Chow Chow Books


Books for the Chow Chow Lover

There are so many books written for the dog owner. You will find here a list of books that include books on feeding and training, nutrition and of course, books about Chows. Unfortunately, we believe that there will never be enough books about Chows.

We have tried to provide you with a list of books that we and others recommend. We have tried to put them into some sort of logical order, starting with books about Chows specifically, followed by veterinary books, and books on training and socialising.

Many of these books are available on-line from

Some of these books are out of print, and Amazon will take an order for these (and other discontinued books) and ship the book as soon as a copy is located.

The Chow-Chow by Lady Dunbar, 1st ed. 1914 2nd. 1922, 3rd 1924

This book was first released in 1914 and reprinted in 1922, 1924 and 1928. Written by Lady Dunbar of Mochrum, The Chow-Chow is a fascinating book and it can be used to show us just how far we have come in breeding and raising Chows over the past century. In reading through this book, the reader could be left wondering why she was not charged with cruelty to animals when the book was published.

In a discussion on feeding puppies, she mentions the dangers of allowing them to have bread crusts as teething toys as, apparently, it had been her experience that the puppies became so excited they swallowed the crusts whole. Given the diet and the amounts the pups were fed, it is not at all surprising that they indulged in such feeding frenzies.

A chapter dealing with euthanasia is quite startling and bizarre as she discusses ways of dealing with unwanted puppies and an attempt to put down a Chow that had escaped the property and begun to worry sheep.

Nevertheless, it is a fantasic glimpse of the Chow fancy and the Chow itself in the early years of the 20th century. This book is an historic reference with some solid information to be found in its pages.

The Chow Chow by Dietrich and Davies 1926
The Popular Chow Chow by Leighton and Baer, 1st 1928, 2nd 1930
Our Friend The Chow Chow Rowland Johns, 1st 1932, 2nd 1937, 3rd 1947 4th 1950.

The Chow Chow by Will Judy 1934

This is another wonderful Chow book that is still considered to be an excellent reference book. Will Judy has been credited with establishing and interpreting the breed standard. His book, published in 1934, sold for 2.00 US at the time. In recent years copies have sold for as much as US$100.00 (more if the dust jacket is intact.) This book is not readily available, but is wonderful reading for the Chow enthusiast.

The Midland Chow Chow Club Year Books 1947 and 1948
The Chow Chow by Connie Collett, 1st.1953 2nd.1959.3rd 1972.
The Popular Chow Chow by Ingleton and Rybot 1954
How to Raise and Train a Chow Chow by Clifford Shyrock. 1965
The Early History of the English Chow by E.A.Burrows. 1965
The Chow Chow by Honor Green 1975
*The Book of the Chow Chow " by Samuel Draper and Joan McDonald Brearley 1977
Chow Chows edited by Beverly Pisano 1980
The Canadian Chow Source Book by Jennifer Bunting 1984
*The Chow Chow by Anna Katherine Nicholas 1985
Chow 90 (Hardback and Paperback) by The Chow Chow Club 1985
* Chow Chow Champions, 1952-1982 by Jan Linzy / Paperback / Published 1987
* Chow Chow Champions, 1983-1986 Camino Book Co. Staff / Unknown Binding
*Chow Chows by James B. Atkinson 1988
* The Complete Chow Chow by Kip Kopatch 1988
* Chow Chow Chinese Princess Dogs by Caroline Selden / Hardcover / Published 1989
* The Dog Owner’s Guide to The Chow Chow by Diana Phillips 1989
* The World of the Chow by Dr. Samuel Draper and Joan McDonald Brearley 1992.
Chow 100 (Hardback and Paperback) by The Chow Chow Club 1995.
*The Proper Care of Chow Chows by Bob and Love Banghart 1995
* The Chow Chow: an Owner’s Guide to a Happy Healthy Pet Paulette Braun, Frank Holloway 1996
* Guide to owning Chow Chows by Anna K. Nicholas, Dick Tobin 1996
* A New Owner's Guide to Chow Chows by Richard G. Beauchamp, G. Beauchamp 1998
* Chow Chow Champions of Europe by Isabella Milani & Siro Baruffaldi, 2000
* The World of Chows in 2000 edited by Janneke Leunissen-Rooseboom, 2002
* The World of Chows in 2001 and 2002 edited by Janneke Leunissen-Rooseboom, 2003

