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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