No it is not what you are thinking. It is a type of dog. Believe it or not there is a dog out there that is supposed to be so cute that it looks like a teddy bear. I had no idea what this was until we went looking for a puppy one day. We came home with the cutest little puppy I have ever seen. We all fell in love with it. We named her Jelli to match our other dog named Peanut Butter. He is a light brown colored Poodle. So we now have Peanut Butter and Jelli as pets.
What Kind of Dog is a Teddy Bear?
by Angel
A teddy bear is a designer breed dog that resembles a teddy bear. Come take a look at our teddy bear puppy.
What is a Teddy Bear?
It is actually what is called a designer breed dog. They are mixed breed with no papers. It didn't matter to us. We just wanted a small dog that would be a companion to our Poodle and one that would be good with kids. It is a mix between a Shih Tzu and a Bichon Frise. The dog full grown will only weigh somewhere around 16 pounds and will only be approximately 12 inches in height. We have had our teddy bear for about a year now and she has made a wonderful addition to our family.
What Does This Teddy Bear Look Like?
Most teddy bears are white with black, grey, or brown spots on them. Some are solid brown or black but these colors are not typical. I guess it depends on what mama and daddy look like. They are a very fluffy dog with cute little round heads. They look like a little teddy bear.
The great thing about them is that they do not shed. They have very low dander too. Ours has not shed one bit since we have had her. Unbelievable since she has so much hair.
Photo credit: Angel
This is our Jelli just after getting groomed. Not as much hair as normal.
Pictures of Our Teddy Bear, Jelli
 Jelli resting after a run with the kids. |
 Jelli laying in the sun on our deck. |
 Jelli wanting to play. |
The Teddy Bear's Temperament
The Teddy Bear is so playful and happy. It has been great with our four children. It runs around and chases the children. She has never bitten any of the children and they tend to be rough with her. She sleeps with all four children every night. She rotates between them so that everyone gets a turn. We are still trying to get Peanut Butter to warm up to her. After a year he is still really grumpy that she is here. He will snap at her and growl. She jumps around like she is teasing him. It is hilarious to watch. There have been times when we see him snuggling up to her. But those times are rare.
Teddy Bears have a lot of energy but they also get tired easily. I have seen that with ours. She will run off a lot of energy but will have to lay down and take a nap shortly afterward.
Teddy Bears rarely bark. I have not heard ours bark too much. Every once in a while she will bark if Peanut Butter gets after her. Otherwise, no barking.
Teddy Bears can be hard to house train from what I have read. I will have to say that ours seemed to train fairly easily. It might be because she would follow Peanut Butter outside when he would go and she got the hang of it quicker than if she were along trying to do it.
Teddy Bear Puppies
This was what Jelli looked like when we got her....awwwwwhhhh
What is a Designer Breed?
There are other designer breed dogs out there that are very popular. Yorki Poo, Cocka Poo, and Bichon Poos are just a few. They are a combination of Yorki, Cocker Spaniel, Bichon and a Poodle. All great dogs.
Designer breeds do not have a consistent breed standard. They can not be AKC registered either. However, the AKC will be looking further into this designer breed with more generations being bred to determine if they will recognize it. If this happens they will most likely call this breed a Zuchon and not Teddy Bear.
The teddy bear has also been known as the Zuchon, Shichon, or Shuchon. I like the name Teddy Bear myself!
Teddy Bear Care
Make sure you keep them brushed so that their hair does not get matted. They will also get hot spots if hair is too long and matted. I have noticed that our Teddy Bear, Jelli, has very sensitive and dry skin. We get her groomed every 8-10 weeks or so.
As many small dogs do, they tend to have eye problems. Ours ended up with a small gland protruding out of her eye not too long after we got her. The vet says it is not painful and a quick surgery will take care of it. We have that scheduled for next month. It does not bother her at all. Just be aware of potential issues with their eyes. Also, keep their ears cleaned routinely at grooming.
Should You Get a Teddy Bear Puppy?
If you are in the market for a new puppy then check out the Teddy Bear. It has brought us so much joy over the past year. She is really a good natured dog and so cute! She plays well with rough kids without biting. She also gets along well with her companion Peanut Butter. I would recommend this type of dog for anyone.
Puppy Supplies
Updated: 03/11/2013, Angel
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What Type of Pet Do You Have?
A real cutie. I have a 12 y/o toy poodle that I love to death. I think adding a teddy bear would keep her young.
Brenda - so glad you took a look a my wonderful puppy, Jellli. She is a great addition to my family. If my daughter had her way we would have 4 dogs, cats, fish, hampsters, and any other animal she could think of.. She loves animals so much. 4 kids and 2 dogs is enough for me! Thanks for reading and commenting.
I had a dog that looked just like Jelli. That was before they started calling them designer dogs. I have four dogs and two cats. I love animals and have to keep my desire to hoard in check.
Jelli really is a sweet little puppy. She is so playful right now since she is still a puppy. The ONLY thing that annoys me about her is the chewing on my stuff! I guess that will pass. Thanks for taking a look at our sweet little Jelli.
Oh what a sweet dog, I love animals. Our dog is very old, the vet say we should enjoy each day we get especially so. I can't imagine life without a dog. I wasn't familiar with the teddy bear breed, thanks :)
Lissie - LOL.. I am too.. that is why we have her. The kids did not have to beg me to get her. I fell in love with her as soon as we saw her. Too cute.. Thanks for reading and commenting.
oh super cute - I am a sucker for a cute dog!
Hi Lou - so glad you came over and looked at my Teddy Bear. I had never heard of them either until we saw them at the pet store that day about a year ago. We fell in love with her and had to bring her home. Just like you said in your article about the Shih Tzu and Bichon - they do not shed at all. It is so nice not to have to clean up dog hair. Thanks again for stopping in and commenting. BTW - congrats on crossing the 100 article mark. I don't think I will ever get there! LOL..
What a gorgeous looking puppy, I've never heard of teddy bears before, but I think it's a great name for them :D
Mladen - You really should consider this breed when you are ready. Our is so playful and really hilarious. She jumps around and plays with the kids so well. Very easy going and no signs of aggression towards them. Glad you stopped in to take a look at Jelli. Thanks for commenting.