The Chow Chow is a sturdily built and attractive dog with a square body and stiff, straight legs giving it a distinctive stilted gait. They have two coats of hair, triangular rounded ears, and a mane of fur around their head which has led people to compare them with lions. And, like the king of the jungle, they are strongly independent and rather aloof with people they don't know. They’re also fiercely loyal, but need to be socialized from a young age to prevent them from acting aggressively towards unknown animals and children.
Chow Chows are one of the earliest known basal breeds. They originated in China thousands of years ago where they were used as hunting and guarding dogs, sled pullers, and, unfortunately for them, as a source of food. The name Chow Chow may even come from this fact, as 'Chow' comes from the Cantonese word for “edible”, but it seems equally likely that it derives from the name for unclassified supplies, which were listed as 'Chow' on ship manifests, much as we would write 'Etc.' today.
