China rediscovers the long-lost friendly Chow Chow

Many people are nervous the first time they see King Kong, a sturdy black dog that looks like a lion. But in fact, the dog belongs to an ancient breed that has a very soft personality inside that lion-like body.

Having just celebrated its third birthday, King Kong is the first purebred Chow Chow that was born in China to win in 2009 the specialty show organized by American Kennel Club (AKC), a registry of purebred dog pedigrees in the US.

Trained by a senior American coach since 2008, King Kong also ranked first in the all-breed competition last year through a series of acclaimed AKC events that include obedience, rally, agility and tracking.