I've heard of cases where a chow chow will let a
burglar into the house, but it won't let them out.
They have purple tongues. As the legend goes, when God painted the sky blue, the chow was there licking up the spilled paint.
They come in five colors: black, red, cream, blue, and cinnamon.
The chow has a somewhat earned bad reputation. They can be one-owner dogs but if, when they are raised, they are well socialized, meeting new people and other animals, they will be friendly enough to your guests. If you are looking for a dog that will jump all over your friends, try another breed. A chow will try to be the alpha dog, and will become your master, if you let it. They often succeed, which will cause people to need to get rid of them. It's not a good dog for someone without a good amount of dog training experience
Like pit bulls, chow chows can lock their jaws closed. I've seen one do this to a chain-link fence. Like crocodiles, they should be not be approached from certain directions (outside their peripheral vision), or else they become startled.
They can be stubborn and are usually proud. They have been used to pull carts and guard boats for ages, and were also bred for their thick coats and for meat.
Their fur comes in two lengths, referred to as rough and smooth. They do well even in hot humid climates if their owner brushes the soft undercoat. If this undercoat is not brushed, they will overheat quickly.
Common problems include hip dysplasia, eczema, which is usually attributed to improper bathing, and entropion, which is when their eyelids fold inside, towards the eyeball, rather then out.