For those not in the loop on the situation…in the UK, the Chow, along with a number of very old breeds are at the center of a movement to alter long standing breed descriptions (we call them “Standards”), which will forever remove certain characteristics from these breeds that have for centuries made them unique in the canine world.
For the Chow this includes his signature STILTED GAIT which historically has been sound and athletic with incredible endurance. He has been our guardian, hunter and companion for centuries
I don’t want to repeat what I already have written on my forum so I would like to invite you to read more at WORLD CHOW and please we urge you to sign the petition there if you agree.
THE ANCIENT CHOW MAY VERY WELL HAVE BEEN A MODEL FOR THE SACRED FOO DOG
What I would like to say here as a writer, blogging to a varied audience of jewelry designers, travelers, and animal lovers….. are just my recent thoughts on the matter which are certainly on the passionate end of the spectrum.
This thing has kept me up nights and I needed to think through why I am so driven about preventing these changes from forever altering the Chow……rendering it just another spitz without its unique and characteristic pendulum like stride. I had a light bulb moment at 4:00 AM and figured out why I am bothered SO MUCH by this topic.
I am an avid history buff…I adore travel , museums, and antiques..when Steve and I visit ancient cities I can literally feel the presence of the beautiful people and civilizations of centuries past and imagine their lives and loves. These incredible treasures are there for our enjoyment because of the efforts of “Historical Societies” and museums that are dedicated to preserving , promoting and protecting the irreplaceable treasures that belong to the people….the community.
It makes me wonder what James Smithson who was the founder of our Smithsonian Institution would have said had he seen the irreversible damage that is about to be thrust upon our beloved and ancient Chow breed among many other historical canine relatives.
Altering the Chows stilted gait is essentially a crime against ancient history. In my opinion it is on the same level as looters removing the beautiful faces of the sandstone Buddhas at the Angkorwatt Temples in Cambodia, or stealing the Mona Lisa.
What is proposed to be changed on our Chow is literally altering an historic icon. It hurts my heart to see all the care and devotion that thousands of years of breeding and breeders have put into protecting the Chow Standard…literally swiped away by the stroke of a careless pen.
I am so grateful to the International Chow fancier community for coming together right now during the holidays, when we all would rather be partying and exchanging gifts without a care in the world. Our deadline for getting this petition signed is December 24th….we have 5 day window to acquire as many signatures as possible
CLICK HERE FOR EASY ACCESS TO THE PETITION..anyone can sign!
http://www.dogguide.net/blog/2007/09/most-ancient-breeds-the-genetics/
QUOTE FROM ABOVE SITE:
In 2004 researchers traced the genetic footprints of 85 dog breeds, and identified 14 “ancient” ones – defined by how similar their genomes are to the handful of grey wolves tamed by humans in Asia about 15,000 years ago that gave rise to virtually all modern dogs – 95%. Moreover, researchers report that there were probably just three founding females, called the “Eves” of the dog world.
Of the 14 most ancient breeds, 7 were determined to have the oldest genetic patterns. These are the Chow Chow and Shar Pei from China, the Akita and Shiba Inu from Japan, the Basenji of Africa, the Siberian Husky and Alaskan Malamute of Alaska.
