Update Received September 2014: Chucho (formerly Skimo) is awesome.

First of all, he is a wonderful example of what happens when you describe your family and what you’re looking for in a dog – and then you ask them to recommend a dog to adopt. We never would have thought a little 6lb Chi would be a fit for us. But a good rescue like ADR has stellar fosters and coordinators who really excel at assessing the temperaments and needs of the available dogs.

We wanted a sane, smaller dog that would enjoy being in a busy home with younger (and key word here: respectful), somewhat shy children, and successfully co-exist with cats, other dogs and whatever other small furries we might have at the moment.

Chucho has those qualities in spades. True to his Chi nature, he loves nothing more than a warm lap and a fleece blanket. In return, he will roll over and generously allow you to scratch his armpit. If you’re doing it right, he will purr. A coat or sweater is the ultimate humiliation. And every day when I come home from work, it’s as if I had been deployed for 3 years.

If you ask Chucho, he is a Very Small, Starving Dog (VSSD) who needs endless snacks. We don’t buy that for a minute and are actually quite proud that a waist is beginning to emerge on a dog who used to look like a baked potato. Diets and walks work!

Shortly after adoption, his zeal for delicious snacks sent him to the U of MN emergency clinic after he discovered a hidden trove of Easter chocolates. We are happy to report was treated quickly and made a full recovery. He was very lucky that we buy the cheap chocolate for the kids.

Chucho has made a seamless transition into our family and it is hard to imagine what we did without him. Thank you ADR!