Chow Standard evolution and rare smooth reference -1986 Article by Dr. Sam Draper

ABOVE IS AN EXAMPLE OF SMOOTH CHOWS IN ENGLAND IN 1942 – THE YEAR FOLLOWING THEIR REMOVAL IN 1941 FROM THE USA STANDARD

One of the things you can always count on when being a researcher is that the most amazing revelations come from the more surprising places.  This article by the esteemed Dr. Samuel Draper (breeder, judge, author)  detailing the 3  Standards of the Chow in America (excluding 1906) is a MUST READ for all chow fanciers.  It is as relevant today as it was when it was penned in 1986, the year of the most recent Chow standard rewrite.   While this article is filled to the brim with outstanding breeding advice from the earliest days until the 1980’s, the biggest surprise for me was a piece of the smooth puzzle I had been searching for…for YEARS!  This more contemporary article was sent to me as a surprise “extra”, when I recently purchased a large lot of rare pre 1920’s magazine clippings.

Many people have asked me “why was the smooth coated chow omitted from the AKC Standard in 1941”?   Well it seems we may finally have an answer, thanks to Dr. Draper, (rest his soul), along with a small group of smooth coat enthusiasts  who were instrumental in helping return the smooths to their rightful place in the 1986 AKC Standard, SEE “THE SMOOTH CHOW COMES OUT OF THE CLOSET” by Zola Coogan  

In this article below, on the first page (right column) Sam Draper  states:

 “When the reference to the Smooth-Coated Chow was omitted in the 1941 Standard, this omission placed the Smooth Chow in a delicate position: under the new 1941 Standard, this variety could not be shown or considered a part of the Chow breed.  What happened, one wonders to all of the Smooth Chow puppies born from 1941 until 1980 when the Smooth -Coated Chow began to appear in the show ring?  The rumor in Chow circles concerning the omission of the Smooth in the 1941 Standard was owing to the opposition of Mrs. L.W. Bonney and Mrs. Kathleen Staples of Tally-Ho Chows and Dalmatians, and their considerable influence.  That decision, at least in hindsight, was perhaps unwise……….” 


CLICK HERE FOR PDF VERSION OF THE ARTICLE BELOW



CLICK HERE TO FIND ALL OF THE USA CHOW STANDARDS OF THE PAST/PRESENT

An “AH HA” moment for this history buff….NOW  this advertisement below, which I posted a couple of years ago, makes complete sense.  This lovely dog Ch. Far Land Thunderstorm was purchased by none other than FLORA BONNEY (the woman opposed to smooths) and according to this ad,  this chow was chosen to illustrate the 1941 Chow standard