What does each club give for Height at the withers in the Chow Chow?

FCI, Male: 48–56 cm; KC, Male: 48–56 cm; CKC, Male: 45.8–53.3 cm; FCI, Female: 46–51 cm; KC, Female: 46–51 cm; CKC, Female: 43.3–50.8 cm; AKC, Height at the withers: 43.2–50.8 cm; UKC, Height at the withers: 43.2–50.8 cm.

Chow Chow breed standards compared

Each column is one club's published standard. An empty cell means the club says nothing on that point in our records.

Clubs compared: FCI, AKC, UKC, KC, CKC.

Size

Size
Measure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Height at the withers, male	48–56 cm	No ruling	No ruling	48–56 cm	45.8–53.3 cm
Height at the withers, female	46–51 cm	No ruling	No ruling	46–51 cm	43.3–50.8 cm
Height at the withers	No ruling	43.2–50.8 cm	43.2–50.8 cm	No ruling	No ruling
Height to length	No ruling	1	1	No ruling	1
Skull to muzzle	No ruling	under 2	under 3	No ruling	under 2

Conformation

Conformation
Form	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
BiteScissors bite	Standard (“a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite”)	No ruling	Standard (“white teeth meeting in a scissors bite”)	Standard (“a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite”)	Standard (“Strong and level, with a scissors bite”)
BiteOvershot	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“should neither be overshot, nor undershot”)
BiteUndershot	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“should neither be overshot, nor undershot”)
DentitionFull dentition	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“a complete set of good-sized, evenly spaced, white teeth”)	No ruling	No ruling
Tongue pigmentBlue-black	Standard (“A bluish-black tongue is characteristic”)	Standard (“his unique blue-black tongue”)	Standard (“The top surface and edges of the tongue are solid blue-black”)	Standard (“with a bluish black tongue is ideal”)	Standard (“The surface of the tongue must be solid blue-black”)
Tongue pigmentPink	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Top surface or edges of the tongue red, pink, or spotted with red or pink”)	No ruling	No ruling
Tongue pigmentSpotted	No ruling	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Top surface or edges of the tongue red, pink, or spotted with red or pink”)	No ruling	No ruling
Ear carriageErect (prick)	No ruling	Standard (“carried stiffly erect but with a slight forward tilt”)	Standard (“Ears are prick with slightly rounded tips”)	No ruling	No ruling
Ear carriageDrop (pendant)	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Disqualifying Fault - Drop ear or ears”)	Disqualifying (“Ear breaking at any point from the base to the tip; ear not carried stiffly erect”)	No ruling	No ruling
Eye shapeOval	Standard (“Dark, oval shaped, medium sized”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Dark, oval shaped, medium size”)	No ruling
Eye shapeAlmond	No ruling	Standard (“of moderate size, almond in shape”)	Standard (“Eyes are dark brown, almond-shaped, and of moderate size”)	No ruling	Standard (“Dark, deep set of moderate size, and almond shaped”)
Eye setDeep-set	No ruling	Standard (“Eyes dark brown, deep set and placed wide apart”)	Standard (“They are set deeply, obliquely, and wide apart”)	No ruling	Standard (“Dark, deep set of moderate size”)
Eye setWide-set	No ruling	Standard (“deep set and placed wide apart and obliquely”)	Standard (“They are set deeply, obliquely, and wide apart”)	No ruling	No ruling
Muzzle lengthShort	No ruling	Standard (“short, broad and deep muzzle”)	Standard (“a short, broad and deep muzzle”)	No ruling	Standard (“Muzzle is short in comparison to length of skull”)
Muzzle lengthMedium	Standard (“Muzzle: Moderate in length, broad from eyes to end”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Muzzle moderate in length, broad from eyes to end”)	No ruling
Muzzle shapeSquare	No ruling	Standard (“This square appearance is achieved by correct bone structure”)	Standard (“The square appearance of the muzzle”)	No ruling	No ruling
ToplineLevel	Standard (“Back: Short, level and strong”)	No ruling	Standard (“The topline is short and level”)	Standard (“Back short, level and strong”)	No ruling
ChestDeep	Standard (“Chest: Broad and deep”)	No ruling	Standard (“The chest is broad, muscular, and deep, extending to the elbow”)	Standard (“Chest broad and deep”)	Standard (“Chest broad, deep, (never narrow) and muscular”)
ChestBarrel	Fault (“Ribs well sprung, but not barrelled”)	No ruling	No ruling	Fault (“Ribs well sprung but not barrelled”)	Fault (“well-sprung ribs, but not a barrel”)
Tail setHigh	Standard (“TAIL: Set high, carried well over back”)	Standard (“the tail set high and carried closely to the back”)	Standard (“his high-set tail, which is carried on the back”)	Standard (“Set high, carried well over back”)	No ruling
Tail carriageCurled over the back	Standard (“carried well over back”)	Standard (“carried closely to the back”)	Standard (“which is carried on the back”)	Standard (“Set high, carried well over back”)	Standard (“Tail carried well over the back”)
FeetCat foot	Standard (“Small, round, cat-like, standing well up on toes”)	No ruling	Standard (“Feet are round and compact, with thick pads”)	Standard (“Small, round, cat-like, standing well up on toes”)	Standard (“Feet round, catlike with thick pads”)
HocksWell let down	Standard (“Hocks well let down”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“Hocks well let down”)	No ruling