There are other books that are stories about the Chow and are occasionally available. These include:

The Autobiography of "CHOW" the Chinese Dog, by Lillie Pethybridge, 1897;
Confucius the Chow Dog by Margaret Benson, an extract from The Soul of a Cat and other stories, first published in 1901.
The Memoirs of Chi Chi the Chow ,by Mrs. E. Berry-Wall, 1932;
Topsy, The Story of a Golden-haired Chow, by Marie Bonaparte, 1st Published Sept. 1940 reprinted 1945;
A Man A Dog Two Horses JC Bendrodt, 1946;
Dogs in Clover DA Ponsonby, 1954.
Little Black Chaing by Dorothy K. L' Hommedieu 1958;
Mr. Paley, Dog About Town by Katherine Fielding Barnsley, 1957.
Just Dogs and Things by Honor Green ,1964.
Jolly Roger, a Dog of Hoboken by Daniel M. Pinkwater, 1985.

Ko-Ko the Chow Chow by Jay Hanover

There is another a book that is seldom found and which is about a Chow that saw duty during World War I. It shows the Chow as a working, a side seldom recognised.

OTHER BOOKS

The following lists of books are certainly not Chow specific, but can certainly be useful in any case.

If you have other books you would recommend for this book list, please do email us and let us know your recommendations.

Again, please do use this link to Amazon to order any of these books.

ANIMAL COMMUNICATION
Animal Talk: a guide to interspecies telepathic communication by Penelope Smith
Animals - Our Return to Wholeness by Penelope Smith
Dog Language by Roger Abrantes
Stories the Animals Tell Me by Beatrice Lydecker
The Culture Clash by Jean Donaldson

ANIMAL HEALTH & NUTRITION
The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog by Wendy Volhard
The Doctors' vitamin and Mineral Encyclopedia by Sheldon Hendler
The Veterinary Merck Manual
Give Your Dog a Bone by Ian Billinghurst, DVM
Grow Your Pups with Bones by Ian Billinghurst, DVM
The Ultimate Diet, Natural Nutrition for Dogs and Cats by Kimithy Schultze
Dr. Pitcairn's Complete Guide to Natural Health for Dogs and Cats
Tellington Ttouch by Linda Tellington-Jones
The Holistic Guide for a Healthy Dog by Wendy Volhard and Kerry Brown, DVM
Dog Owner's Home Veterinary Handbook by Delbert G. Carlson, DVM and James M. Giffin, DVM

BREEDING
Canine Reproduction by Phyllis A. Holst, MS, DVM
Book of The Bitch by JM Evans & Kay White
Born to Win, Breed to Succeed by Patricia Craige

DOGS & KIDS
Kids' Best Dog Book by Michael J. Rosen
Kids' Best Field Guide to Neighborhood Dogs by Michael J. Rosen

TRAINING AND SOCIALISATION
Don't Shoot the Dog by Karen Pryor
Expert Obedience Training for Dogs by Winifred G. Strickland
Dog Perfect by Sarah Hodgson.
The Art of Raising a Puppy, by The Monks of New Skete. I always tell puppy buyers and training clients
How To Be Your Dog's Best Friend, by The Monks of New Skete
People, Pooches and Problems by Job Michael Evans
Dog Talk by John Ross and Barbara McKinney
The Puppy Book by Barbara Irving DVM (available from Erinrac Enterprises, Upper Beaconsfield, VIC 3803, AUSTRALIA)

This page last updated 4 December 2003

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