The Chow-Chow is a sturdily built dog, square in profile, with a broad skull and small, triangular, erect ears with rounded tips. The breed is known for a very dense double coat that is either smooth or rough. The nose should be black, but blue-coated Chow-Chow can have a solid blue or slate-colored nose. According to the American Kennel Club breed standards, any other tone is not acceptable for contests. FCI countries, however, do allow a self-colored nose in the cream.The blue-black/purple tongue gene appears to be dominant, as most mixed breed dogs that come from a Chow-Chow retain that tongue colour.