoodie that says "proud pitt mom" who told me that my dog was more likely to attack someone than hers. People cross the street when they see us walking, calmly...but don't when an owner is being dragged down the sidewalk by the pittbull. But I can't have it both ways, because in my neighborhood...I don't mind them being scared of my dog especially when I'm walking him at night. Still, most of them are ignorant of the breed. I had one "thug boy" say to his friend that "them chows, they kill pitts, man". But off my soap box, I digress. I think I just want the CGC to prove that he's not the stereotype. Like I've said before, he's the only chow at the dog park. And he's come a ways with his shy personality, he's come out of his shell, and he listens better than most dogs I know. He's even helping me with my other neighbor's dog. The pitt boxer mix (he's supposed to be pitt chow, but other than maybe his bark...there's not even a spot on his tongue..I don't see it, but we all agree he's gotta be boxer) downstairs is coming up on a year and only knows "sit" when he wants and "lay down" sparingly. He doesn't get walked enough and tears up everything. Basically a lack of training. My neighbor hurt his foot so I took this as an opportunity to work with him. I walked both he and Ty, and after a few minutes, he walked at Ty's pace, completely calm versus his wound up state earlier. Ty is very calm and laid back despite his skittish nature. It's kinda weird. But he's a good model for Rocco. And Rocco respects him.
Rory- No sadly! Your boy is gorgeous and there's nothing wrong with the stockier sort except it makes it harder for those of us who don't have that type to apparently have a recognizable chow! lol just kidding. He's doing well, and I hope that continues for you. I've always wondered what that would be like. Ty looks creamier in the winter when he has a full undercoat, his is white. Part of me wants to try the whole AKC show thing with my second chow, whenever I get one...but the more I do rescue work, the more I want to adopt one. I still want a younger dog when the time comes though if possible or at least one Ty's age.

[karenmarie]

Good Morning,
Glad you liked the photos
Found an article that has some interesting content you might enjoy reading. I like to read any info out there, and one day a friend sent me this link. I thought it was more food for thought! The more information you surround yourself with will allow you to make your own educated
opinion. My only concern with all creatures great and small has always been health and well being. We have been very very fortunate thus far with our chowdren living long healthy lives without any health issues except an occasional ear infection in the last year of each of their lives.
Our fur kids have all been from family raised homes with pedigrees usually with one foreign lineage. Not that that made a difference, I'm not sure. The families do not breed regularly. Our first chow baby came from a couple that were in their very late years and had actually imported over 80 years ago while traveling abroad, they were friends of my parents. We were lucky and obtained a pup from their last litter ever. All but Bella baby have an on going portion of that ancestry. Just rattling on now, sorry. Anyway hope you enjoy the link, like I said it is only food for thought!
http://andruska.wordpress.com/2011/11/1 ... chow-chow/

[Cocoa]

Tychowgirl, I missed the part about the CGC, of course Ty will have to let people pat him on the head to get that. Where I am there is a definite bias against pit bulls but chows are fairly rare around here and not a lot of people are aware of the bad reputation they have been labeled with. Cocoa is very friendly and lets just about anyone pat her, my frustration is with people thinking they can just walk up to a strange dog (any dog) and pat it without asking or even worse let their children do the same. Not all dogs are accepting of strangers and if something happens it will always be deemed the dogs fault.

karenmarie, that is a very interesting article. I have always preferred the more open face chows, Cocoa is a little stockier than my previous two but she is still quite athletic and the only time I have to curtail activity is when it is really hot out.

[Victory]

Good Morning,
Glad you liked the photos
Found an article that has some interesting content you might enjoy reading. I like to read any info out there, and one day a friend sent me this link. I thought it was more food for thought! The more information you surround yourself with will allow you to make your own educated
opinion. My only concern with all creatures great and small has always been health and well being. We have been very very fortunate thus far with our chowdren living long healthy lives without any health issues except an occasional ear infection in the last year of each of their lives.
http://andruska.wordpress.com/2011/11/1 ... chow-chow/

Very interesting article. Funny I would never have described the muzzles on the first, (or orginaly type chow) as fox like, more wolf like. But when I got Dreamdancer my several of my friends all said "he looks like a little fox." Like I said I would have said he looked like a wolf cub. My best friend gave me a beautiful needlepoint pillow with a wolf on it, and at first I thought it was chow! Almost all of my chows have looked like the original type, only Darkwind was of the stockier type, though he had a nice open face, he was very bearlike, people thought he looked like a bear or a young Newfie. And at six he had pretty bad arthritis in his elbows, he also had stomach cancer. Both things mentioned in the article.

If I were ever able to breed, (a dream of mine) I'd breed for healthy, intellgent chows that look like the orginal type. I'd test them with aglity trials, sled pulling and obedience, I'd even want them to sometimes "forget" what a command meant, because that is part of a chow too. Is it so much about winning a show? Is that the reason some breeders bred for the exaggerated conformations? I sort of pity those who have never had a chow that can do 0-30mpls in a few seconds, or who can't walk a Ren Fair with their chows all day long, in the heat, with 30,000 people around. Or to even take a 3 mile walk around a lake and the one that is tired is you...the chows could easily do it again.

Like Melanie says every dog, (chow or not) should be able to run, jump, and play without issues.