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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
The standard documents the qualities which and substance must be combined into a
determine “chow type”. The stilted gait, the well balanced whole, never so massive as
square profile, dark blue-black pigmentation to outweigh his ability to be active, alert
of the tongue, and the distinct scowl. Further and agile. Clothed in a smooth or an
examination must be performed to evaluate offstanding rough double coat, the Chow
the front assembly structure, the body and rear is a masterpiece of beauty, dignity and
structures and proper coat texture. Gait is also naturalness. Essential to true Chow type
indicative of proper or improper structure. The are his unique blue-black tongue, scowling
chow chow's stilted gain can only be evaluated expression and stilted gait.”
from the side.
Quote from the AKC Chow Chow breed standard: About the author
“General Appearance–Characteristics– Love Banghart and her husband Bob have been actively
An ancient breed of northern Chinese involved with loving, breeding and showing Chow chows
origin, this all-purpose dog of China was since the mid 1970s. Love is an AKC specialist judge and
used for hunting, herding, pulling and has judged the US Chow club National Specialty twice,
protection of the home. While primarily a as well as specialties in Japan, Australia, New Zealand,
companion today, his working origin must Canada and Italy. She writes the Chow column for the
always be remembered when assessing AKC Gazette and has held most offices in the parent club
true Chow type. A powerful, sturdy, through the years.
squarely built, upstanding dog of Arctic Reprinted with the author’s permission.
type, medium in size with strong muscular Originally published in ShowSight June 2013
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