Page 90 - Chow Life - Fall 2025

the Chow Chow

Rough Coat or

Smooth Coat

by LOVE BANGHART

When someone decides they want to add a Chow Chow, which has a hard, dense, smooth outer coat with
Chow to their family, their first decision is typically a definite undercoat. There should be no obvious ruff or
the color of the chow. Our breed standard clearly feathering on the legs or tail.
states that there are only five acceptable coat colors
(red, black, cream, blue and cinnamon) You can see from this definition that the only
and all colors are to be judged difference between a rough or a
equally, this decision is rather smooth should be the length and
easy. A second decision is to “ distribution of coat. There
select a rough coated or should be no other differences
a smooth coated Chow. the only difference in structure, expression,
There can be both coat gait or disposition. The
types in a litter if the between a rough standard states that both
pedigree includes should be a powerful,
rough and smooth sturdy, squarely built,
coated Chows. Our or a smooth should upstanding dog of
AKC Chow Chow Arctic type, medium
standard states: Coat: be the length and in size with strong
There are two types of muscular development
coats; rough and smooth. distribution of coat and heavy bone. The
Both are double coated. body is compact, short
Rough - In the rough coat, the coupled, broad and deep,
outer coat is abundant, dense, “ the tail set high and carried
straight and offstanding, rather closely to the back, the whole
coarse in texture; the undercoat soft, supported by four straight, strong,
thick and wooly. Puppy coat soft, thick sound legs. Viewed from the side, the
and wooly overall. The coat forms a profuse ruff hind legs have little apparent angulation and
around the head and neck, framing the head. The coat the hock joint and metatarsals are directly beneath
and ruff generally longer in dogs than in bitches. Tail well the hip joint. It is this structure which produces
feathered. The coat length varies markedly on different the characteristic shorter, stilted gait unique to the
Chows and thickness, texture and condition should be breed. The large head with broad, flat skull and
given greater emphasis than length. Obvious trimming or short, broad and deep muzzle is proudly carried
shaping is undesirable. Trimming of the whiskers, feet and and accentuated by a ruff. Elegance and substance
metatarsals optional. Smooth - The smooth coated Chow must be combined into a well-balanced whole,
is judged by the same standard as the rough coated Chow never so massive as to outweigh his ability to be
except that references to the quantity and distribution active, alert and agile. Clothed in a smooth or
of the outer coat are not applicable to the smooth coated an offstanding rough double coat, the Chow is a

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