The Chow Chow looks gorgeous if you groom her properly, but requires very regular brushing and combing, which few pet owners feel able to take on. However, if done frequently from a very young age, it becomes a pleasure for both Chow and owner.

Coat Care

The Chow has an abundant coat, which is thick and stands off from the body. The Smooth Chow has a woolly undercoat with a short topcoat of plush texture, abundant, dense, straight and upstanding. The Rough Chow has a coat that is profuse, abundant, dense, straight and standoff. The outer coat is rather coarse, with a soft woolly undercoat.

It is especially thick around the neck, forming a mane or ruff. It also has good culottes or breeching on his back thighs. The color is whole black, red, blue, fawn, cream or white. The coat is frequently shaded, but not in patches or parti-color. The underpart of the tail and the back of the thighs are often of a lighter shade.

The Grooming Procedure

Equipment needed: Wide-toothed comb, slicker brush, pin brush, trimming scissors. Chows are prone to matting around the ears, so be careful to remove any tangles.

• Brush the entire coat with a slicker, getting right down to the skin to remove dust and prevent any buildup of dead hairs or felting in any area where the coat is regularly compressed. Hold the coat down with one hand and brush upwards with the other. Start with gentle surface brushing and work through the depth of the whole coat, brushing the coat toward the head. Be thorough when brushing the breeching and always comb through in an upwards direction.
• Put the dog in the bath and wet the coat thoroughly, right down to the skin.
• Bathe with a suitable shampoo, being vigilant to remove all lather when rinsing. Then apply a coat-protecting conditioner.
• Rub the dog with an absorbent towel to remove the majority of the moisture.
• Blow the coat dry while brushing with a pin or slicker brush. Alternatively, use a power blower to remove excess water from the coat.
• Comb through with a wide-toothed comb.
• Check the dog’s nails and trim if necessary.
• Ears should be checked for any dirt, soreness, or odor.
• Teeth should also be cleaned and checked.
• Hair from underneath the feet should be removed to prevent mud from sticking to the fur and causing sores.