more on foo dog (lion dog)

More info on Foo Dogs

Foo Dog or Fu Dog refers to any of the following closely related Dog breeds originating in ancient China which resemble the Chinese guardian lions and hence are also called Lion Dogs:

• Pekingese dog breed from China, also called "Chinese Foo Dog" or "Fu Dog" as it resembles the Chinese guardian lions which are called Fu (or Foo) Lions.
• It can also refer to Pug dog breed, of similar Chinese origin also resembling the Chinese guardian lions.
• It is believed that the Chow Chow breed of Chinese dogs is one of the native dogs used as the original model for the creation of Chinese guardian lions in ancient China when no one had ever seen a real lion before when stories reached China that Buddhist temples and monasteries in India were being guarded by the traditional stone lions found in front of Buddhist temples and palaces in India. Hearing the stories carried there by Buddhist monks traveling from India the Chinese sculptors modeled statues of Fu or Foo lions, the lions of Buddha after these native dogs and created an icon of an animal never before seen in China, the Chinese guardian lions. Chow Chow is a breed of dog that was first developed in Mongolia about 4,000 years ago and was later introduced into China, where it is referred to as Songshi Quan (Pinyin: sōngshī quǎn 鬆獅犬), which literally means "puffy-lion dog."
• The Shih Tzu is a dog breed which originated in China. The Shih Tzu is reported to be the oldest and smallest of the Tibetan holy dogs, its vaguely lion-like look being associated with the Tibetan Snow Lion and Chinese guardian lions hence is also called the Chinese or Tibetan Lion Dog.
• Tibetan Spaniel, these small monastery dogs, thought to be early representatives of the Tibetan Spaniel, loyally trailed behind their Lama masters and came to be regarded as "little Lions" owing their resemblance to the Chinese guardian lions, thus giving them great value and prestige. The practice of sending the dogs as gifts to the palaces of China and other Buddhist countries grew significantly, and in reciprocity more "lion dogs" were presented back to Tibet, continuing until as late as 1908. Through exchange of Tibetan Spaniels between palaces and monasteries, the breed is likely to have common ancestors with a number of the Oriental breeds, including the Japanese Chin and the Pekingese.
• The Japanese Chin, also known as the Japanese Spaniel is another Dog breed that resembles Chinese guardian lions and originates in China.
• On American Dragon: Jake Long, an American animated television series produced by Walt Disney Television Animation Fu Dog is the name of a 600-year-old talking dog, a companion of Jake's grandfather Lao in the series, though Fu is animated to resemble a Shar Pei or possibly an English Bulldog (his actual breed is not stated).