Chow Chow in India: Price, Heat Risk, Temperament & Full Guide
Quick verdict: Rarely a good choice in India, and never a casual one. The Chow Chow is dignified, clean, loyal and strikingly handsome, a genuinely ancient Chinese breed with a cat-like independence that suits some owners perfectly. It is also one of the worst breeds for Indian heat, carrying a massive double coat with a shortened muzzle, and its aloof, territorial temperament is widely misread by buyers expecting a teddy bear.
Also called Chow, Songshi Quan, Puffy Lion Dog · Checked against AKC and KCI breed standards
The Chow Chow is an ancient Chinese spitz breed poorly suited to Indian heat because it combines a very heavy double coat with a somewhat shortened muzzle. Adults stand 17 to 20 inches and weigh 20 to 32 kg, living 8 to 12 years. The breed is aloof and territorial rather than affectionate with strangers, needs early and sustained socialisation, and is often misunderstood by buyers expecting a friendly teddy bear. Health concerns include entropion, hip and elbow dysplasia, patellar luxation, hypothyroidism and gastric torsion. The coat must never be shaved and air conditioning is effectively required in warm Indian cities.
Updated October 2026
Chow Chow at a Glance
- Height
- 17 to 20 in / 43 to 51 cm
- Weight
- 20 to 32 kg
- Lifespan
- 8 to 12 years
- Coat
- Very dense double coat, rough or smooth variety
- Shedding
- Very heavy, seasonal blow-outs
- Group
- Non-Sporting (AKC)
- Accepted colours
- Red, black, blue, cinnamon, cream
- Energy
- Low to moderate, 45 min
- Good with kids
- Older, respectful children only
- First-time owner
- No
- Distinctive feature
- Blue-black tongue and straight hind legs
- Temperament
- Dignified, aloof, territorial
Height and weight follow the AKC breed standard. Figures are the standard range, not a guarantee for any individual dog.
Is the Chow Chow Suited to Indian Conditions?
How the Chow Chow actually performs in Indian conditions, scored out of five.
Planning meals? See the Chow Chow diet chart and feeding guide for portions by age and weight.
Similar Breeds Indian Owners Compare With the Chow Chow
What Can a Chow Chow Eat? People Also Ask
The food questions Chow Chow owners search most:
About the Chow Chow
The Chow Chow is one of the oldest identifiable dog breeds, with a documented history in China stretching back over two millennia, where it served as a guardian, hunter and cart-puller. The distinctive features are unusual: a blue-black tongue, unusually straight hind legs that produce a stilted gait, and a dense coat with a lion-like ruff.
The temperament is where most Indian buyers go wrong. A Chow is not a friendly, cuddly dog. It is dignified, reserved, territorial and often described as cat-like: independent, clean, undemonstrative, attached to one or two people and largely indifferent to everyone else. Owners who appreciate that find the breed deeply rewarding. Buyers who chose it from a fluffy photograph are frequently disappointed and sometimes bitten.
That reserve requires management rather than acceptance. Chows need early, sustained, deliberate socialisation, because an unsocialised Chow is territorial and will guard its space against visitors, household staff and other dogs. The breed's limited peripheral vision, a consequence of deep-set eyes and a heavy ruff, means it startles more easily than most, which contributes to defensive reactions.
For India the physical problem is severe. The coat is among the densest of any breed, and the muzzle is somewhat shortened, so the dog both traps heat and cools inefficiently. Shaving is unsafe because of post-clipping alopecia risk in spitz coats. A Chow in Chennai or Delhi without air conditioning is suffering, and this breed belongs in the hills or in a reliably cooled home.
Best and Hardest Indian Cities for a Chow Chow
✅ Easier climates
- The hill towns of Himachal, Uttarakhand and the North East, which suit this coat
- Bengaluru and Pune with reliable air conditioning
- Delhi and the north in winter, with summer spent indoors and cooled
- Any home with uninterrupted cooling and a committed groomer
⚠️ Harder climates
- Chennai, Mumbai, Kochi, Hyderabad and Ahmedabad, where this coat and muzzle combination is dangerous
- Any non-air-conditioned home in a warm Indian city
- Flats with busy shared corridors, given the territorial streak
- Homes with young children or frequent visitors and no socialisation plan
Chow Chow Price in India and Monthly Cost
Chow Chow prices shift with city, lineage and whether the parents were health screened, so read these as a market range. A figure well below it usually points to an unregistered litter.
