The Chongqing Dog is said to be one of the oldest breeds in the world – its history can be traced back to the Western Han Dynasty more than 2,000 years ago! This Chinese breed was originally bred as a hunting dog but as urbanization grew, it gradually lost its purpose and numbers began to fall. The breed was revived in the 70’s and took on more of a utilitarian purpose – being used for a number of varied jobs including protecting crops from wild pigs and as a guard dog. Today, he is primarily used as a protection dog, and he excels at this task thanks to his fearless and courageous nature. This primitive molosser is one of the rarest breeds of dog today and while it is recognized by the China Kennel Union, is still yet unrecognized by FCI or any clubs in America. To make matters somewhat confusing, the original breed – Chinese Chongqing Dog, was split into two breeds just recently in 2018: into the Chongqing Dog and the Chuandong Hound.
The Chongqing is outgoing with people he knows, aloof with those he doesn’t, but fierce with small animals thanks to a strong prey drive. Despite his small size he has a huge personality and possesses confidence in spades! As stated above, his specialty is guarding and not only will he alert to the presence of danger but he will back up his threat if he feels it necessary to do so. However, this loyal and dignified guard is gentle with his family and gets along well those whom he loves, including children. The guarding talents of this Chinese breed are natural and require little training, although it should be noted that they aren’t recommended for competition bite work.
Chongqings enjoy all manner of activity and exploring new places with their noses (they are talented with scent detection skills). They are always on alert, whether it be looking out for possible danger or an animal to chase! Being both tough and agile they don’t mind “getting dirty” if the situation calls for it, and in fact many relish the opportunity! While they aren’t known for being aggressive with other dogs for no reason, they aren’t terribly social either and aren’t a good choice for the dog park.
In terms of color, the Congqing Dog comes in either black or red (of dark or light shades) with a dark black mask on the head. Like several other Chinese breeds, the tongue is blue or has blue spots. The coat itself is extremely short and very harsh in texture. His square head has natural wrinkles on the brow beneath naturally erect ears, and features a powerful muzzle with prominent cheeks and a well-defined stop. He is squarely built and extremely muscular with an unusually-shaped tail which is set high and carried stiffly. Although he is small in stature his weight upgrades him into the medium-size category.
The Chongqing is intelligent but powerful, which means that obedience training is important to establish control. Naturally independent, he requires an owner who is stable-tempered (cool and collected) that can be consistent with lessons. Furthermore he needs training that is firm, yet fair and should only be owned by the experienced dog person. Once trained, he will take his job seriously.
The average lifespan for the Chongqing is 12-13 years and they remain playful for many of their years. They only require a brushing and nail trim about once a week and the occasional bath, making them fairly low-maintenance in terms of grooming. Like all dogs, they do need regular dental care. The majority of their care will be in the form of early and frequent socialization, consistent obedience training, and routine exercise.
Chongqing Dogs can live in apartments if they are sufficiently exercised but only IF they are sufficiently exercised! They do need regular, daily excursions to work out their impressive muscles so unless an owner is able to provide this, they would be better suited to a home with a small yard. A long daily walk is the bare minimum for these stocky little guys and they’d be even more thrilled to accompany their owner on a hiking expedition! Just make sure any hikes are carried out on-leash, as their prey drive necessitates that they be kept safely clipped to a lead at all times. In addition (when it comes to owner compatibility), the breed is most suited to calm households as they don’t do well with an excess of household chaos.
