Chow Chows appear on around 95% of home-insurance breed-restriction lists — in the same tier as pit bulls and Rottweilers — because the breed's genuinely aloof, defensive temperament and low tolerance for strangers or being startled produces real bite incidents; this is not the cuddly, sociable family pet its teddy-bear looks suggest.
12.1years, median
0.4 years below the all-dog median of 12.5.
Measured, not estimated: the middle age at death across 584,734 UK dogs, 284,734 of them deceased. Based on 1,335 dogs of this breed. 95% confidence interval 11.7 to 12.5 years. Half lived longer than this, half did not. UK dogs, so treat it as the best available figure rather than a promise about yours.
In the same study, large breeds as a group had a median of 11.9 years and medium-muzzled breeds 12.8. This breed is large and medium-muzzled.
McMillan et al. 2024, Scientific Reports 14:531 — open access · CC BY 4.0Health tests to ask the breeder for
Chow Chow Club, Inc. (Chow Health) sets the tests a Chow Chow needs for a CHIC number in the OFA's open database. A CHIC number means the tests were done and the results are public. It does not mean the dog passed them: ask for the results for both parents, or look them up yourself on ofa.org.
- Hip Dysplasia (OFA Evaluation, OVC Evaluation or PennHIP Evaluation)
- Elbow Dysplasia (OFA or OVC Evaluation)
- Eye Examination by a boarded ACVO Ophthalmologist (results registered with OFA or CERF)
- Autoimmune Thyroiditis (OFA evaluation)
- Patellar Luxation (OFA Evaluation)
When to spay or neuter: the guidelines split at 45 pounds grown, five to six months under it and after growth is complete over it, and the UC Davis study gives a guideline by breed for 35 breeds. The spay and neuter page has both, and the two weeks after.
- Cardiac Evaluation (Advanced or Congenital Cardiac Exam)
Test names as the club lists them; checked September 2026. OFA CHIC breed page. How to use this at the breeder: check a breeder.
Adopt a Chow Chow near you
Shelters and rescues list Chow Chows and Chow Chow mixes on Petfinder. Enter a ZIP code to see who is waiting within 100 miles.
Listings come from Petfinder and open there. Petipedia does not take part in adoptions and earns nothing from them.
Living with a Chow Chow
Chow Chows are genuinely independent and standoffish, not just 'reserved' — this is a breed that tolerates affection on its own terms, prefers personal space, and does not warm quickly to strangers, other pets, or unpredictable handling, which is why most breed resources recommend older children only. The thick double coat mats fast and needs brushing every other day plus regular professional grooming, and it's poorly suited to hot climates; low exercise needs on paper don't make this an easy first dog, because the temperament, not the energy level, is what trips people up.
Health you should know about
- Hip and elbow dysplasia — malformed joints common in the breed's stocky, heavy-boned build.
- Entropion — inward-rolling eyelids linked to the breed's deep-set eyes and facial folds, often needing surgical correction in puppyhood to prevent corneal damage.
- Gastric dilatation-volvulus (bloat) — a sudden, life-threatening stomach twist that owners of deep-chested breeds need to know the warning signs of.
- Hypothyroidism and increased diabetes risk — endocrine conditions reported at elevated rates in the breed, especially in older or overweight dogs.
Read the full Dog Care Guide first — costs, daily time, and everything a dog needs before you choose a breed.
Naming a Chow Chow? Chinese and Tibetan dog names, 79 of them, with what they mean.
Sources — 4 references
Last reviewed October 2026. 4 sources listed below. Written and maintained by Petdeals.io. General care information, not veterinary advice — for a sick animal, call a vet.