Plate 027 · East Asia
Chow Chow
松狮犬
“An ancient northern Chinese all-rounder with a blue-black tongue.”
- Origin
- China
- Northern China
- Historical region — not an exact birthplace
- The point is a reference position for a historical region; it is not an exact birthplace.
- Era
- Ancient (one genetic study places it among the most basal lineages; others caution that basal status reflects isolation rather than age)
- Today
- Companion · Guardian
Under editorial review — sources listed below.
Then → Now
Then · 1900A Chow Chow drawn in 1900, when Victorian fanciers were shaping the heavy-ruffed show type.
R. H. Moore, in Charles Henry Lane's All About Dogs (1900) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
NowLuigi Borromeo · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
History
01 · Origin
Northern China
An ancient spitz-type dog from northern China.
02 · Historical role
What it was bred for
A general-purpose dog used for guarding, hunting and pulling loads.
03 · Breed development
How it changed
According to the AKC, Chow Chows were shown at the London Zoo in the 1820s as 'Wild Dogs of China' but caught on in the West only after Queen Victoria acquired one later in the 19th century; the FCI standard says the breed was not really noticed in Britain until the 1920s.
04 · Today
Companion · Guardian
A dignified, cat-like companion that is reserved with strangers.
Personality
- Dignified
- Aloof
- Loyal
- Independent
- Quiet
General breed tendencies, not guarantees — individual dogs vary with genetics, training and environment. Ratings: this atlas’s editorial summary on a 1–5 scale, for rough comparison between breeds here — not a measurement or a standardised assessment.
- Size
- Medium
- Lifespan
- 8–12 years
- Coat
- Rough or smooth, dense double coat
Field note
The Chow Chow's blue-black tongue is one of its defining features — a trait it shares with the Chinese Shar-Pei.
Recognition & today
- AKC
- Non-Sporting Group
- Also recognized by
- FCI
- Popular in
- No reliable data
AKC registrations: ranked 94 among breeds in 2025.
- 中国本土 / 历史犬种 · China-native or historic
Sources2 references
- Chow Chow — breed information — American Kennel Club
https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/chow-chow/
Registry · accessed 2026-10-06 · Used for registry status, AKC group and breed standard reference only.
- Chow Chow (encyclopedia overview) — Wikipedia
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chow_Chow
Encyclopedia · accessed 2026-10-06 · Secondary overview; cross-check claims against primary breed-club sources.
Image credits
R. H. Moore, in Charles Henry Lane's All About Dogs (1900) · Public domain · Wikimedia Commons
Luigi Borromeo · CC BY · Wikimedia Commons
Text is written by World Breeds from the references above; it does not reproduce registry descriptions.
