Shai, I've aways heard the same thing about Chows, but we had one (also black) and he was totally passive. He was also dumb as a box of rocks, so that may have had something to do with it. On the other hand, my old boss had a Chow and he was the meanest dog I've ever seen. I'm not usually afraid of dogs, but I was terrified of him. He would have to put him in his fenced in back yard on a tie-out whenever anyone came over because he didn't trust him to not get in the house or out of the fence and attack whoever was visiting. Personally, I don't understand people who have dogs like that.