There may never be resolution over what the origin of the Chow Chow’s western name is, but there is little argument that in China, the breed is known as Songshi Quan which translates to “puffy-lion dog.”  Around 100 AD, the breed was referred to as “Mang” (meaning “dog with much hair’), but The Complete Dog Book published by the American Kennel Club in 1935 theorized that the breed originated in northern Siberia and arrived in China via Mongolia. Belonging to nomads but thought to be used as war dogs, the breed was referred to as man kou, meaning “dog of the Barbarians.”  Over time, other Chinese names included “Lang Kou” (Wolf Dog), “Hsiung Kou” (Bear Dog), “Hei Shet Kou” (Black-tongued Dog) and “Kwantung Kou” (Dog of Canton).

When it comes to the name, “Chow Chow,” however, where to start?

Some sources write that an ancient breed nickname was the Edible Dog, the name “Chow” deriving from the Cantonese word for “edible,” or that ‘chou’ was Chinese slang for edible. Other sources disagree. These experts maintain that when the breed was introduced to England in the late 18th century, they were written into the ship’s cargo load as curios. The pidgin-English expression “chow chow” described the small, miscellaneous items within a ship’s cargo that weren’t itemized, and “Chow chow” was simply another way of saying “etcetera,” a name inherited from merchants who didn’t bother to properly itemize what it was they were actually shipping.

It seems to us, however, that a plausible explanation is that name, “Chow Chow” came from the ancient word, “Chao” meaning “dog of great strength.” It’s certainly a classy bit of reasoning for anyone who knows the breed.

What we know with certainty is that the first Chow Chow to appear at an American dog show was named “Takya,” who placed third in the Miscellaneous Class at Westminster Kennel Club show in 1890.  The first Chow registered with the AKC (1903) was named, “Yen How.”

Image: Chow Chow puppies/DepositPhoto