🐕Chow Chow: gear and buying guides

The Chow Chow is a primitive Chinese dog of 20 to 32 kg with a lion-like look and a blue tongue, calm, dignified and aloof with strangers. Not very sporty but highly territorial, it mainly requires rigorous care of its thick coat and careful heat management. Its marked independence makes it a dog for experienced owners.

Profile : Medium dog, 46 to 56 cm and 20 to 32 kg, very thick coat with woolly undercoat, low to moderate energy.

Chow Chow gear, family by family

• 🍖 Food

  Not very active, it gains weight easily: around 250 to 350 g of kibble per day with close body-condition checks, as the compact silhouette quickly hides excess weight. With the breed prone to skin sensitivities, an omega-3-rich diet supports skin and coat.

• 🧴 Care & grooming

  Its woolly coat mats quickly: brush at least 3 times a week with a slicker and long-toothed comb, focusing on the ruff and breeches. Clean the facial folds and watch the eyes, as the breed is predisposed to entropion.

• 🎾 Toys & enrichment

  With little adult play drive, it prefers short dignified walks to fetch sessions. Offer natural chews and quiet scent games: forcing a Chow Chow to play never works.

• 🏠 Bedding & habitat

  It often picks cool tiles over a plush bed: offer both, including a size M/L bed in a quiet corner. Highly heat-sensitive under its dense coat, it needs shade, a cooling mat and walks at cool hours in summer.

• 🧳 Travel & safety

  In the car, use a well-ventilated rigid size M/L crate and never travel in hot hours without air conditioning: heatstroke is its main risk. Its powerful neck makes an adjustable harness safer than a collar it can slip out of.

• 🧰 Accessories

  Choose an adjustable harness that does not compress the thick ruff and a solid leash, as this primitive breed keeps an approximate recall. A complete grooming kit and possibly a force dryer (from 100 euros) are the real investments for this breed.

Guides to read

• Which senior dog food should you choose? The complete guideFood

  Protein, phosphorus, joints, palatability: how to choose senior dog food suited to an ageing dog, and how much it costs.

• Large breed dog food: steady growth and a sensitive stomachFood

  Calcium-to-phosphorus ratio, kibble size, bloat prevention: how to choose large breed dog food, from puppyhood to adulthood.

• Wet or dry dog food: which should you feed day to day?Food

  Hydration, palatability, budget, tartar: wet or dry dog food, the pros and cons of each option, and why mixed feeding is worth considering.

• Automatic dog feeder: which one should you choose?Food

  Capacity, scheduling, anti-jam mechanism, backup battery: how to choose an automatic dog feeder to match your daily routine.

• Lick mat for dogs: the anti-stress accessory worth adopting?Toys & enrichment

  Why licking soothes, which toppings to use, silicone or rigid plastic: how to choose a lick mat for your dog and use it safely.

• Kong-style stuffable dog toy: how do you pick the right one?Toys & enrichment

  Toughness levels, sizes, filling ideas, freezing: everything you need to choose a Kong-style stuffable toy and keep your dog busy the smart way.

• Dog puzzle toys: brain games worth playingToys & enrichment

  Difficulty levels, materials, mistakes to avoid: how to choose a dog puzzle toy and work your dog's nose without frustrating it.

• Puppy playpen: choosing a secure indoor penBedding & habitat

  Height, materials, floor space, house-training: how to choose a puppy playpen and use it without turning it into a prison.