Next on the list of dog breeds that bother the Buttinskis of Britain is the Chowchow, often shortened to Chow, a breed of Chinese origin whose popularity peaked a few generations ago in the US. One reason may be that in the US "chowchow" also refers to a kind of seasoning sauce made of mixed pickled vegetables. Not everyone likes the relish and not everyone likes the dogs.
The American Chowchow is a sort of Spitz-type dog bred to be mostly a watchdog. It is sturdy and chunky and solid, standing 17 to 20 inches high at the shoulder and weighing 45 to 70 pounds. There are fluffy-coated and smooth-coated types. Their life expectancy is 8 to 12 years. They are notoriously clean dogs, said to be as fastidious as cats, with little odor. They are known for having aloof, "dignified," "refined" personalities.
Eye and thyroid disorders run in some Chowchow bloodlines. While responsible breeders work to screen out these genes, and the genetic joint disorders found in many pedigreed dog breeds, those who really want people not to be able to own dogs scream that it would be better just to let this breed go extinct.
Even the short-haired Chows have dense coats and need a lot of grooming. The heavy lion-like section of fur around the head can become messy--and these dogs haaate when their coats smell bad and attract parasites, but what can they do? Humans have to clean their "beards" and "manes."
Chows don't tolerate heat and humidity well, but they do need daily exercise. They can thrive in urban conditions as long as they are walked regularly. Living with lazy humans, they can become lazy too, become obese, and develop expensive, nasty diseases like diabetes.
Typically intelligent but stubborn, this breed can be hard to train. They need patience and kindness. They are tough and strong, and should not be antagonized. They are valued as watchdogs--"nobody's going to break in and throw THIS dog a treat while he robs our house" is a claim people make. Even a Chow breeder coyly admits that while their male dogs usually take everything into consideration before they attack a potential threat, the females tend to "bite first and ask questions later." I understand that this breed description may be tempting to people who want to rid their homes of annoying relatives and Jehovah's Witnesses, but it can also perturb lawsuit-phobic landlords...If your property is surrounded by a fence with signs warning that your dog may bite, then in most states neither relatives nor Jehovah's Witnesses can sue. Your homeowners' insurance may still rise, because "dangerous dogs" have been known to bite "licensees" such as mail carriers who have some right to approach your home, and insurance companies will never let an excuse to demand more money go to waste.
Socialists really, really don't like the idea of anyone having a right to protect their property. For people who don't think voting against Socialists is enough, owning a watchdog who won't be disarmed by petting or treats may be an appealing idea. But do consider how you plan to protect your friends' toddlers from a Very Serious Watchdog.
As family pets Chows rate four stars, having neither outstandingly good nor outstandingly bad records. They do recognize their humans' children, and they can be "fluffy teddy bears" for their humans' families. They're not known for having much sense of play or humor, though, and may teach children their boundaries the hard way. They don't have much patience for more playful dogs. They tend to be, to put it charitably, very dominant over other pets. They can learn to coexist with cats, but don't naturally like cats; they are one of the breeds known to kill and eat cats. In fact, since most Chows see themselves as leaders, they can be dominant even with their owners.
Finally, because they're smart and stubborn and loyal and loving, Chows can be hard to adopt. They don't accept right away that they've been sold, or even "adopted." You probably want to spend some time getting acquainted before you adopt one. If it accepts you as its master, it may be a wonderful pet; if not, you may be sorry you brought it home.
In fact, if you adopt a Chow (or any Spitz-type dog) and love it, you may be tagged by the organization as a Spitzperson and begged at least to foster any other Spitzen who come to the shelter. Some people are delighted with this aspect of being Spitzfolk. You might want to give it a second thought.
So Chows are definitely not for everyone. There are still a few of them in the United States, however, and occasionally dogs with some Chow ancestry can be found in shelters. For those who don't want these dogs to languish in shelters, here are links to what Petfinder currently shows as Chowchows and crossbreeds. Since most of these dogs are crossbreeds, our cat photo contest will focus on Domestic Short Hair cats.
Zipcode 10101: Nash from the Mexican Border by way of Scarsdale
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/dog/nash-0f61a21f-9e58-41ae-94e0-e97ce0967742/ny/scarsdale/border-paws-of-the-rgv-tx2739/details/
Real Chows have blue-black tongues, and see that tongue! He's just a spring puppy, so it's hard to be sure, but they think his other ancestors were short-haired terriers and his weight will stay at the low end of the "medium" range (26-60 pounds).
George from NYC
His web page: https://www.petfinder.com/cat/george-74654fac-f2aa-4d0d-998f-5d05c1713f26/ny/new-york/nyc-animal-rescue-girls-nycarg-ny1438/details/
Just another spring kitten whose mother's humans were too lazy or cheap or ignorant to have her spayed. It's one thing to want kittens; it's another thing to let unwanted kittens happen. Anyway, he's a lovable little fellow who needs a good home with another bouncy-pouncy kitten, and at least one good-sized room where shelves are for climbing on and furniture is for hiding behind.
Zipcode 20202: Sunny from Texas by way of Bethesda
He's from Texas too, but he has a ruff. Four years old, 65 pounds, Sunny loves children, other dogs, riding in the car, and playing in snow whenever he's had the chance. He does have a playful side. He likes long walks. He is absolutely not recommended to homes with cats.
Cookie from Fredericksburg
This pretty Tortie would prefer (they think) to be adopted together with her solid black buddy, Pepper. She's already been scheduled for spaying in the next few days. She's just another kitten...stop me before I rant again.
Zipcode 30303: Ramen Noodle from Houston by way of Atlanta
At 49 pounds, thought to be about 7 years old, Ramen Noodle was found wandering on the streets of Houston's Chinatown. He's available for adoption in New York, DC, or Atlanta actually, and in other places, through various "partner organizations." If adopted by people based in Atlanta he's eligible for a discount with a dog trainer there. He has behaved well when exposed to other dogs and children. He's not been exposed to cats.
Cheeky from Atlanta
What does it mean when a cat seems to be purring with delight, then hisses in warning? There are several possibilities. Cats can sustain brain damage from illness, anesthesia, medication, etc., so one possibility might be hallucinations. More likely, though, especially with a diluted orange cat, she's saying "Oh yes, scratch there, rub there--er, NOT there." Anyone who's ever wanted to leap up off a massage table and bolt, towel and oil and all, can relate. The organization are convinced that people who get to know this quirky little cat will love her. So much so, that they'll pay you to be her foster human for up to two months. If you want to adopt her, just save the money! Fostering means you agree to let other people meet and possibly adopt the cat--to forestall that, you'd simply pay the fee and adopt her yourself.
Bonus Dog: Dallas from Johnson City (Tennessee)
Taken in as a potentially dangerous stray, Dallas is an older dog who might have outlived his human. He has no criminal record but he needs a good home, from which he will not be allowed to stray on the streets.
Bonus Kittens: Latte & Cappuccino from Johnson City
Either they didn't set up a web page for Cappuccino, or someone has already adopted Cappuccino. The web page is all about Latte, but then it says she needs to be adopted with Cappuccino, but then they give no information at all about Cappuccino. Anyway isn't that a pretty diluted Tortie face?
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