Selective breeding was pioneered by early Asian cultures. Congruence and integrity, a 'wholeness', was (and is) fundamental to the Asian concept of virtue. They designed and created whole sub-species, applying:

• physical isolation of breeding stock;
• determination of breed standards;
• consistent selection for conformance to breed standards;
• preservation of 'good' specimens; and
• culling of 'poor' specimens.

The art of writing first emerged amongst settled, agricultural, peoples for the purposes of managing property. In Asia - the ancient seat of culture, philosophy, art and literature - the earliest writing was also devoted to detailed breeding records. Breeding was a highly specialised endeavour, requiring discipline, persistence and an almost obsessive attention to detail. In those early days it was an undertaking restricted to the most educated people in temples, monastries and palaces. 'Good' specimens were venerated.

Thus, in the early days, 'poor' specimens of every breed and species were eaten to preserve the breeding pool. Additionally, 'good' specimens may have been captured by the many marauding invaders and eaten as an insult to the conquered peoples. Even cannibalism was sometimes practiced to terrify the enemy! Chow Chows were not eaten any more or less than any other animals.

Only in the most recent few hundred years, with the prestige of selective breeding long past, have the poorest communities farmed dogs for food - seldom pure-breds, although a representative number of them will have resembled the indigenous Chow Chow.