Page 30 - Chow Life - Winter 2025
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the Chinese are better known for their pragmatism Finnish Spitz and Pomeranian descended from the
than their sensitivity, the breed quickly evolved smaller variety.
into an economic commodity. As such, they were
used for hunting, sledding, guarding, their fur and Spitz are described as a remarkably tidy and
as meat for the table. Special diets were developed constant family, with a rather broad skull, sharp-
to produce abundant coats, and dogs were killed by pointed muzzle, small pointed ears (carried erect)
strangulation to avoid damaging their pelts, which and of extreme mobility, and with a marked
made up a fair part of the European fur trade at that independence of character. Coats are generally
time. standoffish and of medium length, often forming a
frill around the neck. They have a generous brush to
However, their original purpose with the Mongols the tail, which is carried curled over the back.
and Tibetans was mainly limited to guarding and Upon examination of the literature, paintings and
herding, which explains their original structure and photographs of the earliest Chows in the Western
disposition. Vast territories of rugged, snow-covered world (as well as the description of Gilbert White
terrain rquired great endurance rather than speed. in his 1802 book, Natural History and Antiquities
The Buddhist monasteries coveted the blue variety of Selborne [England], which referred to the size of
as guardians for their temples and rigorously culled the Chow as that of a spaniel), it appears that the
any other colors. This zealous pursuit of color purity foregoing describes the original Chows to a tee.
extended to the complete mouth cavity rather than The following historical data also shows a gradual
just the dorsal part of the tongue. As guardians of increase of the average weight, from 32 to 70 pounds
the temples, these blue dogs were both hostile to and heights from 16-19 ½ inches:
strangers and slightly larger that their red and black • 1880 – Chinese Puzzle, 16 inches, 32 pounds
counterparts. They were considered an integral
part of the Buddhist liturgy and were unavailable to • 1890 – Chow VIII, less than 40 pounds and
outsiders. Unfortunately, this also sealed their fate unapproachable (upon which the standard was
under the present atheistic Communist regime. based)
• 1899 – CH Shylock, considered big at 47 ½
When in Canada a few years ago, the Dalai Lama pounds
said that blue-temple Chows still exist in Tibet, but
their whereabouts have been judiciously concealed. • 1901 – Ch Red Craze, 38 pounds
Indeed, where Chows are virtually nonexistent in • 1925 – Ch Chang-Fu of Amwell, 67 pounds
most of China today, they are still quite common • 1926 – Dietrich & Davies (USA) indicate a 55
on Tibet. This fact is verified from pictures of street pound average
dogs in a market scene in Lhasa that we obtained
from an Austrian gentleman a couple of years ago. • 1927 – Wigwam Wu Wang, 70 pounds
• 1928 – Leighton & Bear specified 50 to 60
It is commonly believed that in the Quaternary pounds for males, 40 pounds for females
period (12,000 to 600,000 years ago) there were two
sizes of wolves that were the forerunners of most • 1928 – Ch Choonam Moonbeam, 42 pounds
modern breeds. The large northern wolves of the • 1929 – Ch Li Chin of Amwell, 63 pounds
subarctic regions were the ancestors of a group of • 1933 – Will Judy (USA) specified 45-65 pounds
breeds referred to as being of the spitz type, while and 18 inches for males, 40-60 pounds for
the much smaller wolves of India and Arabia were females
the ancestors of most other breeds. Further down
the line, the spitz group split again into a group • 1933 Ch Pu Yi of Amwell, 54 pounds
of larger dogs, also referred to as Canis Familiaris • 1934 – Ch You-Si, 58 pounds
Inostranzevi and a second group of smaller dogs • 1935 – Ch Chu Chow of Amwell, 47 pounds
referred to as Canis Familiaris Palustris. According • 1982 – CCCI Specialty, 68 Chows measured:
to the experts, the Akitas, Malamutes, Elkhounds, 44-69 pounds; 16 ½ to 19 ½ inches. None were
Samoyeds, Huskies and Keeshonden descended even close to the 100 pounds or 24 inches often
from the large variety, while the Chow, Eurasier,
claimed.
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