A Concise Guide
Judging the Chow Chow
A Few Reminders from the History Books
To their virtues ever kind, to their faults a little blind� is a good slogan for the judge who is hypnotised by bad points. Those that cannot see the virtues will never make a good judge� � Honor Green The Chow Chow 1975.
The absolute faultless Chow Chow may not yet have proclaimed itself - The Popular Chow Chow by Leighton & Baer 1933
Another important factor � know your Chow and what you are looking and feeling for. Get to know the anatomy of the breed � - The Chow Chow by Honor Green 1975
This standard should be the basis of all judging and breeding, one cannot change the standard to fit the dog� The Chow Chow by Honor Green 1975
..."to own a Chow Chow is to become the custodians of a legacy the Chinese have preserved for over 5000 years, a legacy which we should take care not to destroy. To destroy the breed is to create exaggerations....be they in bone, in head or in coat....all which are foreign to the basic, natural beauty of the dog and ultimately to the animal's health.... exaggerations detract from one of the more important descriptions of the breed ; "Balance"... C E Collet The Chow Chow 1953
A good big Chow is better than a good small Chow, but providing the latter has balance as well as the other required qualities he should not be penalised for size. The dog can never be too masculine in appearance or too short-coupled. (The bitch) She should also be distinctly feminine in appearance and quite impossible to confuse with the male. ..- C E Collet The Chow Chow 1953
� What has been so carefully preserved over the centuries should not be wantonly destroyed for a whim or passing fashion. � C E Collet The Chow Chow 1953
�The Standard requires �an active, compact, short-coupled and well balanced dog� �with proud, dignified bearing�. Balance is a matter of proportion not size, and is of first consideration. If there is balance there is usually the rest of the requirements, be it big, medium, or small animal�. C E Collet The Chow Chow 1953
�The Standard calls for a lively, compact, upstanding dog, active and alert with perfect balance. This is being lost with the diminishing size,� C E Collet The Chow Chow 1953
� �if a Chow were to be lower than eighteen inches in height the balance would be upset, and balance we have decided is the deciding factor�with the exception of the coat the Smooth Chow is judged by the same scale of points�Let the words �a well �balanced � dog remain foremost in your mind. The proud dignified bearing speaks for itself� - The Popular Chow Chow by L Ingleton & D Rybot 1954
��A very plain open face never gives the true scowling expression �� Chow 90
�there cannot be a good Chow that lacks chow expression�it is really the outward expression of the inner soul of the chow �� Will Judy 1934
�the standard description of points issued by the Chow Chow Club is sufficiently exact to be a permanent guide to breeders and exhibitors in keeping to the prescribed type and is no doubt helpful to the judges desiring to justify themselves in their awards�- The Popular Chow Chow by Leighton & Baer 1933
��The ideal chow is one, who first of all, impresses you with his balance. No virtue stands out in excess of the others. His outline is square and his coat, longer in places and shorter in others, showing the outline of his body. The legs are long enough to support the deep chest and not to look as if they had been cut off at the lower joint. His muzzle and head are large and wide but do not strike you as such till you see him with other dogs of less good heads and muzzles�.it would be a pity that one of the most unspoiled breeds should allow exaggerations to creep in and destroy what is so charming in our breed, the balance and type which are the great attractions as well as the virtues of the Chow Chow � - Foreword to the second edition of the Popular Chow Chow 1933 by Alice O Fullerton (Surrey UK)
�As one considers the heritage of the chow from the past �many of the mental traits of the chow �the physical traits �are explained logically and clearly � The Chow Chow by Will Judy 1934
�coat, colour and head are the three major parts of the chow�any clear colour which is solid throughout or which has shadings on three parts, the ruff, that is round the neck, on the tail, and on the breechings of the hind legs�further more a chow need not have shadings� The Chow Chow by Will Judy 1934
The dog unique, one of the most distinctive of breeds..has the blue-ish black tongue�outstanding coat of brilliant colour..head suggest the lion..giving the breed an appearance of dignity and strength..the glory of the Chow is his own and can never be wrested from him� The Chow Chow by Will Judy 1934
�specific Chow faults� drop ears�the chow ear must be pointed in shape and stiffly carried in that position, with a slightly forward tilt. Floppy, tipped over ears or flat ears spoil the chow expression and head appearance� other than a bluish black tongue is a decided fault..there is only one colour of chow nose � black, blue-coloured chows may have solid blue or slate noses� The Chow Chow by Will Judy 1934
�the term disqualifying in the standard is misleading� a dog having one or more of these faults may not be ordered out of the ring �.the faults will be considered decidedly against the dog � The Chow Chow by Will Judy 1934
..head and expression�a compact body and plenty of offstanding coat make up the general chow appearance..it is highly desirable to have plenty of bone in the chow yet too much bone means a slow useless dog. Unless the Chow has an upstanding carriage, a quick light step, he is not a true Chow. The good Chow must be upstanding in gait and off standing in coat� The Chow Chow by Will Judy 1934
The Chow Chow Breed Standard
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ROUGH VARIETY |
SMOOTH VARIETY |
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GENERAL APPEARANCE Active, compact, short-coupled and essentially well balanced, leonine in appearance, proud, dignified bearing; well knit frame; tail carried over back. |
