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发表于 2007-5-12 23:13:34
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History
Definitely one of the most impressive of all breeds, the Chow Chow is an awesome creature with his lion-like appearance and regal manner. Looking a little like a cross between a lion and a bear, the true origin of the Chow is unknown and lost deep within Chinese antiquity. The Chow as it is known today is easily recognizable in pottery and sculptures of the Chinese Han Dynasty (206 BC to 22 AD); other artifacts indicate that he was even a much older breed and may have come originally from the Arctic Circle, migrating to Mongolia, Siberia and China.
Some scholars claim the Chow was the original ancestor of the Samoyed, Norwegian Elkhound, Pomeranian and Keeshond. In more recent times, that is, in the T'ang Dynasty (7th Century AD), it is reported that one Chinese emperor kept 2,500 of these Chow Dogs to accompany his ten thousand hunters! Admired by emperors as well as Western royalty, used by Chinese peasants for food and clothing, and a favorite of the Hollywood movie star set in the 1920's, the Chow Chow has had a dramatic history.
How the Chow got his blue/black tongue is a mystery. An old fable offers a theory: When God was painting the sky blue, He spilled a few drops of paint as he worked. The Chow followed after, licking up the paint and from that day on, the Chow Chow has had a blue tongue!
The Chow came to America by way of England where it had been brought from China in the late 1700's. Sailors returning from the east brought them back in the cargo holds of trade ships. Chow Chow was a slang term applied to the large variety of items carried by these ships. Like a nickname, the term stuck to these dogs.
Chows first appeared at AKC dog shows in the late 1800's. The Chow Chow Club, Inc. (CCCI) was formed in 1906. The breed first knew general popularity in the 1930's when President Calvin Coolidge kept a Chow (Timmy) in the White House. The Chow again soared to popularity in the 1980's. Another notable Chow fancier was Sigmund Freud. After his death, his daughter, Anna Freud, continued to keep his Chows as well as raise her own. Martha Stewart is also a Chow fancier and her chows can be regularly seen on her television show. |
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