Meet Fidget!
Fidget is a Chow Chow mix! Keep reading for more information on this fuzzy breed!
History
Chow Chows are one of the oldest breeds. Chow Chows are featured in art from the Han Dynasty in China (shout out to AP World History!), but experts argue that this breed existed long before then. Unfortunately, the earliest Chow Chows in China were actually used as food. While there is much debate about the name “Chow Chow,” some experts claim that it is actually derived from the ancient Cantonese word meaning edible, thus they were called the “Edible Dogs.” Later, Chows were known for being companions to the Chinese emperors. One emperor of the Tang Dynasty was rumored to have owned 5,000 Chows. Eventually, the Chows started to serve as watch dogs, hunters, and haulers.
Another theory for the origin of the name Chow Chow include the pidgin-English word meaning random knick-knacks from the East. While it was normally used to describe dolls, and other small items, experts claim that the British traders were so confused by the abnormal looking Chow Chows, so they just categorized them along with the other knick-knacks.
Care
| Height | 17-20 inches |
| Weight | 45-70 pounds |
| Life Expectancy | 8-12 years |
Although Chow Chows have notoriously long and fluffy fur, they only need to be brushed two or three times a week. It is incredibly important to be careful with your Chow around water. Since they have so much fur, if the fur gets wet, it becomes heavy and can prevent your Chow from being able to swim easily. Chows require moderate amounts of exercise. Their heavy fur coat means Chows do not fair well in hot weather, so be mindful about exercising your Chow during the hottest periods of the day.
Chow Chows are known for being stubborn and hostile to strangers. Most Chows who experience these qualities simply behave this way because they only feel a strong attachment to one person, their owner, and they tend to the be weary of all other people. However, it is very easy to prevent this behavior in your Chow. Chows just need proper training and early socialization in order to become friendly companions to all people!
Famous Chow Chows
Sigmund Freud had a Chow Chow, Jofi, who would accompany Freud to his sessions. Jofi was known to make the patients, especially children, feel more relaxed. Freud’s Chow was even able to help him during his assessments because he could judge people’s characteristics based on the way Jofi treated different patients. Inspired by Jofi, Freud wrote, “Dogs love their friends and bite their enemies, quite unlike people, who are incapable of pure love and always have to mix love and hate in their object relations.”
Martha Stewart is also quite fond of Chow Chows and her dogs were often featured on her shows. She has had many Chows including, Genghis Khan, Paw Paw, Chin Chin, Max, and Zu Zu!
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