Teddy, The Chow Chow

Have I mentioned recently how much I love my puppy?  Maybe I am biased but I think she is the cutest Chow Chow I have ever seen.
 She is my constant companion and loves me unconditionally, the same way I love her.

 She always needs to know where I am and always keeps her eyes on me.

 Chow chows were bred in northern China and fed a diet of fish and seafood.  She can't get enough of it.  Look at her face when my husband offers her a clam.

 Though Teddy hates stepping outside when it rains, she loves to drink from ponds and lakes.


 She likes sitting in them too.

 Teddy is 8 years old and starting to show signs of aging which just breaks my heart.

 She can't hear all that well anymore and is slow getting up on her feet.

 Chows tend to have selective hearing so I can't be certain how much she actually hears or if she just chooses not to respond sometimes.  She still hears me when I say 'treat time'.

 Chows particularly like to have a regular schedule and get very fussy when it is disrupted.

 Teddy likes Fall as much as I do. She loves laying on the patio in cool weather.

 She waits patiently each morning as I make her food.

 Though she tends to get a bit tired.

 And catches a little shut eye while I prepare her food.  The other night I was watching sports on TV and stayed up way past Teddy's and my bedtime.  I let her stay outside until midnight which never ever happens.  When I went out to bring her in, she was in a sound sleep though I did not realize it at the time.  So, there she was, sound asleep in the garden she guards with a vengeance.  Stupid me went out and called her name.  She didn't answer me so I walked right up and stood over her, calling her name.  Still no response.  So, I leaned over and tapped her on the head.


Ouch!  I have a Teddy tattoo.  Anyone have an arm I can borrow?  Yes, this hurt like hell.  But the look Teddy had on her face when she realized she had just bitten her beloved mama is something I will never forget.  She was devastated. It IS best to let sleeping dogs lie.  I still love her as much as ever.

Comments

Autumn Rose said…
Beautiful tribute to a beautiful dog..... And a shame that our pets often have fairly short life expectancies. We have a 14 year old Doxie, and it breaks our hearts that he's a short timer.
Leanne said…
Teddy must of been in a very deep sleep for her to of done that - ouchy. I bet she was upset.
Sure hope she likes the treats from NZ tucked in the guitar case. Hope they get through customs ok too. - They should do.
Love Leanne
Anonymous said…
Teddy is the cutest Chow chow I've ever seen too. It is sad to see the signs even if there are plenty of time still.

I never wake up a dog like that again, I once did that with our dachshund and learned my lesson :-) If they don't hear me when I call them I just toss a toy to wake them up :-)

Have a great day and I hope that heals well and fast!
Christer.
brokenteepee said…
Oh my. I guess she was truly startled! Poor you, poor Teddy.
Joyce she is so sweet.
I love the picture of her sitting in the water! I've never seen a dog do that, not any breed.
lucky you
xx
julie
GOTHAM239 said…
Sweet story! Those are the best kind of love bites as I call them....I have a nice little bite scar I treasure from my beloved cat who passed in 2010. When I see that scar I just smile because she is still with me. :)
Anonymous said…
oh my, poor you, poor teddy, her pain from biting you is worse than yours I think.
Such a beautiful post.
chickpea678 said…
Ouch!!! My favorite shots are sitting in the water and with the leaves on her back!
petoskystone said…
Poor Teddy & poor you! Hope Teddy isn't too traumatized....
Nellie said…
Bless you and Teddy both! It is easy to see the love that is between you!
My Grama's Soul said…
Oh If I have said it once, I have said it a million times......I LOVE TEDDY. You are right she is probably the sweetest looking chow on the planet.

Jo
Poor you! And poor Teddy too! Just a case of mistaken identity.
Sandy Livesay said…
Jaz,

Ouch! Both of you will be okay in time. The old saying, leave a sleeping dog alone.