GENERAL APPEARANCE Active, compact, short-coupled and essentially well balanced, leonine in appearance, proud, dignified bearing; well knit frame; tail carried over back. |
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CHARACTERISTICS Quiet dog; good guard; bluish-black tongue; unique in its stilted gait. |
CHARACTERISTICS Quiet dog; good guard; bluish-black tongue; unique in its stilted gait. |
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TEMPERAMENT Independent, loyal, yet aloof. |
TEMPERAMENT Independent, loyal, yet aloof. |
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HEAD & SKULL Skull flat, broad; stop not pronounced, well filled out under eyes. Muzzle moderate in length, broad from eyes to end (not pointed at end like a fox). Nose, large and wide in all cases, black (with exception of cream and near white in which case a light-coloured nose permissible, and in blues and fawns a self-coloured nose). |
HEAD & SKULL Skull flat, broad; stop not pronounced, well filled out under eyes. Muzzle moderate in length, broad from eyes to end (not pointed at end like a fox). Nose, large and wide in all cases, black (with exception of cream and near white in which case a light-coloured nose permissible, and in blues and fawns a self-coloured nose). |
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EYES Dark, oval shaped, medium sized and clean. A matching coloured eye permissible in blues and fawns. Clean eye, free from entropion, never being penalised for sake of mere size. |
EYES Dark, oval shaped, medium sized and clean. A matching coloured eye permissible in blues and fawns. Clean eye, free from entropion, never being penalised for sake of mere size. |
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EARS Small, thick, slightly rounded at tip, carried stiffly and wide apart but tilting well forward over eyes and slightly towards each other, giving peculiar characteristic scowling expression of the breed. Scowl never to be achieved by loose wrinkled skin of head. |
EARS Small, thick, slightly rounded at tip, carried stiffly and wide apart but tilting well forward over eyes and slightly towards each other, giving peculiar characteristic scowling expression of the breed. Scowl never to be achieved by loose wrinkled skin of head. |
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MOUTH Teeth strong and level, jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Tongue bluish black. Roof of mouth and flews black (blue black), gums preferably black. |
MOUTH Teeth strong and level, jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and set square to the jaws. Tongue bluish black. Roof of mouth and flews black (blue black), gums preferably black. |
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NECK Strong, full, not short, set well on shoulders and slightly arched. . |
NECK Strong, full, not short, set well on shoulders and slightly arched. . |
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FOREQUARTERS Shoulders muscular and sloping. Forelegs perfectly straight, of moderate length, with good bone. BODY Chest broad and deep. Ribs well sprung but not barrelled. Back short, level and strong. Loins powerful. |
FOREQUARTERS Shoulders muscular and sloping. Forelegs perfectly straight, of moderate length, with good bone. BODY Chest broad and deep. Ribs well sprung but not barrelled. Back short, level and strong. Loins powerful. |
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HINDQUARTERS Hindlegs muscular, hocks well let down, with minimal angulation, essential to produce characteristic stilted gait. From hocks downwards to appear straight, hocks never flexing forward. |
HINDQUARTERS Hindlegs muscular, hocks well let down, with minimal angulation, essential to produce characteristic stilted gait. From hocks downwards to appear straight, hocks never flexing forward. |
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FEET Small, round, cat-like, standing well on toes. |
FEET Small, round, cat-like, standing well on toes. |
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TAIL Set high, carried well over back. |
TAIL Set high, carried well over back. |
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GAIT/MOVEMENT Short and stilted. Forelegs and hindlegs moving parallel to each other and straight forward |
GAIT/MOVEMENT Short and stilted. Forelegs and hindlegs moving parallel to each other and straight forward |
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COAT Rough: profuse, abundant, dense, straight and stand-off. Outer coat rather coarse in texture, with soft woolly undercoat. Especially thick round neck forming mane or ruff and with good culottes or breechings on back of thighs. Any artificial shortening of the coat which alters the natural outline or expression should be penalized |
COAT Smooth: coat short, abundant, dense, straight, upstanding, not flat, plush-like in texture. Any artificial shortening of the coat which alters the natural outline or expression should be penalised. |
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COLOUR Whole coloured black, red, blue, fawn, cream or white, frequently shaded but not in patches or parti-coloured (underpart of tail and back of thighs frequently of a lighter colour). |
COLOUR Whole coloured black, red, blue, fawn, cream or white, frequently shaded but not in patches or parti-coloured (underpart of tail and back of thighs frequently of a lighter colour). |
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SIZE Dogs: 48 - 56 cm (19 - 22 in) at shoulder Bitches: 46 - 51 cm (18 - 20 in) at shoulder |
SIZE Dogs: 48 - 56 cm (19 - 22 in) at shoulder Bitches: 46 - 51 cm (18 - 20 in) at shoulder |
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FAULTS Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect on health & welfare of the dog . |
FAULTS Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree and its effect on health & welfare of the dog. |
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NOTE Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum |
NOTE Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum |