[Pet of the Month] August 2012 – Coco
NAME: Coco
AGE: 6 months
BREED: Chow Chow
This month we’d like to introduce you to Coco the Chow Chow, who is quite possibly the fluffiest Pet of the Month winner we’ve ever had! At only 6 months she is already quite large. But don’t let her size fool you, Coco is a gentle giant. Gentle, but clumsy. Known for excitingly (and accidentally) knocking over her owner Cathy and family.
The Chow Chow breed is thought to have first surfaced in China where it was originally called Songshi Quan, meaning ‘puffy lion dog’. And with their thick manes and masses of fur, you can certainly see why! This long hair needs to be brushed regularly (approximately 10 minutes per day) to avoid tangles and matting.
Records of the Chow Chow date back to as early as 150BC, where they were used by Chinese Emperors for hunting and guarding palaces. Another interesting fact about the breed is that their tongues are blackish-blue in colour, similar to a polar bear’s tongue.
Coco is a well-behaved pup. She’s calm, rarely barks, waits patiently for her food, and isn’t the slightest bit destructive. She gets along extremely well with people and other animals, due to early socialisation from the moment she went home with Cathy. All dogs should be socialised from a young age, but Chows especially need it to avoid becoming protective and aggressive.
Since chows are a large breed with a heavy coat, they don’t feel the cold and will happily sleep outside in the elements. Coco is no exception! She doesn’t use her kennel and often doesn’t even sleep in a bed or under a blanket. Even frosty Melbourne nights don’t phase her!
Recently Cathy and her daughter took Coco on a trip to the vet for a check-up. The Puppy School was being run at the clinic at the same time as their appointment. As soon as Coco saw the other puppies she bolted towards them to play. Chairs were knocked everywhere and Cathy’s daughter hit the ground, and her acrylic nail was ripped right off! Suffice to say, Coco was in the dog house that night!
If you think your pet has what it takes to be our next Pet of the Month, just email any photos or YouTube links of your pet to michael@upmarketpets.com and tell us why they deserve to be Pet of the Month.
Don’t forget, the winner receives a $50 voucher to spend in store at Upmarket Pets! We’d love to see more birds and small animals entering Pet of the Month as well.
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