Cropping, docking and other procedures

Cropping, docking and other procedures
Procedure	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	CKC
Dewclaw removal	No ruling	Alternate (“The dewclaws may be removed”)	Alternate (“Dewclaws may be removed”)	No ruling	Alternate (“Dewclaws may or may not be present”)

The law on these procedures differs by country. A listing here says nothing about whether one is legal where you live. See where each procedure is banned or allowed.

Chow Chow colors and patterns

What each club's breed standard says about every Chow Chow color and pattern. Point at a ruling to see the club's own wording.

Breed standards describe the Chow Chow in Black, White, Blue, Red, Cream, and Fawn. Standard patterns: Solid.

Coat: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“black”)	Standard (“Black”)	Standard (“black”)	Standard (“black”)	Standard (“black”)
White	Standard (“white”)	Not recognized	Not recognized	Standard (“white”)	Standard (“white”)
Blue	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“Blue”)	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“blue”)	Standard (“blue”)
Red	Standard (“red”)	Standard (“Red”)	Standard (“Red (light golden to deep mahogany)”)	Standard (“red”)	Standard (“red”)
Cream	Standard (“cream”)	Standard (“Cream”)	Standard (“cream”)	Standard (“cream”)	Standard (“cream”)
Fawn	Standard (“fawn”)	Standard (“Cinnamon”)	Standard (“cinnamon (light fawn to deep cinnamon)”)	Standard (“fawn”)	Standard (“fawn”)
Albino	Not recognized	Not recognized	Disqualifying (“Albinism”)	Not recognized	Not recognized
Lilac	Not recognized	Not recognized	Not recognized	Not recognized (“Lilac”)	Not recognized
Chocolate	Not recognized	Not recognized	Not recognized	Not recognized (“Chocolate”)	Not recognized
Patterns
Solid	Standard (“Whole coloured”)	Standard (“Clear colored, solid or solid with lighter shadings”)	Standard (“Colors are solid but may have lighter shadings”)	Standard (“Whole coloured”)	Standard (“Whole-coloured”)
Piebald	Not recognized (“not in patches”)	No ruling	No ruling	Not recognized (“not in patches”)	Not recognized (“not in patches”)
Parti-color	Not recognized (“not ... parti-coloured”)	No ruling	No ruling	Not recognized (“not ... parti-coloured”)	Not recognized (“not ... particoloured”)

