Chow Hound Basset

The Chow Chow is a medium-sized, powerfully built dog that presents a distinctive and instantly recognizable appearance, standing between seventeen and twenty inches at the shoulder and typically weighing between forty-five and seventy pounds. The breed possesses a square, compact body with strong, muscular development and excellent balance. Their unique conformation includes a broad, flat skull, a short and broad muzzle, and a general expression of dignified aloofness that is characteristic of the breed. The overall impression is one of a substantial, cobby dog that is active and alert despite its somewhat massive appearance. Perhaps the most distinctive feature of the Chow Chow is its magnificent coat and lion-like mane. The breed comes in two coat varieties: rough and smooth. The rough coat is abundant, dense, and stands off from the body, with a particularly thick ruff around the neck and head that creates the famous leonine appearance. The smooth variety has a shorter, sleeker coat but retains the dense double-coat structure. Both varieties feature a soft, thick woolly undercoat for insulation. The breed is recognized in five colors: red, ranging from light golden to deep mahogany; black; blue, which appears as a silver-gray to dark slate; cinnamon, spanning light fawn to deep cinnamon; and cream. Another remarkable and unique characteristic of the Chow Chow is its distinctive blue-black tongue, lips, and gums, a trait shared with very few other breeds. Their small, triangular ears are thick and slightly rounded at the tips, carried stiffly erect with a slight forward tilt. The eyes are deep-set, almond-shaped, and dark, contributing to the breed's characteristic scowling expression. The tail is set high and carried closely over the back in a thick, curved plume. The Chow's straight hind legs produce a unique stilted gait that is distinctive to the breed, with the rear legs moving with minimal lift and appearing to swing forward in straight lines.

The Basset Hound is a distinctive and instantly recognizable breed that stands no more than fourteen inches at the shoulder yet weighs between forty and sixty-five pounds, making it one of the heaviest-boned breeds relative to its size. The breed's unique appearance features a long, low body supported by short, powerful legs that are slightly curved to support the substantial weight above. Despite their seemingly awkward build, Basset Hounds move with a smooth, powerful gait that allows them to work tirelessly in the field. Their overall impression is one of great substance and deliberate, unhurried movement that is never clumsy. The Basset Hound's head is perhaps its most striking feature, being large and well-proportioned with a distinctly domed skull and pronounced occipital protuberance. The muzzle is deep and heavy, with pendulous lips that contribute to the breed's characteristically mournful expression. Their eyes are soft, sad-looking, and slightly sunken, usually dark brown in color and showing a distinctive amount of haw, or visible red tissue at the inner corner. The ears are extraordinarily long, set low on the head, and when pulled forward should extend past the end of the nose. This length helps funnel scents toward the nose, enhancing the breed's legendary tracking abilities. The skin is loose and elastic, particularly around the head and neck where it forms deep folds and wrinkles. The coat of the Basset Hound is short, hard, and smooth, with sufficient density to provide weather protection during hunting. The breed comes in any recognized hound color, with tricolor combinations of black, tan, and white being most common, though red and white, lemon and white, and other patterns occur. The tail is long, tapering, and carried in a gentle curve when the dog is moving, showing a coarse-haired underside. The chest is deep and full with a prominent breastbone, and the forelegs are short and powerful with massive, heavy-padded paws that turn slightly outward to balance the broad shoulders.