Dark red is the accepted colour of the Chow.  Modern judges will not look twice at a light or parti-coloured dog, and it is to be feared that if even Ch.  Chow VIII. could revisit the scenes of his bygone triumphs, his beautiful light markings would prove a fatal bar to his success.  The judges would be quite wrong, but if you want a dog for show you must be sure to get a good whole-coloured dark red.  If, on the other hand, you have a Chow as a companion and friend, do not be at all troubled if his ruff, yoke, culottes and tail are white or cream-coloured.  These are natural, correct and typical marks, though present-day fanciers are trying to “improve” them away.

A list of points as drawn up by the Chow Chow Club some years ago is added.  The points are fairly right, but the tongue of a live Chow is never black.  It should be blue, such a colour as might result from a diet of bilberries.

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POINTS OF THE CHOW CHOW:  HEAD—­Skull flat and broad, with little stop, well filled out under the eyes.  MUZZLE—­Moderate in length, and broad from the eyes to the point (not pointed at the end like a fox).  NOSE—­Black, large and wide. (In cream or light-coloured specimens, a pink nose is allowable.) TONGUE—­Black.  EYES—­Dark and small. (In a blue dog light colour is permissible.) EARS—­Small, pointed, and carried stiffly erect.  They should be placed well forward over the eyes, which gives the dog the peculiar characteristic expression of the breed—­viz., a sort of scowl.  TEETH—­Strong and level.  NECK—­Strong, full, set well on the shoulders, and slightly arched.  SHOULDERS—­Muscular and sloping.  CHEST—­Broad and deep.  BACK—­Short, straight, and strong.  LOINS—­Powerful.  TAIL—­Curled tightly over the back.  FORE-LEGS—­Perfectly straight, of moderate length, and with great bone.  HIND-LEGS—­Same as fore-legs, muscular and with hocks well let down.  FEET—­Small, round and catlike, standing well on the toes.  COAT—­Abundant, dense, straight, and rather coarse in texture, with a soft woolly undercoat.  COLOUR—­Whole-coloured black, red, yellow, blue, white, etc., not in patches (the under part of tail and back of thighs frequently of a lighter colour).  GENERAL APPEARANCE—­A lively, compact, short coupled dog, well-knit in frame, with tail curled well over the back.  DISQUALIFYING POINTS—­Drop ears, red tongue, tail not curled over back, white spots on coat, and red nose, except in yellow or white specimens.

N.B.—­Smooth Chows are governed by the same scale of points, except that the coat is smooth.

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As to the weight, bitches scale about 30 lbs., but dogs are heavier.  Ch.  Shylock weighed 47-3/4 lbs., and Red Craze 38 lbs.

CHAPTER XI

THE POODLE