Eyes: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Dark brown	Standard (“Dark”)	Standard (“Eyes dark brown”)	Standard (“dark brown”)	Standard (“Dark”)	Standard (“Dark”)
Light brown	Standard (“A matching coloured eye permissible in blues and fawns”)	No ruling	No ruling	Standard (“In blues and fawns, lighter colours permissible in keeping with coat colour”)	Standard (“In blues and fawns, lighter colours permissible in keeping with coat colour”)

Nose: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Black	Standard (“black (... black preferable in all cases)”)	Standard (“Reds, Blacks and Cinnamons must have a solid black nose”)	Standard (“Black nose is preferable in all cases”)	Standard (“black (... black preferable in all cases)”)	Standard (“black (... black preferable in all cases)”)
Blue	Standard (“in blues and fawns a self-coloured nose”)	Standard (“Blue chows may have a solid blue or slate nose”)	Standard (“In blues and fawns, self-colored nose is permissible”)	Standard (“in blues and fawns a self-coloured nose”)	Standard (“in blues and fawns, a self-coloured nose”)
Slate	No ruling	Standard (“Blue chows may have a solid blue or slate nose”)	Standard (“In blues and fawns, self-colored nose is permissible”)	No ruling	No ruling
Liver	Standard (“cream and near white, in which case a lighter coloured nose is permissible”)	Standard (“Cream chows may have a range of nose color, from dark black/brown solid pigment”)	Standard (“cream and near white Chow Chows, in which case a lighter colored nose is permissible”)	Standard (“cream and near white in which case a lighter coloured nose permissible”)	Standard (“cream and near-white, in which case a lighter-coloured nose permissible”)
Pink	Standard (“cream and near white, in which case a lighter coloured nose is permissible”)	Standard (“Cream chows may have a range of nose color ... fading to pinkish pigment”)	Standard (“cream and near white Chow Chows, in which case a lighter colored nose is permissible”)	Standard (“cream and near white in which case a lighter coloured nose permissible”)	Standard (“cream and near-white, in which case a lighter-coloured nose permissible”)
Patterns
Butterfly nose	No ruling	Disqualifying (“Nose spotted”)	Disqualifying (“Nose spotted”)	No ruling	No ruling

Tongue: rulings by club
Color or pattern	FCI	AKC	UKC	KC	KUSA
Blue-black	Standard (“A bluish-black tongue is characteristic”)	Standard (“The top surface and edges of the tongue a solid blue-black, the darker the better”)	Standard (“The top surface and edges of the tongue are solid blue-black, the darker the better”)	Standard (“bluish-black tongue”)	Standard (“bluish-black tongue”)
Pink	No ruling	Disqualifying (“The top surface or edges of the tongue red or pink”)	Disqualifying (“Top surface or edges of the tongue red, pink”)	No ruling	No ruling
Patterns
Solid	No ruling	Standard (“a solid blue-black”)	Standard (“solid blue-black”)	No ruling	No ruling
Spotted	No ruling	Disqualifying (“with one or more spots of red or pink”)	Disqualifying (“spotted with red or pink”)	No ruling	No ruling

What the rulings mean

Standard: Described by the club's breed standard.
Disqualifying: The club's breed standard disqualifies an animal of this color or pattern.
Not recognized: The club does not accept this color or pattern for the breed.

Color changes

How a Chow Chow's colors can change over its life.

Blackchanges toRust
Coat · With body condition · can change back
Blackchanges toGray
Coat · Progressive
Blackchanges toBrown
Coat · In the sun · can change back
Whitechanges toRoan
Coat · With age · from 2 weeks
Blackchanges toSnow nose
Nose · With the season · can change back
Blackchanges toPink
Nose · With the season · can change back
Solidchanges toSpotted
Tongue · Progressive
Pinkchanges toBlue-black
Tongue · With age · from 8 to 26 weeks

Sources

Each ruling comes from the club's published breed standard or color list.

Published standards

Back to the Chow Chow guide Grooming styles for the Chow Chow