2007-01-17 05:38:52 · 15 answers · asked by Mysraim S 1 in Pets ➔ Dogs
The two most distinctive features of the Chow Chow are its blue-black tongue and its almost straight hind legs, which makes it walk rather stilted. Its dense furry coat is profuse and comes in two varieties, smooth coat and rough coat. The most common colors are solid red, black, blue, cinnamon and cream, but it can also come in tan, gray, or (rarely) white. The coat sometimes has lighter or darker shades, but is never parti-colored. The ears are small and rounded and there is a huge ruff behind the head, which gives it a lion like appearance. Its head is broad and its skull is flat. The muzzle is broad near the eyes and narrows toward a black nose without becoming pointed. The chest is broad and deep and the kidney area is short and strong. The tail is thickly covered with hair and is carried over its back.
2007-01-17 05:55:48 · answer #1 · answered by mistresscris 5 · 0⤊ 1⤋
The only way to know for sure is to know what breeds the parents are. You could contact the breeder of the puppy and ask him/her.
Otherwise, your best bet is to look up pictures and descriptions of Chows and see if any characteristics your dog has match up.
A lot of people here said that Chows have black tongues, but the tounge will actually look more like a dark purple and the color goes all the way through the muscle (meaning that both the top and the bottom of the tongue are purple).
This is not to be confused with the small black spots that some purebred dogs of any breed have on their tongues. Black spots that are truely black and the color only appears on the surface are like birth marks and are fairly common among purebred dogs.
2007-01-17 13:57:18 · answer #2 · answered by GoldenDonut 3 · 0⤊ 0⤋
The only way to know for sure is to know the parents and pedigree. If you didn't buy your dog from a reputable breeder, there is no real good way to now. You can just wait and see if it grows to look a lot like a Chow, but it may be a mix or something else.
Also, Chows aren't the only dogs that can have purple/blue/black tongues. There are other breeds that can have this, too, as well as mix breeds, so this isn't a good gauge.
http://www.columbusdogconnection.com/BlackTongueDebate.htm
2007-01-17 13:42:38 · answer #3 · answered by Lauren M 4 · 2⤊ 0⤋
General characteristics of Chow Chows include: heavy coat with a "lion's mane" around the head/neck area; "blue" or "black" tongue (or spots on the tongue); a tail that curls up over the dog's back; pointed ears that sit high on the head.
Chow Chow puppies often look like very fat, very fluffy teddy bears.
2007-01-17 14:41:45 · answer #4 · answered by Fetch 11 Humane Society 5 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Chow chows have black tongues, so you can check its tongue to see if it at least has some chow in it. It could be a mixed breed, but you will never know unless you know the parents.
2007-01-17 13:44:47 · answer #5 · answered by Casey B 4 · 1⤊ 1⤋
You can check on www.dogbreeds.com to find out if you'r puppy is a chow chow. I hpoe it will be very useful to you.
2007-01-17 13:54:51 · answer #6 · answered by paulaclay69 1 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Take it to a vet or breeder, or look up general characteristics of Chows on the internet.
2007-01-17 13:46:02 · answer #7 · answered by totsandtwins04 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
Check out it's tongue. If it's purple or partly purple, you've got a chow or chow mix on your hands.
2007-01-17 13:49:31 · answer #8 · answered by dog7788 3 · 1⤊ 1⤋
google the american kennel club and hit chows. the breed standards should be listed on that site. if it is not from a breeder you will never be sure what your dog really is, no matter what it appears to be. bu, to start with, chows have blue tongues.
2007-01-17 13:43:40 · answer #9 · answered by Liligirl 6 · 1⤊ 3⤋
Chow will have black spots on its tongue.
2007-01-17 13:43:51 · answer #10 · answered by Big Mac 2 · 0⤊ 1⤋