History of the Chow Chow.  

Some History of the Chow Chow.

The Chow Chow is one of the oldest bred dogs in the world. The first Chow Chows were with the crew of the Tartars when they invaded China.

Originally they were used for hunting, trained to control cattle and as guard dogs at monasteries and temples. At present time they are only used as pets.

Its solid and quadratic body very similar to a lion knows the Chow Chow and he seems very proud and dignified. He is very loyal to his master and at the same time very independent, moreover he can be very stubborn.

The stilted walk and the bluish-black tongue are very characteristic for Chows.

The color of the Chow Chow’s coat can be red, black, blue, fawn and cream. The coat can be either smooth (not straight) or long and bushy with almost the mane of a lion.

The first known registered smooth Chow Chow in Europe was presumably bred in England in 1892 from two imported dogs. In 1929 in The Netherlands (Holland) the first smooth was registered. In the 1970’es only few people had the interest in breeding the smooth, so it had almost died out. Luckily people have regained the interest for breeding the smooth so presently it is bred all over the world.

The smooth Chow Chow is very old, which is shown on ceramics from the Han-Dynasty in China.

2001 In Denmark there are very few smooth Chow Chows. Presently 43 Chows are registered, but hopefully when time is for it this lovely variety will find a space in chow-peoples hearts.

In late 1985 two red smooth bitches were imported from Holland bred by Mai-Roodenburg. That is, to my knowledge, the first time smooth Chows came to Denmark.

Fushun v. Hillesheim came to Maria Osterhammel, Kennel Kitsu.

In February 1986 she was mated to Somebuddy v. Tiko-Ling. She got four puppies all rough coated. She died in June 1993.

Fei-Zette v. Hillesheim came to Peter Nielsen, Kennel Stoltelund. Unfortunately she never raised puppies. She died March 1999 after a long and fine life.

In 1992 a black smooth male:  Hot’s Here I Am At Bihar (USA) visited Denmark. Sire: Wah-Hu Midnight Raider Of Hot x USACH Hot’s Dicka’s Donna, unfortunately he didn't produce any puppies.

At the same time Chowhill’s Blue Sweetie Pie came to Denmark 8 months old. Sweetie is granddaughter of the well-known black smooth Lohov’s Fiasco.

In March 1993 Rex & Finn Müller picked up a red smooth male from USA, Mei-Ling Zar-Byjing, bred by Vancie F. Drew. Sire: Lov-Chow Heaven Sent, rough, x Rising Star’s Red Velvet, smooth.

May 22 1993 Kennel Grønbæk got a smooth puppy by rough coated parents: Grønbæk’s Pintho Red Cassanova, Sire: Pasjo’s Liang x Towmena Tiger Queen.

At October 6^th 1994 for the first time in Denmark were smooth puppies born out of smooth parents, four bitches of which two were smooth: Molboreden’s Smooth Dafne,  fawn,came to Kennel Beijing, Rex & Finn Müller. Molboreden’s Smooth Derris lives with her family in Kalundborg.

The Sire was: Pooka Ped Smooth v. Juttersburch x Stagebo’s Diamonds Are Forever.

In June 1995 I picked up my first smooth Chow, Brosscroft Sheer Sunshine, at Margaret Vickery, Kennel Brosscroft, England. The Sire was: Brosscroft Elliot Ness, rough x Brosscroft Smooth Mover.

In February 1996 Charlotte N. Jensen picked up a black smooth bitch in Sweden, Chowhill’s Dots One (Dodi). The Sire was: Jowtrix Creme Creole x Chowhill’s Trust Me I’m Smooth. As the first smooth  bitch in Denmark, Dodi became Danish Champion.

In March 1996 Kennel Beijing mated their smooth chows and got a litter of four where two of them were smooth, fawn bitches. Beijing's Ai Duan Tou Fa stayed at Kennel Beijing. Beijing's Ai’Mingyue came to Carla & Amdi Arnild who have had rough coated Chows for many years.

In June 1996 one more smooth Chow came to Denmark from Sweden, Nickelodeon Smooth Printed Calico, red, owned by Susanne Rasmussen.

It has been some good years for smooth Chows in Denmark as we now have 30 registered. I myself have had that great pleasure of having a smooth litter (November 19^th 1997). Three smooth in a litter of six puppies, two bitches and one male, all red. I kept Bidachows Smooth Stacy.

In June 1999 in the Tåsinge Show Molboredens Smooth Guldbær (Shogun) became the first Danish bred smooth to gain the title Danish Champion.

In the same year Shogun became the Sire of two litters one of which was with my own Brosscroft Sheer Sunshine as the Dame, she had three male puppies and two of them were smooth. I kept Bidachows Smooth Teddy Boy his brother, Bidachows Smooth Thunder Boy was send to Holland to Kennel v. Juttesburch. In return we had Velvet Macy v. Juttersburch, a red smooth bitch.

Shogun’s second litter was born in Holland at Kennel Juttersburch. One red bitch from that litter, Smooth Titica v. Juttersburch, lives with her father and his family at Karise.

In February 2000, Brosscroft Lifú Duan Tou Fa, came to Denmark from England, a black smooth male. Sire: Brosscroft Elliot Ness, rough, x Brosscroft Poetry In Motion, smooth.

Dog people in general, but Chow people in particular, are getting their eyes open for this lovely variety of Chows. It cannot be a secret that it is difficult to perform your smooth at the shows side by side with rough coated, who can “hide” possible mistakes in their coat. In spite of that some have succeeded in getting their certificate for their smooth Chows.  

If somebody fifteen years ago told me that I would become so fond of the smooth variety I wouldn’t have believed them, but many years of coat trimming is hard for your hands. This beautiful smooth has the quality, which I really love and always a lovely coat, that makes daily life much more easy with a lot of Chows in your house.

Birgit Dammann.