The Chow Chow Club, Inc., sometimes referred to as "The Parent Club", is the AKC-recognized national organization for the Chow Chow breed. Officers and directors are elected annually by mail ballot and they conduct the routine business of the Club. Each spring, there is an annual meeting of the membership and a national specialty show with over 250 Chows in competition. The national specialty is held in a different region of the United States each year. There is no better opportunity to enrich your knowledge of the Chow Chow than by attending a national specialty show.

Annual dues are $25 per person, plus an additional charge for a subscription to "Chow Life", the Club's magazine, which is published quarterly. The magazine is available to non-members by subscription. Please refer to the Chow Life link on the homepage for information and rates for non-members.

Members are required to be 18 years of age, obey the rules of the American Kennel Club and the By-Laws of the Chow Chow Club, Inc. Membership requires the sponsorship of two members in good standing (not from the same family as the applicant or each other). If you are not already acquainted with a member of the Parent Club, we suggest that you contact the breeder from whom you purchased your Chow or the Secretary of the regional Chow club in your area. If you can become acquainted with people in your area who are Parent Club members, attend and support regional Chow Club meetings, matches and shows, individuals would be willing to sponsor you in becoming a member. Please be advised that if you apply for membership, there can be a 3 to 6 month interval before your application is approved. Names of the applicants are published in "Chow Life" to elicit comments from the membership. If negative comment is received, the application will be held for review and voting by the Board of Directors at their spring meeting. If there is a lack of unfavorable comment, the application is automatically approved 45 days after the publication date of the magazine. As you can see, this is a time-consuming process.

The Chow Chow Club, Inc. welcomes individuals who are concerned with the welfare of the Chow Chow and who wish to take an active part in club activities and decisions. For those who are primarily interested in "Chow Life" magazine, we suggest a non-member subscription. If you decide that you would like to become a member of the Chow Chow Club, Inc., we invite you to apply. You will need one application for each person applying. We hope that you will find this information helpful.