Common Chow Chow Health Problems in India
| Condition | What owners should know |
|---|---|
| Heatstroke | The leading risk in India, and the reason we discourage the breed here. A very dense double coat plus a shortened muzzle means heat builds fast and panting clears it poorly. |
| Entropion | The eyelids roll inward, causing the lashes to rub the cornea. It is common in Chows because of the heavy facial skin and deep-set eyes, it is painful, and it usually needs surgical correction. |
| Hip and elbow dysplasia | Common in the breed, with the unusually straight hind leg conformation adding abnormal joint loading. Parent scores are worth asking for. |
| Patellar luxation | Occurs in the breed, partly related to the straight-legged hind conformation. |
| Hypothyroidism | Frequently reported, presenting as weight gain, lethargy and coat deterioration in a middle-aged dog. |
| Gastric torsion | A deep-chested breed at some risk, so smaller meals and no hard exercise around eating are sensible precautions. |
| Post-clipping alopecia | A real consequence of shaving a spitz-type coat. That is why clipping is not a legitimate heat strategy in this breed. |
- • A swollen, hard abdomen with unproductive retching
- • Heavy panting with bright red gums after heat exposure
- • High fever, lethargy or pale gums after a tick bite
- • Staggering, collapse or weakness during or after exercise
- CUPA Bangalore 080-22947301
- PFA Delhi 011-45615915
- Blue Cross Chennai 044-22350586
- Bombay SPCA Mumbai 022-24137518
Chow Chow Grooming in Indian Conditions
Very heavy, and second only to the Samoyed in this guide. The rough variety carries an exceptionally dense double coat with a profuse ruff and needs brushing three or four times a week with an undercoat rake, a slicker and a steel comb, working in sections right to the skin. The smooth variety is easier but still a double coat needing twice-weekly work. Both shed heavily, with dramatic seasonal blow-outs.
Do not shave the coat. Post-clipping alopecia is a documented risk in spitz breeds and the coat shields skin from Indian sun. Raking out the dead undercoat is what helps, and during a blow-out a professional de-shedding session is worth the money.
Specific attention goes to the folds and the eyes. Clean the facial wrinkles and the area around the deep-set eyes regularly and dry them, since entropion and discharge are common. Check the ears weekly. Dry the undercoat thoroughly after any bath or wet walk, which takes a long time and matters most through monsoon. Teach grooming tolerance from puppyhood, because a reluctant, territorial adult Chow is difficult to groom and many Indian groomers will decline the dog.
How Much Exercise Does a Chow Chow Need?
Forty-five minutes a day across two walks, which is modest. Chows are low to moderate in energy, dislike heat intensely and are content with steady walking rather than vigorous activity. They are not a breed that needs running.
Timing is critical. Walk only in the coolest parts of the day, and through peak Indian summer substitute gentle indoor movement on cooled flooring. Watch for heat distress carefully, because the combination of coat and muzzle means a Chow reaches trouble faster than its calm demeanour suggests. A harness is kinder than a collar here.
Two structural notes. The straight hind-leg conformation produces a stilted gait and loads the joints unusually, so avoid repetitive jumping and hard running on concrete. And protect growing puppies from forced exercise until roughly 15 to 18 months. Keep the dog lean, since excess weight worsens both the joint loading and the heat tolerance.
Training a Chow Chow: Common Indian Problems
Chows are intelligent and profoundly stubborn, and they do not have a biddable bone in their bodies. They were never bred to take direction, and training works through patient motivation and mutual respect rather than through enthusiasm or repetition. Harsh handling on a territorial, independent dog is counterproductive and sometimes dangerous.
Socialisation is the single most important work and the window is short. From eight weeks, introduce the puppy deliberately and positively to many people, including household staff, delivery workers, children and visitors, as well as other dogs, lifts and traffic. An unsocialised adult Chow is territorial, will guard its space, and does not become friendly later.
Account for the vision. Deep-set eyes and a heavy ruff restrict peripheral vision, so Chows startle when approached from the side or from behind, and that startle can become a defensive snap. Teach children and visitors to approach from the front and to let the dog come to them.
