Meiken Cheese is a light brown dog living at Uncle Jam's bakery. His origin stems from being rescued as a starving puppy by Anpanman, who found him crying alone in the forest during his first patrol. Anpanman fed him part of his own head, forging their inseparable bond. Batako-san later gave him the name "Cheese."

Physically, Cheese is small with distinctive rabbit-shaped ears and a dark brown tail tip. Early manga and picture books depicted his ears in a darker brown than his body. While he initially moved primarily on four legs, later adaptations more often show him walking upright, though he retains typical canine sitting and sleeping postures. His loaf-shaped doghouse sits outside the bakery, complete with food and water bowls.

Highly intelligent, Cheese understands human language and performs tasks capably, communicating only through barks. Others comprehend him through mutual rapport and his status as a "wise dog." His acute hearing and smell allow him to detect distant SOS signals or track individuals by scent.

His personality blends comic relief and bravery. He often displays overdramatic or silly behavior and possesses a large appetite. Though generally helpful with bakery chores and Anpanman's missions, he occasionally avoids tasks due to laziness. He demonstrates courage by charging into danger alongside Anpanman and frequently transports Anpanman's replacement heads.

Within the bakery community, he assists with baking and maintenance, drives the Anpanman-Go vehicle, and is among the first responders to emergencies. He shares a particularly close relationship with Butterko. Trivia notes a girlfriend named Rare Cheese. Early narrative experiments involving limited verbal speech followed by "woof" were discontinued in favor of nonverbal communication.