Margaret said…
We all love teddy too!
Robin Larkspur said…
It is so hard to watch our beloved pets get older. But also it would be too hard not to have them in our lives. That bite looks pretty fierce; I am sorry that happened, but know that Teddy was miserable about it. Hugs.
Melissa said…
She is just adorable and I love all of your posts on her.. She has such a neat little personality :-)
Our animals become such a part of our family and it is hard to see them get older.. I lost my puppy a few years back and my kitty is now going on 18.. They love us, they never judge us and are our constant companions..
I am sure Teddy feels just horrible about leaving you a little tattoo.. I too have done the same thing when my kitty has been in a deep sleep as I was fearing the worse and thanking my stars she woke up..
Hugs to you and Teddy :-)
TARYTERRE said…
Teddy is such a sweetheart. And I know she didn't mean to hurt her momma. I knew that expression came from somewhere. NOW I know why!!! Let sleeping dogs lie.
Mele is 9 years old this month and I could have written all of what you wrote. Mele does all the exact same things your Teddy does..keeps me in her sight, always as close as she can be to me except when she is out making her rounds of our property.

We have Coons and Cayotes here and both will kill a dog and have! So I don't let Mele go out at night alone..
Mel is also showing signs of aging and like you, it kills me. She has had her fur soaked in my tears many times. After Frank's death, she was all I had for company until I moved home and she kept me from going insane I think.

She snapped at me the other day for the first time in her life...though she didn't make contact.
A bit of trouble with the house once again and she wanted out of it..poor baby..but I didn't get the message and tried to grab her to stop her. She was frightened.
Once back inside, I realized the problem was back.
It only lasted that day and night and seems fine once again but those times really upset her and make her very nervous.
But, like Teddy, there were circumstances causing the snap.

Mele is slow to get up onto her feet lately..that's new. She is on some pills for her heart so I watch her carefully. I also make her food in the morning and she watches my every move..

I won't get another dog. Mele is my last. I don't want to die and leave my dog to someone else. The thought of her not being loved and held and understood is more than I can stand. I know you know what I mean.

I have a very good idea of how you feel about Teddy. It will kill me when I lose her. I fear it, but it is a part of life. So they say...

Have a cookie with me? :)
Dee said…
My schnauzer bit me once when she and our other dog got into a little tussle and I tried to break them up - she was absolutely horrified that she bit me. Bless her heart. Our pups are the best. I know Teddy was equally as horrified when she realized she bit you.
Laura said…
My brother had the same experience with their older lab who didn't hear him come in. He would always give her a kiss on her nose every time he came in the door and this one time she didn't hear him and was sound asleep. She bit him in the face and tore the tissue between his nostrils. He had to go to emergency and were terrified that the police were going to take the dog away. I'm not sure how he explained it but she never got in trouble. Hope your wound heals fast.
hugs to Teddy
blessings
~*~
jerilanders said…
You know what? I think Teddy is the cutest chow chow I have ever seen too!
jody said…
Teddy sure is a sweety.. Its hard to see them age, i look at mine and can't believe its been 16 years with them! Poor Teddy im sure was so upset .... She sure musta been comfortable to be in such a deep sleep! Enjoy your days with your sweet Teddy!
jody said…
Teddy sure is a sweety.. Its hard to see them age, i look at mine and can't believe its been 16 years with them! Poor Teddy im sure was so upset .... She sure musta been comfortable to be in such a deep sleep! Enjoy your days with your sweet Teddy!
Joyce said…
I just love the pictures you share of Teddy. He makes me smile. Speaking of smile, is he smiling in some of the pictures?
Thanks for sharing. God Bless
luckybunny said…
I loved all these pictures, she's such a beauty and your baby. That is a nasty bite and mark, and for some reason they always hurt like heck! I still have the scars from a Chow/Pit bull mix on my arm, one of my worst bites. He was a good dog too, but he came from a bad situation. I think it was one of those things, I know she was upset, probably even more than you. Big hugs!
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