Meet Gus, Teddy, Otis and Benji. These four well-tempered, sturdy, furry dogs are hard not to fall for. They’re a chilled out bunch, who, unsurprisingly, don’t do too well in the heat. Some distinctive features they all possess include the mane-like fur around their face, a curled back tail, and of course, the unexpected feature of Chow Chows; the blue-black tongue, that’s often hanging out!
The Chow-loving owners of these dogs found each other through Instagram, and have since been on walks together. Being a Chow owner in Jersey is a pretty niche circle, but they’ve set up a Facebook group for the Chow Chows of Jersey, where owners can organise walks and meet ups. Steph and Matt said “there aren’t many Chows on island, so if there are any out there that want to join the gang please join our group”.
The owners shared interest in these soft bears, also means the group knows what the others go through daily; With all that fluff, comes a lot of fur, and a lot of brushing. Cory and Lauren say “It is amazing having a Chow but it does come with some challenges! Staying on top of his grooming each day is a must.”
Gus, Benji and Otis are all brothers (sort of)! They come from the same breeder in Wales, Gus’s owners told us he travelled here in style – private plane all the way!
Meet… (from left to right)
Cory & Otis (far left)
Age? 8 months
Pet Loves? Treats, dogs and walking
Pet Hates? Otis doesn’t hate anything, honestly, he loves everything and everyone!
Funniest thing he does?
When he gets a special treat he runs outside and does a happy dance with it and rolls around!
Naughtiest thing he’s done?
Running miles away from us just to say hi to some people in the distance!
How does he like to spend his time?
He loves long walks and interacting with people and dogs, followed by having a big long sleep at home, his favourite!
Does he come to work with you?
Not yet as we are still trying to convince them to allow it. Richard and Sue, take note!
Do you get stopped a lot while walking him? Many people request to take a photo of him and give him pats, he loves the attention! He gets a lot of comments about how beautiful he is (which he definitely knows!!).
Some of his favourites…
Food? Sausages
Treat? Pig ears
Place to be? Sand dunes
Beach or park? Beach!! His favourite has to be long beach as it’s right on his doorstep. He cries when we try to walk past.
Katie & Benji
Age? 1
Pet Loves? water is his favourite thing ever. he goes mad for it – he’s like a hippo when we go to the beach and just submerges himself in the sea with his little head and tail popping out the top – if you set the hose off at home or use a watering can, he will just chase it around for hours!
Pet Hates? Nothing!
The cutest thing he does?
Our baby (just 1) puts his face in front of Benji’s for a kiss and Benji licks his nose – it’s so cute.
Naughtiest thing he’s done?
The postman left a parcel (1kg of cashew nuts) on the floor outside one day. Benji and his naughty accomplice, Lola, ripped into the box and literally demolished the majority of the entire bag – there was cardboard and bits of cashew everywhere and we had pure cashew poo for days!
How does he like to spend his time?
He loves just knowing that we are there and coming to see us for a cuddle every now and then. He also loves going in the car and getting taken for a nice walk.
Does he come to work with you?
No- I wish he could.
Tell us some of his favourites?
Treat? Sprats – he would eat other treats but he has allergies so is limited to fish only.
Place to be? Home
Beach or Park? Noirmont is his fave spot for walks – he loves the woods and runs around a lot when we get in them!
How did you become a Chow owner?
I did loads of research and started following (and talking) to a breeder in Wales on Instagram. We were on the waiting list for Benji for 2 years and we finally got offered a cream one when a litter was born in January 2021. It wasn’t ideal timing as I was 4 months pregnant and training a puppy and having a newborn at the same time wasn’t ideal but he was such a legend to train! He is an incredibly easy to train and obedient dog – a gentle sweet and generally subdued dog!
Matt & Gus
Any reason for the name?
Gus, after the fat mouse in Cinderella
(Gus Gus)
Age? Nearly two years old (2nd August)
Pet Loves? Snacks and sleeping
Pet Hates? Cardio…short walks are the one
Funniest thing he does?
He snores so loudly that you can hear him from two rooms away! Or sometimes he gets distracted watching birds and trips over his own paws.
Naughtiest thing he’s done?
Pood on our friends carpet when we took a 12 week old Gus to see them! Good thing they didn’t like the rug.
How does he like to spend his time?
Walks along the front, over the sand dunes or on the beach followed by lots of snacks and naps.
Does he come to work with you?
No, he goes to doggy school with Erika at Rizz & Pals, who are great and send lots of pupdates throughout the day letting us know about his adventures.
Do you get stopped a lot when walking him? Yes but he loves it! He is just a big friendly cuddly bear, so please say hello. He is a flirt and an attention seeker so loves people coming up to him.
Tell us some of his favourites…
Food? Raw steak
Treat? Duck Chews
Place to be? At home in the garden, or in the car watching people out the window.
Beach or Park? Anywhere where he can do lots of sniffs
Nathalie & Teddy (far right)
Any reason for the name?
Teddy, after Teddy Sherringham. We support Tottenham and he’s our favourite player.
Age? One
Pet Loves?
Smells
Pet Hates?
Dogs that won’t say hello
Cutest thing he does?
He loves a cuddle on the sofa
Naughtiest thing he’s done?
He weed in our suitcase before we went on holiday!
How does he like to spend his time?
He loves his walks
Does he come to work with you?
Unfortunately No!
Tell us some of his favourites…
Food? Tuna
Place to be? Beach
Beach or Park? Beach, he loves meeting other dogs.
This ancient Chinese dog breed has accompanied some famous owners
Walt Disney & Sunnee
Sigmund Freud & Jo-Fi Ling
Janet Jackson & Buckwheat
Elvis Presley & Getlow
Martha Stewart & Genghis Kahn
(one of several Chows).
