Recent DNA analysis confirms that the Chow Chow is one of
the oldest breeds of dog.
Research indicates it is one of the first
primitive breeds to evolve from the wolf, and is thought by many to have
originated in the arid steppes of northern China/Mongolia, although other
theorists conjecture that its origin is in Siberian regions of Asia.
A Chinese
bas-relief from 150 BCE shows a hunting dog and a dog very friendly toward
children similar in appearance to the Chow. Later, Chow Chows were bred as general-purpose
working dogs for hunting, herding and protection of the home.
Some scholars claim the Chow was
the original ancestor of the Samoyed, Norwegian Elkhound, Pomeranian and
Keeshond
