It's All About Teddy

And around here it truly is. It is all Teddy....all the time. I've had a few questions about Teddy so I decided to spotlight her in a post telling you what it is like to be Teddy. First of all, Teddy is a girl. Her full name is Theodora Puddle Pup......don't even ask where that came from. She just turned 5 years old. She weighs 66 pounds which is actually on the small side for a Chow. She is built like a cement block.



Chows have 2 coats of hair. The top course hair is called the 'guard hair' and the undercoat is the soft fluffy down. Chow Chows hair keeps them insulated from both hot and cold weather and Chows should NEVER be shaved.

Chows have the strongest neck muscles of any dog and should never be taught to pull anything because it is in their genes and once trained to do so, they love it. There is the famous story of the Chow that was tied up to her front porch while the owner went to work and when the owner returned, the front porch was in the back yard having been pulled there by her Chow. Chows were bred to pull carts in ancient China.


Here Teddy is practicing one of her favorite past times..looking for her squirrels. Chows were also bred to be hunters and they LOVE to hunt.


Though chows look like furry teddy bears, they are very regal and aloof. They are highly suspicious of everyone except their own family. So, though she looks loving and hugable, it would be a huge mistake to try to do so. Chows also have the largest incisors of any dog and they have nasty bites. Teddy just bit my husband on the butt the other day.


Chows do not have doggy smells. They smell like baby powder. Their smell is a natural repellent to ticks and mosquitoes though Teddy has had a few. Chows also are the most easily house broken dogs and most times will not even piddle or pooh in their own yards.


You can see that Teddy is getting a bit bored with this story and is taking a quick bit of shut eye. Chows were once raised as meat in China and were fed a diet of fish and vegetables. Teddy gets a cup of kibble each day but it is combined with a large piece of fish, some chicken, steak and a small piece of liver. The smell of butter drives Chows a bit crazy and crab will get this very snooty pup to jump through hoops.


Chows are not pack dogs so they have very little interest in other dogs. They prefer to ignore other dogs but will become very aggressive if bothered by a dog. Most dogs sense this and walk a circle round her.


Chows have stilted hocks which means their back legs only have ankles right above their paws. They have a very distinctive walk since they are missing that second joint that other dogs have.


This sweet little face can switch to something very frightening in a heartbeat. Chows have deep set eyes which means they lack peripheral vision and can be quite easily startled if approached from the side or behind. You always want a chow to see your hand coming when you are about to pet him or her or you might lose a hand. You don't often see Chows at dog shows because of their stubbornness and indifference. Chows put themselves first and everyone else second. They do what they want to do and don't care so much about what their owner wants. To have a well behaved Chow you must have a very strong personality. And feed them well. This is why my husband has a sore butt and Teddy would never even think of biting me!!!

Chows are not for everyone but I would never have any other breed. Because, behind all of this stubbornness and independence, there is a heart of gold that is full of love for her family. (Even if she takes a piece out of some of them once in a while!)



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Comments

Sharon Day said…
Just as I suspected, Teddy is a complex girl. I had a chow/golden retriever mix and it was a dream dog. Very very loyal to the family and had a black speckled tongue and curled tail but physically looked like a retriever. Best dog ever!
Teddy is as cute as ever! Thanks for the info about the breed! Is the short haired chow common in the US? I´ve only seen two in my entire life. But then again, chows aren´t especially common as it is :-)
Have a great day now!
Christer.
:) I just know Teddy is thinking, "You tell 'um Mama."

Your description of Chow Chow's is on the money.

I love them for their regal and self absorbed personalities. As you say though, never think for a minute they are not paying attention.

My Snooky once bit a young man in the face as he climbed through my oldest daughters bedroom window in the night. Many years ago. My Snooky is gone now. I think often of him. His determination to protect his family was fierce.

I always imagined I could feel Snooky's love.

xoxo to "Teddy Bite Your Butt"
I love Teddy... she is such a doll. What a beautiful breed! ♥
brokenteepee said…
I am sorry but I am chuckling at your poor husband.

I hope he is sitting easily soon.

