The Chow-Chow (sometimes simply Chow:7–8) is a dog breed originally from northern China, where it is referred to as Songshi-Quan (Pinyin: sōng-shī quǎn), which translates to 'puffy-lion dog'. 'Will Your Canine Affect Your Homeowners Insurance Policy?'. InsuranceAgents.com. AgentInsider.com. Archived from the original on October 14, 2012. Retrieved July 10, 2012. 2 Appearance. The Chow-Chow has been identified as a basal breed that predates the emergence of the modern breeds in the 19th Century. One writer proposed that the Chow-Chow originated in China 2,000 years ago or possibly originated in Arctic Asia 3,000 years ago and then migrated to Mongolia, Siberia, then to China. :11.