Eastern Magic
Q: First can you give us some background on yourself? When and how did you start to breed Chow Chows?
A: Growing up at New Territory, Hong Kong, I was exposed to many dog breeds originating from mainland China due to its relatively close distance from the country’s border. I am very interested in all the Chinese breeds. One of my best memories as a kid is of a dog with a big fluffy coat and purple-blue tongue. As I grew older, I came to realize that dog I was a Chow Chow.
In 1983 when I am still a student, my passion towards animals drives me to start a small tropical fish breeding farm of my own. Other than the fishes, I kept a few dogs on the farm as guard dogs and did some occasional breeding. In 1985, I came across my first purebred Chow Chow and immediately fell in love with this breed, and that is where the breeding journey started.
Q: What is the story behind your kennel? When did you breed your first litter? How many litters have you had so far?
A: Eastern Magic is the prefix of my kennel. The name came from the fish farm I owned during the 1980’s. I was relatively successful in breeding Discus fish back then. The Discus came in all sort of vibrant magical colors, and we are located at the eastern part of the world–born the name Eastern Magic. I had my first litter in the late 80’s but couldn’t recall the numbers of litters I’ve had.
Q: Where did your first dogs come from?
A: My first dogs are the ones we had in the family when I was born. They used to guard the house compound and control pests. Then in the 1980’s, I bought my very first purebred dog which was a Shar-Pei. Two years later, I bought my first Chow Chow.
Q: What is your breeding policy? Do you work with other kennels, have you bought or leased dogs from other kennels? Or do you prefer to have your stud dogs for yourself?
A: My breeding policy is based upon what I perceive from the breed standard. I have bought and leased dogs from other kennels for my breeding program, including dogs from the US and some from Europe.
Q: Which dog do you consider the foundation of your breeding?
A: I don’t believe that there will be a specific dog or bitch that can be considered as a foundation in a breeding, no matter how outstanding they are in the show ring. I believe that breeding isn’t about the evolution of one dog, rather a constant pairing of genetics from different dogs.
Q: What kind of selection do you prefer in your breeding program, line breeding, inbreeding, or outcrossing?
A: Line breeding will be the preferred choice in my breeding program.
Q: What would you say was your greatest achievement as a breeder so far?
A: At different age and stages, individuals will have a different perspective on achievements. My greatest achievement as a breeder so far is to be able to translate my constant growth and understanding of the Chow Chow breed standard into a real living animal. I find that as a combination of both science and art that provides me with the highest satisfaction.
Q: What do you consider should be the most important attribute of the Chow; type, movement, or head?
A: For me, the type and movement of the Chows are equally important.
Q: What three qualities do you think are the most important when you look at the chow?
A: The three qualities will be the dog’s profile, style, and soundness.
Q: Which fault would you not tolerate in your breed?
A: The least tolerable fault to me should be dogs with eye problems.
Q: How has the breed changed over the years? Would you say it has gone better or worse?
A: I would split my answer for the changes into eye of the public and sight of breeders that worked closely with the breed.
The Chow Chow was a popular breed in the AKC during the 1980s. The large number of dogs also means there’s a higher probability for one to come across a nice specimen especially at the show ring. Over the years, the popularity and numbers of Chows had declined significantly. The probability of seeing a nice dog has greatly declined due to its scarcity, hence chances of seeing a Chow Chow winning at shows or even in attendance has been greatly reduced. So, a small part of the public may argue that they no longer as good as they used to be.
But for me and other Chow breeders, we have seen the changes in the breed for decades. It’s the nature for all breeders to improve the breed. Attention has been paid to not just the overall appearance but also working to improve the overall health of the breed. A few common health problems such as the hip, elbow, thyroid, and eye are problems slowly being eliminated and hardly appear in the modern dogs. Even the temperament has improved to a great extent. The healthier representatives of the Chows might not possess those exaggerated features of the older dogs, but they are better in the movement.
Some people say a Chow Chow is just a head breed, but to me the breed is much more than that. The unique stilted gait, the squareness described within the standard, and all the other breed qualities can never be retained or improved if breeders only focus on just one specific feature. When picking a dog I will always focus on these five elements: type, soundness, style, showmanship, and condition.
A lot of the hard work of the breeders seems to be dismissed by outsiders that say the breed isn’t as good as the older days, but in my opinion the Chow Chow has taken a great leap for betterment.
Q: Please name three of your all-time favorite winners bred by you and three not owned nor bred by you.
A: I would only name one of my bred by dogs which is Mayli, Eastern Magic Channel Beauty. Not because of how great she is, but just pure sentimental. The name of the one dog that’s not owned nor bred by me, Ukwong King Solomon.
Q: What homebred dog of yours come closes to your ideal?
A: To me all my dogs are still far from ideal, that is why I am still working hard on achieving the dream.
Q: What would you say is the secret to continued success in breeding Chow?
A: Keep up the hard work and put in all the effort you have toward reaching your goal.
Q:What advice would you give to the younger generations in the breed?
A: When it comes to breeding, nobody has the answer. So, try! Because without trying you will never know the answer.
