The Chinese Foo Dog
A spitz-type dog discovered as an extant breed after having long been considered extinct is that of the Chinese Foo Dog, or Sacred Dog of Sinkiang, also known as the Chinese Choo Hunting Dog, Chinese Temple Forest Dog, Chinese T'ien Kou (Chinese Celestial Dog), or Chinese Lung- Kou (Chinese Dragon Dog).
The Chinese Foo Dog originated through a crossing of Northern European hunting dogs and that of the ancient Chow Chow from the barren steppes of Mongolia. Another belief is that the Chinese Foo Dog is perhaps the missing link between that of the Chinese Wolf and the Chow Chow.
The Chinese Foo Dog is the mascot of the Tongs and believed to bring good luck. The Tong is a Chinese association, clan, or fraternity - the oldest secret cult in the world. The Tong bred and kept the Chinese Foo Dog as a symbol of its organization.
The Chinese Foo Dog is promoted and protected by the Chinese Foo Dog Club of America & International Chinese Foo Dog Association, registerable with the International Rare Breed Dog Club and eligible for exhibition at American Rare Breed Association (ARBA), Federation of Rare Breeds (FORB), International All-Breed Canine Association(IABCA), Rarities, States Kennel Club (SKC), and World Wide Kennel Club (WWKC) dog shows.
The Chinese Foo Dog is Active, agile, alert, courageous, hardy and strong, denoting its hunting and working heritage. Bold and energetic in temperament; makes an effective yet friendly, guardian. A devoted family pet possessing great dignity and independence of character.
The breed is double-coated. The thick, hard, weather-resistant and oft-standing coat is made up of a coarse, straight-haired outer coat and a soft, dense, woolly undercoat. It is smooth, short, thick and rich on the head and on the front of the legs. The neck, buttocks, chest, hind part of legs and underside of the tail have the longest hair. The double-coat comes in a short Plush or the longer Rough. Acceptable colors may be any shade or combination of black, black and tan, blue, brown and blue, cream and sable, fawn (yellow-cream to brown), orange, red (light gold to deep mahogany), sable, wolfgray (medium gray to silver); (with or without minor, limited white markings).
There are 3 sizes for the Chinese Foo Dog. The "Toy" is 10 inches or less, "Miniature" is 10-15 inches and the "Standard" is over 15 inches. There are also 3 weight divisions, "small" is up to 20 pounds, "Medium" is 21-50 pounds, and "Large" is over 51 pounds.
