THE CHOW CHOW Type & Functionality
BY F. P. A. ODENKIRCHEN (This article was adapted by the author from several of his 1993 columns that originally ran in the AKC Gazette .)
S ince the Breed Standard of the Chow Chow has been modified several times and is not identical worldwide even today, it is obvious there are no absolutes. So far, a perfect specimen has never been agreed upon, and if it ever comes along its only major fault will be that neither you nor I own it. This column is therefore not intended to suggest what is right and wrong, but hopefully to facilitate the preservation and development of the Chow through intelligent discussion of type and functionality. As breeders, exhibitors, or simply fanci- ers, we have a responsibility to the breed we have chosen to perpetuate.
It appears many of us easily lend ourselves to questioning the ability, objectives, and perhaps even the mental stability of our judges, espe- cially when decisions do not favor our entry. More often than not, such opinions are greatly influenced by tunnel vision, kennel blindness, or ego. The vast majority of our judges are not Chow experts, but they really try to evaluate our breed objectively, guided by the Standard but also by the entries the fancy presents as close approximations of perfect specimens. The Standard is only a part of their appreciation of our breed; the rest is based on their perception of what the fancy wants by observing what is most frequent- ly presented in the ring. Therefore, what is successful in the ring today may become the accepted interpretation of the Stan- dard in the immediate future. The ensuing overemphasis of character- istics deemed desirable at one par- ticular time has historically tended to lead to gross exaggeration of type and functionality. We have seen a period of plain heads and exceed- ingly long, soft, and silky coats, followed by a period with great numbers of exaggerated, wrin- kly heads, followed by small dogs with short, stubby legs, ski-sloping toplines, and disproportionately large, overdone heads.
CH Chow VIII, upon which the first Standard was based on around 1890; less than 40 lbs. and unapproachable. Owner: Mrs. Faber
SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MARCH 2024 | 151
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