Finally, establish handling and grooming tolerance early. You are committing to hours of brushing a week, regular eye care and veterinary examination for the next decade. And this is not a dog that can be forced into anything once grown.
Feeding a Chow Chow in India
Low activity and a heavy coat hide weight gain well in this breed, so weigh the dog regularly. Some Chows have food sensitivities that show up in the skin, which is worth raising with your vet.
Read the full Chow Chow food guide →
Chow Chow Colours and the Fake Colour Warning
The standard recognises five colours: red, black, blue, cinnamon and cream, each solid though often with lighter shading on the ruff, tail and breeches. The blue-black tongue and the dark mouth pigment are required and are among the breed's defining features, present in both coat varieties.
Both the rough and the smooth coat are correct, and the smooth variety is meaningfully more practical in India, though it is far less commonly available here.
Two market claims to decline. White Chows and merle Chows are not accepted colours. Merle does not occur naturally in the breed and indicates crossbreeding. And a pink or spotted tongue in a Chow puppy is a disqualification in the standard and can indicate mixed parentage, so a seller dismissing it should be questioned. In a breed where entropion surgery and hip disease are the realistic expenses, a colour premium is not where money should go.
Buying a Chow Chow Safely in India: Red Flags
- Any seller in a warm Indian city who does not raise the heat and cooling requirement first.
- A breeder who describes the breed as friendly and cuddly, which misrepresents an aloof, territorial dog.
- No discussion of socialisation, which matters more in this breed than almost any other.
- Parent dogs with weeping, inflamed or squinting eyes, given how common entropion is.
- Parents that were never hip scored.
- Merle or white puppies, or a pink-spotted tongue, all of which fall outside the standard.
- A breeder who recommends clipping the coat for Indian summer.
Before buying a Chow Chow, ask your local SPCA, CUPA, Friendicoes or a city rescue network whether one needs a home.
Chow Chow Papers, Breed Clubs and Rescue
The Kennel Club of India is the national registry and follows FCI standards. Ask to see the registration certificate itself, and check that the parents listed match the dogs you met. The AKC breed standard is the most accessible English description of a correct Chow Chow.
Chow Chow Starter Kit
What a first-time Chow Chow owner in India actually needs, and why each one earns its place.
Chow Chow FAQs: What Indian Owners Ask
3 Myths About Chow Chows in India
❌ Myth: "A Chow Chow looks like a teddy bear, so it will be a cuddly, affectionate pet"
✅ Reality: This is the most common and most damaging misunderstanding about the breed, and it is why Chows end up in Indian rescues. The temperament is aloof, dignified and territorial, closer to a cat than to a Labrador. Owners who want and understand that find the breed excellent. Those expecting cuddles usually do not.
❌ Myth: "A Chow that snaps when approached suddenly is aggressive by nature"
✅ Reality: Deep-set eyes and a heavy ruff restrict this breed’s peripheral vision, so a Chow often does not see someone coming from the side. The snap is a startle response rather than hostility. Teaching visitors and children to approach from the front and let the dog come to them resolves most of it.
❌ Myth: "All that coat means the dog is well insulated and will cope anywhere"
✅ Reality: Insulation works in both directions, and the Chow has the additional problem of a somewhat shortened muzzle. So it cannot pant efficiently enough to clear the heat the coat traps. This is among the worst breed choices for Indian plains heat, and unlike with a short-coated dog there is no safe way to remove the coat.
Editorial Note
"The Chow is a magnificent, ancient, unusual dog that modern buyers choose for entirely the wrong reasons. If you want an independent, dignified companion and live somewhere cool, it rewards you. If you want a friendly fluffy family dog in Chennai, almost nothing could be less suitable."
, dogeats.in Editorial Team · Editorially Rigorous
Sources & References
- American Kennel Club, Chow Chow breed standard, size and colours
- Kennel Club of India (KCI), Indian registration and breed standards
- VCA Animal Hospitals, Entropion in dogs
- Merck Veterinary Manual, Hair loss and alopecia in dogs
- PetMD Veterinary Review, Chow Chow health and care overview
dogeats.in is an independent Indian publication. We cite the AKC and KCI as sources for breed standard data; we are not affiliated with, endorsed by or approved by either organisation.