Meiken Cheese is a light brown dog distinguished by short rabbit-shaped ears and a dark brown tail tip. His origin begins with discovery as a starving puppy, alone in a forest, where he was rescued during one of Anpanman's earliest patrols. This rescue secured Cheese's permanent home at Uncle Jam's bakery and forged his unwavering loyalty to Anpanman.

Batako-san subsequently named him "Cheese," cementing his role in the bakery community. He lives in a loaf-shaped doghouse outside the bakery, equipped with his own food and water bowls. Cheese demonstrates high intelligence, comprehending human language and performing tasks on par with other characters, though he communicates primarily through barks. His exceptional hearing enables swift detection of distant distress calls or signals, and he possesses a strong sense of smell for tracking scents.

In daily life, Cheese assists with bakery chores, drives the Anpanman-go vehicle, and often transports Anpanman's replacement heads on missions. His personality mixes comic relief with bravery; he exhibits a large appetite, occasional laziness toward chores, and dramatic reactions, yet readily charges into danger to aid Anpanman. He shares a close bond with Batako-san, frequently helping her bake or mend capes, and maintains friendships with characters like Melonpanna.

Character design evolution shows Cheese transitioning from primarily walking on four legs to predominantly using two legs in later animations, though he retains typical canine sitting postures. Early manga depictions featured darker ears and the ability to speak in sentences ending with "woof," a trait simplified to barks in the anime. Expanded lore introduces Rare Cheese as his girlfriend and notes his original conceptual design resembled a basset hound.