Dogs and All about Them

Dark red is the accepted colour of the Chow. Modern judges will not look twice at a light or parti-coloured dog, and it is to be feared that if even Ch. Chow VIII. could revisit the scenes of his bygone triumphs, his beautiful light markings would prove a fatal bar to his success. The judges would be quite wrong, but if you want a dog for show you must be sure to get a good whole-coloured dark red. If, on the other hand, you have a Chow as a companion and friend, do not be at all troubled if his ruff, yoke, culottes and tail are white or cream-coloured. These are natural, correct and typical marks, though present-day fanciers are trying to "improve" them away. A list of points as drawn up by the Chow Chow Club some years ago is added. The points are fairly right, but the tongue of a live Chow is never black. It should be blue, such a colour as might result from a diet of bilberries. POINTS OF THE CHOW CHOW: HEAD--Skull flat and broad, with little stop, well filled out under the eyes. MUZZLE--Moderate in length, and broad from the eyes to the point (not pointed at the end like a fox). NOSE--Black, large and wide. (In cream or light-coloured specimens, a pink nose is allowable.) TONGUE--Black. EYES--Dark and small. (In a blue dog light colour is permissible.) EARS--Small, pointed, and carried stiffly erect. They should be placed well forward over the eyes, which gives the dog the peculiar characteristic expression of the breed--viz., a sort of scowl. TEETH--Strong and level. NECK--Strong, full, set well on the shoulders, and slightly arched. SHOULDERS--Muscular and sloping. CHEST--Broad and deep. BACK--Short, straight, and strong. LOINS--Powerful. TAIL--Curled tightly over the back. FORE-LEGS--Perfectly straight, of moderate length, and with great bone. HIND-LEGS--Same as fore-legs, muscular and with hocks well let down. FEET--Small, round and catlike, standing well on the toes. COAT--Abundant, dense, straight, and rather coarse in texture, with a soft woolly undercoat. COLOUR--Whole-coloured black, red, yellow, blue, white, etc., not in patches (the under part of tail and back of thighs frequently of a lighter colour). GENERAL APPEARANCE--A lively, compact, short coupled dog, well-knit in frame, with tail curled well over the back. DISQUALIFYING POINTS--Drop ears, red tongue, tail not curled over back, white spots on coat, and red nose, except in yellow or white specimens.