Geraldene and Lucille, the friendliest Chows I Know

Two fluffy Chow Chow dogs with golden-red fur posing together against a dark studio background at Fetching Fido Fotography studio in austin.

Friendly Chow Chows?

An emphatic Yes for these two Chows! Meet Geraldene and Lucille. These two dogs LOVE people and are ambassadors for the breed. I sat on the floor with them before their photo session and was smothered in kisses.

If you live in the Austin, Texas area, you may have seen these two out and about as they attend many dog events, especially those that require costumes. They even have a room of their own at home with a closet filled with their costumes! If you have yet to meet them, they'll be likely leading the pet parade at the 43rd annual Bluebonnet Festival in Burnet this weekend.

A fluffy golden Chow Chow dog standing on hind legs against a dark studio background.

Someone's excited for the parade this weekend!

A lion in a dog's body

Geraldene and Lucille, like all Chows, have beautiful manes, or ruffs. All of that beautiful fur requires a lot of grooming. Lucille does not require as much grooming as Geraldene, as she prefers to stay clean and is described as "the princess" of the two. Geraldene, on the other hand, is the tomboy. She loves to dig and get dirty and even enjoys biting at the water that comes out of the garden hose. If you are thinking about getting a Chow Chow and prefer a low-maintainence dog, this might not be the breed for you. Looking for tips on grooming this special breed? Look no further than advice from a fellow Chow owner, Martha Stewart.

Two fluffy golden Chow Chow dogs standing together against a dark studio background with mouths open.

Such gorgeous girls!

What's in a name?

Geraldene and Lucille. Hmmm. Why do those names sound so familiar? I couldn't help but hum the line from Kenny Rogers' song, "Lucille," -- "you picked a fine time to leave me Lucille" -- when they left the studio after their session. Turns out, Lucille is named after that song, and Geraldene is named after Miranda Lambert's song, "Geraldene." And, the two Chows that their family had before them were named Jolene and Elvira. Must be a theme.

Just chatting it up

Every time I have multiple dogs in the studio, I can't help but wonder what they talk about. Clearly, these two were communicating with each other. There was whispering going on, and something was definitely funny. Look at them laugh. And did you notice the color of their tongues? It doesn't look pink.

Two fluffy Chow Chow dogs sitting side by side against a dark studio background.

Two fluffy Chow Chow dogs with golden-red fur posing together against a dark black studio background.

Two fluffy Chow Chow dogs posing against dark background, one yawning widely, showcasing their thick golden-red fur coats.

Wait. Aren't all dogs' tongues pink?

Nope. Chow chows are known for their blue-black tongues. At different times during the session, the girls wanted to be sure that I captured this.

Fluffy red Chow Chow dog with distinctive blue-black tongue hanging out, photographed against dark background.

Girls just wanna have fun

Chow Chows were bred to be guard dogs and are known to be independent, aloof, and at times, stubborn. But, they're still just dogs. And dogs enjoy having a good time. At home, Geraldene and Lucille enjoy catching bees (yes, catching bees) and chasing lizards and squirrels. They even have their own toy box, and every day, Geraldene gets all of her toys out of the box, and every night, her parents put her toys away. Geraldene!!!

We tried engaging them in play during their session with tennis balls and bubbles, and here are the results. They showed mild interest and then were over it. If they could talk, they would have said, "Meh." There's that Chow aloofness.

Fluffy Chow Chow dog sitting on dark background, looking down at a small teal tennis ball.

What am I supposed to do with this?

Fluffy golden Chow Chow dog walking toward camera with a teal ball in its mouth against dark background.

Take it back to Mom, silly!

A fluffy Chow Chow dog looking up at floating soap bubbles against a dark black background.

Love the bubbles against the dark background.

Tuckered out

All that activity made the girls tired, so we relaxed on the floor a bit before they had to head out. I love watching dogs just be themselves after being asked to pose during a session. Sometimes the sweetest moments happen then.