Chico is a very sweet but shy 6 year-old neutered male with an adorable puppy face and a bobtail who is likely a Feist mix but who shares a striking resemblance to a gray Dobie or Min Pin. He came into an overcrowded rural county dog shelter as an emaciated stray and unfortunately tested positive for heartworms there making it very difficult for him to find a new home. From the shelter, he went into a local foster home so he could gain enough weight to be neutered and have a dental before starting his heartworm treatment. Once he was ready for his immiticide injections to kill the adult heartworms, Chico made the trip to Canine Lifeline where we were able to provide the lifesaving treatment that he needed. He has done well with his treatment and the associated crate rest that’s required and is now ready to find himself a new home. Chico is a very shy boy in new situations and would do best in a home where he would have a confident canine buddy to follow around as well as a yard with a secure aboveground fence. He walks fairly well on a leash but would certainly be frightened and overwhelmed in a busy urban or high-density suburban environment. A home in a very quiet neighborhood or rural area would suit Chico best. Chico lived with kitties in his previous foster home and was fine with them so should be OK living in a home with cats provided introductions are done properly. We look forward to seeing this sweet boy relax and live his very best life in his new home. Chico weighs about 27 pounds currently but is thin and needs to gain a few pounds to reach his ideal weight. His adoption fee is $350. He’s neutered, on monthly heartworm preventative, up to date on vaccinations including bivalent canine influenza, wormed, on flea and tick preventative, and microchipped. As part of the adoption process, all adopters must commit to a two-week adjustment period to make sure it’s a great match before the adoption is finalized. Please email info@caninelifeline.org if you’re interested in Chico. An approved application is required before we schedule meets with any of our dogs. Please note that we don’t place our dogs in homes with children under 7 years of age. We correspond via email so please check your junkmail or spam folder to make sure our reply hasn’t landed in there.
Chico’s heartworm treatment cost about $750 so if you’d like to make a donation to help with his care so we may help another dog in need, you may make an online donation on our website at www.caninelifeline.org or send a check to Canine Lifeline, PO Box 670509, Northfield OH 44067. Thank you from Chico and Canine Lifeline!
I recently brought Chico to my home when his foster parents were on vacation and he was a joy to have as a house guest. Being the shy type, it took him a little while to get used to the place, but he was super friendly to my two dogs and my foster dog. By the next morning, he was running in the yard and playing with the other dogs. He is a quiet little guy and did not bark at the neighborhood dogs passing by. He just fit right in for me, and I’m sure he will for you too. He was very tidy and had no accidents in the 10 days I had him. I would expect a few in a new setting – but nope – he seems fully housebroken.
He is adorable, a wonderful compact size and as sweet as can be. Great dog!
Update on Chico at his foster home:
Chico is becoming a confident guy and really has come out of his shell! He is still learning what some things are in the house and can be quite unsure of certain noises, but each day he seems less skittish.
He loves toys, especially ones he can destroy :). Chico also likes chew toys. One of his favorite things to do is pal around with our two dogs and then crash to take a nice nap. He knows when it is time to settle down and will politely lay on his blanket when he is told.
We have been going on walks almost everyday around the neighborhood and he is doing very well with that. He walks very nice with a harness. He usually pulls for a minute or two when we first get out, but with some direction he starts walking like a pro. He doesn’t seem to be scared of other people/dogs or cars going by (slowly in the neighborhood).
We have been practicing “sit” & “shake” commands, which is is also doing very well with. We are working on “stay” now too! Chico has been great with going potty. He knows to do his business outside and goes quick.
We just love this guy and can’t say enough about how good he has been!
My husband and I have been fostering Chico for about 2 weeks now and let me say, he has been such a wonderful house guest! This guy is the sweetest dog I have ever been around, not one mean bone in his body. The first couple weeks here we have just focused on getting him settled in and feeling comfortable with his new surroundings.
Everything is very new to Chico, but he is becoming more confident each day! I think after 6 years, Chico is finally learning what being a dog is all about.
He gets along GREAT with our two dogs and has really fit right in with the pack. I think it has helped for him to have couple canine pals to show him the ropes.
Chico does his business fast when we go outside and has gotten into a very nice routine. He does well with being in his crate when we leave the house for a few hours now that he has settled in.
You can really tell how shy Chico was when his photos were being taken, but this guy is SO CUTE. He really does have a puppy face you just have to see in person.
We really don’t have a bad thing to say about Chico! This guy is just looking for a family that will be patient as he learns all about this new world of being a dog. I will give some more updates as Chico is with us.
Chico is a sweet and gentle young dog. He can be shy at first when meeting someone but then he warms up to anyone who is kind and affectionate with him.
He’s a cute boy but it’s not so easy to see how good-looking he is (in the photos above) because he was not comfortable when his photos were being taken. He didn’t understand what the click of the camera meant and he was a bit unnerved. Even though being photographed was very new to him, he was never aggressive or unruly. After all the hardships he has endured in his young life, he just wasn’t sure about this new gadget being pointed at him!
This very nice young dog would be so grateful to have a forever home with a loving family.
Chico is such a *really* sweet guy and super cute, might I add. I love his interesting gray coat. This boy is a little timid but he seems to warm up quick once you show him some attention and move slow with him. He really enjoys getting affection. I bet he would come right out of his shell and be much more confident once he finds his new family he can love and trust.
Anyone looking for a gentle mid size dog would be so lucky to have Chico as part of their family.