We don't know how old the Chinese Chow Chow is but it appears in a bas-relief dating back to the Han dynasty, about 150 B.C. This means that this Chinese hunting breed is more than 2000 years old and might be older. The dogs behind the breed are the old Mastiff of Tibet and the Samoyed though experts do not all agree. During the T'ang dynasty, the 7th century emperor built the world's largest kennel which is reputed to house 2500 pairs of Chow like "hounds" to be used by his 10,000 huntsmen. The origin of the Chow is the far north, though it later became very popular in the Canton district in southern China. Its name is not from the Chinese but probably from the pidgin-English name given to items imported from China. They arrived in England in the late 18th century and since 1901 they were firmly settled in the U.S. The Chow is in the non-sporting group and with good training they make excellent pets.
If you wish to knit the Chow Chow design, you may order the pattern by going to http://www.kanineknits.com/kanine_knits_knitting_patterns.htm
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