CHOW COAT COLOURS

Lately breeders of Chow Chows have become more and more interested in the “other coat colours” than the usual red and black. Trying to produce also the other colours in one litter, give confusion on what colours to expect in the litter and also how to know what colour the newborn puppy eventually will have when it is fully grown. The judges might also have a problem in the ring in identifying the colours: is it a fawn or a red – a black or a blue – a cream, fawn or perhaps a light, light red?

RED is found in all nuances and coat varies from light red to almost mahogany red with or without lighter shades on the ruff, tail and breechings. Dark red colours are often seen with shorter coat and less ruff that a lighter shaded red. Red is red and easily identified.

Red mated to red will usually just give you red puppies. BUT if there are genes on both sire and dam’s side for blues or fawns, there might be fawn pups in the litter as well.

Red mated to a fawn will give fawn or red puppies, BUT if there are cream genes on both sides, you might even get cream puppies in the litter when a red is mated to a red or a fawn.

As black is the dominant colour in Chows, two reds, or one red and one fawn, or two fawns, can never produce black or blue puppies in a resulting litter. Newborn red puppies might look very dark brown when they are dry. Some red puppies are born with black mask. When the puppy grows up, the black muzzle colour will vanish.

BLACK is the other usual colour in Chows. Black coat comes in all coat lengths and can be with or without lighter shades in ruff, tail and breechings. “Old” black coat might contain grey or rusty shades. A Chow is not to be considered to have an uneven colour because of this. Black is usually easy to identify, black is black.

Black mated to black might produce black, blue, red, fawn and even cream pups (if the genes are present).

A black (blue) offspring from two blacks (or two blues or one black and one blue) parents might be homozygous, it means that this Chow will not be able to be sire or dam to any other colours than black or blue puppies. This particular Chow carries the genes for black and black/blues.

This contrary to be heterozygous black (which will have a heterozygous black (blue) sire and dam which caries the genes for both black and other colours.

Black mated to black might even produce creams in addition to all other colours if the genes are present on both sides, if, of course, none of the parents are homozygous blacks.

Some judges have problems in recognizing the true expression in a black Chow in contrary to a red where the expression is easily spotted. Black pups are shiny black when they are dry as well as when they are newborn and wet.

FAWN is a dilution of red. Fawn comes in all coat varies and can range from light beige to almost cinnamon with or without lighter shades on ruff, tail and breechings. I like to split them into “blue fawns” and “red fawns”.

It might sometimes be difficult to identify a red from a fawn in the ring, but fawns have eye colour and nose colour in accordance with their coat colour. Fawns also have a silver shaded coat, especially on the muzzle. Blue fawns are more easily spotted that the red fawns, they have a grey/blue/silver shaded coat colour on the muzzle and the nose colour is grey/blue. They also have better pigmentation in the mouth and on the lips than a red fawn.

Fawn mated to fawn will only give fawn puppies. Theoretically fawns with cream genes might also produce cream pups, but I do not know of any such events.

Fawn mated to red might produce reds and fawns (or perhaps even creams if the genes are present).

Fawns mated to blues give only fawns and blues. (I do not know of any fawn and blues mated together that have given cream puppies, but it might perhaps be possible if the genes are present).

Fawns mated to blacks might give all colours if the genes for these colours are present in the parents.

Fawns mated to fawns for some generations, might produce lighter specimens with yellow eyes and too pale blue colour on the tongue. This is of course not wanted.

Fawn pups might be difficult to separate from blues when newborn. Both colours might seem grey. If you study the coat on the cheeks and closely study the coat on the backside of the front legs, you will find a pink shade in the fawn puppies.

The blue/fawn/grey pups might be even more difficult to separate from blues. Look at the claws and the pups ears they will appear grey on a fawn pup and a lot darker on a blue puppy.

If you think your red puppy might be a light fawn, look at the nose, it will be black on a red puppy and grey on a fawn puppy.

BLUE is a dilution of black. Blue coat comes in all coat lengths and might be with or without lighter shades on ruff, tail and breechings. Blue coat gets darker when the Chow gets older, consequently a light powder blue puppy will not be able to keep the same colour in his adult coat. “Old” blue coats tend to be grey and rusty (as in the blacks); this does not make the dog parti-coloured. Blue Chows have eye and nose colour in accordance with coat colour.

Blue Chows also usually have a silver shade on the muzzle. A black Chow will never have this. This is a way to identify the dark blues and the blacks in the ring.

Blues mated to blues give blues and fawns. (As said before I do not know if they might also produce creams if both parents carry the genes).

Blues mated to fawns just give blues and fawns.

A blue dog with black parents, blue parents or one black and one blue parent might be homozygous and thus produce black or blue offspring.

Heterozygous blue Chows mated to other colours might produce all colours, except mated to fawns or blues.

If you just mate blues to blues for several generations, you might get chocolate coloured pups. They look like they have been dipped in milk chocolate, but with this colour come yellow eyes and a pinkish tongue which we all know will not be according to the standard.

Blue puppies look grey when they are newborn, but will usually look grey/blue when dried. Ears and claws are darker than the grey colour on the fawn pups.

CREAM comes in shades from almost white to a more cream, yellow shade, but your impression of the coat colour must be cream and not yellow or orange. The ears are usually biscuit coloured. In the FCI standard a “snow nose” is allowed and the nose is a pinkish colour rather than black. The nose of a cram pup might be solid black, but it will usually be lighter when the puppy is grown up. The “snow nose” might be an indication of the cream colour in the ring, if the colour of the specimen is so dark that it might perhaps be a light fawn or a very light red.

Cream mated to cream will just produce creams.

Cream mated to reds might also produce blacks which should be against all odds. Cream to reds mating might also produce reds, fawns, blues, blacks and creams.

Cream mated to fawns has also produced blues.

Creams mated to black or blue might produce all colours – if the black or blue is not homozygous.

Cream pups are usually born bright white with biscuit coloured ears. It is not possible not to recognize a cream puppy even when it is still wet. I cannot recall having seen an absolute white Chow with white ears.

Breeding for colour is exciting, but remember to breed Chows for quality and not just for unusual colours.

Originally written by Mona K Selbach and Anita Westlake