No Chows Allowed

While we were out and about today, Dad stopped at a nice looking Tuscan-style apartment complex about a mile from his new office. The stop wasn't long.

The community accepts dogs but is a bit elitist regarding which breeds are acceptable. They have a no Chow rule.

Dad explained that me and Orsa are half Border Collie and a mix of Norwegian Elkhound and Chow. Apparently, any Chow in the blood is a black mark . . . on the tongue.

Not that I want to live in an apartment, but this rule got me thinking. People say I'm part Chow because I have a black tongue and curly tail. That's weak.

Lots of dogs have curly tails. Akitas, Keeshonds and Alaskan Malamutes do. And there are over 30 known dog breeds that can have black pigment on their tongues. Oh, look. Akitas and Keeshonds are on that list.

And WOW! The Chow is part of the Spitz family of dogs, along with Akitas, Keeshonds, Malamutes and lo and behold, Norwegian Elkhounds.

I may have Chow in me, but I'm more than a black tongue and a curly tail. My "Chow-ness" doesn't define me. Woof! I'm starting to sound like Dad.

Do I look more like a fat cow of a Chow (top), or the noble Elkhound?

B.