Every so often one of my cats does something evil to my husband. heh
Anonymous said…
You are an awesome FurMommy and Teddy is a lucky little girl.
Enjoyed the information about chows and especially the insight into Teddy. She has one of the most expressive faces I've seen on a dog and she has a strong personality in photos. Your love for her shines through your words and she is a delight for your blogger fans!
Oh dear! Teddy 1, Husband's Butt 0. Hope the bite wasn't too deep!
Thmini2 said…
I love Chow Chows, but I know that I would never have one for all the reasons you give. Neither Jeff or I would be strong enough. Whenever Jeff and I were looking for a new dog we would study the breeds. So knowing what we do about chows and a few other breeds we know that they wuldn't be the breed for us. I am so glad that Teddy has you. She is a happy, happy dog. I encourage all people to check out the breeds they like. There would be less unhappy people and dogs out there. O.K. sorry that I hijacked your post. :) Teresa
Hi Joyce..
Your description of Teddy is somewhat like Mele's except she is usually very warm and friendly and greets guests at the door..if she knows them..with a bit too much fervor..so I hold her at times.

Mele also guards her yard..and I always smile when you show photo's of Teddy doing the same thing..peeking in every corner...so cute.

I never pet a dog, even if the owner says "oh he/she won't hurt you" I wait for the dog to come to me..and always do exactly what the owner tells me to do..except pet them.
Mele has only bit on accident while playing fetch...and that is a relief because we have lots of company.

Like Teddy, I NEVER allow a groomer to shave Mele as her coat is, as you say..to keep her warm and to keep her cool. NO shaving at all...the right food makes going potty no problem at all.

Teddy and Mele have the same color coat which is just beautiful.

I really enjoyed your focus on Teddy today. She is so much a part of your every day life and on your blog, so that we feel we know her.
Anonymous said…
Such a lovely story about Teddy. I didn't know that about chows, so it's great to have this info if I ever come across one in the neighbourhood !!!
Have a great day !!
TMCPhoto said…
It's always nice to learn a little bit more about Teddy. She's got so much personality that it leaks off the screen.
Mystica said…
Its very informative - we have a daschund and a szhitu (I dont know whether I have the spelling right) and they control our house, our lives and our children! I love Teddy's full name. Our dogs are Frankie and Googly (googly is a term in cricket!).
Teresa said…
She is a beautiful dog worthy of the respect she demands.
Nydia said…
Thanks for all the interesting info on Teddy's beautiful breed, Joyce. My ex- brother in law has a Chow too and now I understand why she would almost bite me once in a while when I approached her from her side in silence unoticed...

Kisses from us.
Cindi Myers said…
OMG! As I write this, I just realized that it's been 20 years since I had my Chow Chow "Keoke". Wow, talk about time flying by...
The first time I saw a Chow in person was when I was visiting a friend in Chicago. There was this woman who showed rental property and always had her Chow as her security, with her. She filled me in with all the info and stressed that Chows need to be socialized. When I got my Chow, I had a roommate and we had so many people around all the time that Keoke would roll on the floor for tummy rubs. A big black ball of soft fur that never showed an aggressive moment. I think she must have been the exception to the rule. Wow, twenty years...
Rue said…
She is the queen. As it should be!
OMG! It's no wonder I love Teddy so much, our personalities are the same. If I didn't get fed I might also bite.

Your Blueberry Jam is fabulous!
Jennifer Rose said…
there was an owner who brought her chow into the dog groomers wanting it shaved :/ we had no choice as she would have just taken it somewhere else and she was not brushing the dog so he was all mats :/ she didnt understand anything about the breed, just loved the look. hate when people do that. this is a very informative post (and we always had to put muzzles on chows when they came in to get brushed out, never socialized :/)
LisaDay said…
That is fascinating. And the visual of the butt-biting makes me giggle.

LisaDay
Sugar said…
I have adored Teddy from the first visit to your blog. I think she is the most beautiful pup I've seen (well..besides my pom pom) but she is full of cuteness!

And..isn't it ALWAYS about Teddy?
lol
John Deere Mom said…
I need that dog! I love her! We have a dog that is part Chow that is just the best dog on the planet. (Besides, Teddy, of course! ;) So stinking cute. Off to enter your giveaway!
you know..now that i think about it..i don't think i have ever seen a chow in person....but she sure is a beauty..and yeah...me too...fell in love with her the very first time i saw her...loved reading all of this....and so did my little Teddy...he is laying acoss the top of my shoulder watching me write this...

My Teddy sure was named after a very, very special girl...

GO TEDDY !!!
and YES !!! you do have a GREAT mom !
Laura said…
Awww Teddy is such a cutie! Thanks for the lesson on Chows I didn't know a lot of that information.
Happy Solstice!
blessings
~*~
Lin said…
She is lovely, but her biting would scare me. Do you have to groom her?