Chinese dog breeds
Ten breeds in Breed Guesser come from China or Tibet, from the Pug and the Pekingese to the Tibetan Mastiff. Five have China as their home, and five Tibet, which their standards write as “Tibet (China)”.
Six rounds: which dog is from China?
Which one is from China?
Which one is from China?
Which one is from China?
Which one is from China?
Which one is from China?
Which one is from China?
From China: 5 breeds
Chow Chow
Kept in China as a guard dog and for hunting, and known there, its standard says, for upwards of 2,000 years. It has a bluish-black tongue.
Breed standard
Pekingese
A small companion dog with a lion-like look. Its standard wants it to feel surprisingly heavy when picked up; ideal weight up to 5 kg for a male.
Breed standard
Pug
Listed as from China, where snub-nosed dogs were always in favour. Dutch East India Company traders brought it to Europe, and it was admired in the Netherlands by the 1500s.
Breed standard
Chinese Crested Dog
Comes hairless, with hair only on the head, feet and tail, or fully coated as the Powder Puff. Said to have guarded treasure houses for families of the Han dynasty.
Breed standard
Shar Pei
A hunting and watch dog from the provinces along the South China Sea, probably from the town of Dialak. Known for its wrinkles and broad muzzle.
Breed standard
From Tibet: 5 breeds
Shih Tzu
Rooted in Tibet but developed in China, where dogs like it lived in the imperial palaces. The hair growing upward on its nose gives it a chrysanthemum face.
Breed standard
Tibetan Terrier
Not a terrier at all but a herding dog that also guarded traders on the road to and from China. Believed to be the original Holy Dog of Tibet.
Breed standard
Lhasa Apso
A hardy small dog from high-altitude Tibet. Its long coat insulates it in winter, and the hair over its eyes shields them from wind, dust and glare.
Breed standard
Tibetan Mastiff
Also called Do Khyi
An ancient working dog of the nomad herders of the Himalaya and a traditional guardian of Tibetan monasteries. Males stand at least 66 cm.
Breed standard
Tibetan Spaniel
A small, alert companion dog, about 25 cm tall and 4.1 to 6.8 kg, slightly longer than it is tall.
Breed standard
Which Chinese breeds look oldest in their genes?
The Shar Pei and the Chow Chow. Three large genetic studies, in 2004, 2010 and 2012, looked for the breeds that branch off earliest in the dog family tree. All three placed the Shar Pei there; the two that included the Chow Chow placed it there too.
That is not proof of great age. The 2012 study warns that these breeds look ancient mostly because they were isolated and mixed little with other breeds. The oldest dog breeds page has the full table.
Which Chinese breeds guarded palaces and temples?
Their standards tell four such stories. The Tibetan Mastiff is a traditional guardian of Tibetan monasteries. The Tibetan Terrier is believed to be the original Holy Dog of Tibet. Dogs like the Shih Tzu lived in China’s imperial palaces. And the Chinese Crested is said to have guarded treasure houses for families of the Han dynasty.
Which small dogs come from China?
| Breed | Home | Size, by its standard |
|---|---|---|
| Pekingese | China | Ideal weight up to 5 kg (males), 5.4 kg (females) |
| Pug | China | Ideal weight 6.3 to 8.1 kg |
| Chinese Crested Dog | China | Males 28 to 33 cm, females 23 to 30 cm |
| Shih Tzu | Tibet | No more than 27 cm |
| Lhasa Apso | Tibet | Males about 25 cm, females slightly smaller |
| Tibetan Spaniel | Tibet | About 25 cm, 4.1 to 6.8 kg |
Is the Central Asian Shepherd Dog Chinese?
Only in part, so it is not one of the ten. Its standard says it formed over thousands of years across a vast area, from the Caspian Sea to China and from the southern Urals to Afghanistan. The game counts eight countries as right for it, China among them.