One would think that after emerging from Chinese indigenous dogs 8,300 years ago, we’d have a handle on the origins of the Chow Chow’s name, but most people aren’t even sure whether to spell the interjection as ‘here here,’ or ‘hear hear!’

By the way, it is spelled “hear hear,” and we know this because in the UK, members of Parliament are discouraged from clapping, and have been for hundreds of years. When people in the House of Lords and House of Commons wanted to express consensus with a speaker back in the 17th century, then, they yelled, “hear him, hear him” as a way to demand that the speaker be heard, and that everyone “listen up!”  By 1868, “hear him, hear him” had gotten shortened to “hear, hear!”

The name, Chow Chow, however, has less certainty even though some canine scholars write with assured authority that the name emerged in the 18th century when the breed was first imported to England, and the dogs were lumped in with the assortment of curios and goods brought from the East by merchant ships. “Chow Chow” was the pidgin English term used by British traders as a catch-all for various goodies like rugs, vases, dogs, incense, fabric…..

It’s important to note that “Chow Chow” wasn’t Chinese at all, nor did it have a specific meaning related to the breed’s characteristics or appearance in Chinese culture. In fact, in China the breed is known as “Songshi Quan,” which reflects its dignified, lion-like appearance; there have been other names, as well, including bear dog (xiang go), black tongue dog (Hei Shi-tu or Hsiung Kou), wolf dog (Lang Kou) and canton dog (guangdong go).

But other theories abound, and one posits that Chow Chow originated from the Chinese slang, “Chou,” meaning “edible,” because at one time,  Chow Chows were a source of protein. Another hypothesis is that the name was derived from an ancient word, “Cha” or “Chao,” meaning, “dog of great strength.”

Interestingly, the Complete Dog Book published by the American Kennel Club in 1935 speculated that the Chow originated in northern Siberia. As the property of nomads, these dogs would have arrived in China via Mongolia and may have been used as war dogs. This lead to yet another name, “kou,” meaning “dog of the Barbarians.”

Image of Chow Chow by Łukasz Rawa/Unsplash