Related breedAfricanis300 CE to 1000 · South AfricaChow Chow at a glance
- Origin
- China
- Appeared
- 200 BCE to 1895 (likely)
- Family
- Asian Spitz
- Type
- Spitz
- Size
- Medium
- Life span
- 9 to 15 years
- Recognised by
- FCI, AKC, KC
- Status
- Living
- FCI standard
- No. 205
- DNA clade
- Asian Spitz (Parker 2017)
The name. Possibly from pidgin English "chow-chow", a term for assorted Chinese cargo.
Same familyBasenji3000 BCE to 1937 · Democratic Republic of the CongoFamily and relatives
Gave rise to
Sister breeds
Same family: Asian Spitz
Alaskan Malamute, American Akita, Samoyed, Shar Pei, Shiba Inu, Shikoku
Close by DNADingo3000 BCE to 1500 BCE · AustraliaClosest relatives by shared DNA
Source: Parker et al. 2017, shared haplotypes in megabases.
Same eraFinnish Spitz1000 BCE to 1892 · FinlandPlace in time
The Chow Chow appears 200 BCE to 1895 (likely), in the Ancient World, when 68 breeds first appeared.
A full article on the Chow Chow is coming. Meanwhile, the Border Collie shows what every breed page will hold: see the Border Collie.






