Chinese Chongqing Dog Facts

The Chinese Chongqing is a powerful, protective breed with natural guarding instincts. These ancient dogs are fierce towards strangers, but gentle and loving with their family members. Keep reading to find out more amazing Chinese Chongqing facts and information!

The Chinese Chongqing Is an Ancient Breed

While the exact origins of the Chinese Chongqing are a bit murky, it’s believed that the breed dates as far back as the Han Dynasty, over 2,000 years ago! The breed originated in South Western China, where they were popular amongst farmers and other rural people, who appreciated the dog’s fierce guarding ability, as well as its skill as a scent hound.

They Have a Noble Personality

The Chinese Chongqing Dog temperament is loyal and protective. They are highly intelligent with a natural gentleness towards their family members, including children. While quite independent, they are still warm towards their family. Even though they are aloof and wary towards strangers at first, if their owner is near and they sense the stranger is friendly, they will quickly drop their guard.

They Are Amazing Guard Dogs

One of the most impressive fun facts about Chongqing Dogs is that they make amazing guard dogs. While their wariness towards strangers can be inconvenient when meeting new friends, it’s an important trait among the best guard dogs. The Chinese Chongqing Dog’s fierce loyalty towards its family, as well as its natural distrust of any strange people, means you can sleep well at night knowing your dog will protect you!

They Require Firm Training

While the Chinese Chongqing Dog is loving and protective towards its family, they do have a stubborn streak. Their natural wariness towards strangers also means that they can become aggressive quite quickly. As a result, they require an experienced owner who can provide firm training.

The Chongqing Dog Is Incredibly Rare

Even in its native country of China, few people know of this dog breed. The breed was less popular after China became urbanized, and despite a comeback in the 1970s and 1980s, thousands of Chongqing Dogs were killed during the SARS outbreak in 2003. Now, it’s estimated that only 2,000 Chongqing Dogs exist in the entire world, making them about as rare as the highly endangered Giant Panda.

It Is a Natural Breed

Many of the dog breeds we know and love today were developed selectively. Often, in order to preserve desirable traits, breeders would inbreed dogs. This frequently leads to health problems.

However, one of the most interesting facts about Chongqing Dogs is that they were developed naturally, without human intervention. This means that DNA tests have shown the breed has no history of inbreeding, making it an incredibly healthy dog!

They Have a Very Short Coat

Unfortunately, because this breed’s fur is so thin, particularly on the back, tail, and face, these dogs are particularly prone to sunburn, heatstroke, and frostbite. These dogs do best in a temperate climate without extreme temperatures. On hot, sunny days, you should also use sunscreen to prevent sunburn.

They Need Lots of Exercise

This dog breed is highly active, and needs plenty of exercise to stay in shape. These dogs need a large yard to stretch their legs, as well as a minimum of thirty minutes of exercise every day. While these dogs can live in apartments, they strongly prefer a large house with a yard they can run around in.

The Chinese Chongqing Dog Was Once Very Popular

Long ago, the Chinese Chongqing Dog was incredibly popular. These faithful watchdogs were also used as scenthounds, and were commonly used while hunting. Sadly, however, as the country became more and more urbanized, the dog fell out of fashion and utility.

Even worse, the SARS outbreak meant that many of the dogs were killed to prevent the further spread of the disease. This left the breed incredibly vulnerable, and for ages, it teetered on the brink of extinction.

It’s Finally Making a Comeback

One of the coolest Chinese Chongqing Dog facts is that, even though the breed was on the brink of extinction for a long time, it’s finally making a comeback! In the 1970s, breeders made an effort to bring this dog back. Today, the Chinese Chongqing Dog’s tenacity, faithfulness, and skill at scenting, guarding, and many other tasks, make it much more popular in rural areas.

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