All Chows are individuals. Chows do shed some all year round and require at least weekly grooming all year. A Chow of good temperament which has been properly socialized will accept or tolerate all strangers that his owner is willing to accept. Healthy dogs, Chows included, do not bite unprovoked.
Chows are prone to entropion, thyroid disease, hip dysplasia, and other genetic ailments.
Some of these problems are easy to correct or control, others are not. Entropion is an inward rolling of the eyelids which causes tearing and may cause corneal ulcers and blindness if not surgically corrected. Thyroid disease is a endocrine imbalance common in Chows which can be controlled by giving medicine. Hip Dysplasia is a crippling disease which is diagnosed by x-rays. Although these are the most common defects, many others are known to exist in Chows.