Chiki

Chiki — 7 Pounds of Love, Opinions & Main-Character Energy

Meet Chiki, an 8-year-old, approximately 7½-pound spayed little lady whose former owner described her as a Yorkie/Maltese mix. She has spent all eight years of her life with the same family, so finding herself in rescue is a very big change for this tiny girl.

Chiki wasn’t surrendered because she did anything wrong. Her family welcomed premature twin girls at only 27 weeks, followed by a 95-day NICU stay. One of the babies developed chronic lung disease and needs to be kept away from animals and other potential triggers. Chiki consequently had to begin living separately from the family she had always been accustomed to being with, and her owner recognized that Chiki deserved a home where she could once again be part of someone’s everyday life.

And being with her people is exactly what Chiki wants.

She’s a people girl

Her former family describes Chiki as affectionate, playful, a lap dog and a toy lover. She wants attention and closeness, and she especially enjoys people who are generous with affection.

There is, however, a little Yorkie-sized security department operating inside that 7-pound body.

Chiki is territorial and vocal. She barks. A lot. She takes a little time to decide whether a stranger has been cleared for entry into her inner circle, but once she knows you, the affection comes out. Her former owner was very clear that although Chiki is a barker, she is not aggressive.

Translation: Chiki has opinions, and she believes the neighborhood should hear them.

Her surrender paperwork also notes separation anxiety, which makes sense for a dog who spent her entire life closely attached to one family. An adopter who is home frequently and wants a genuinely companion-oriented dog may be an especially good fit.

Potty training: we're going to be honest

Chiki’s owner reported that she is not housebroken.

That means her adopter needs to be prepared for potty training — not merely hope she magically figures it out after moving into yet another unfamiliar environment. Consistency, routine, supervision and patience will be part of the deal.

If pristine floors are your highest priority, Chiki is probably not your girl.

If helping a little senior learn a new routine doesn't scare you, keep reading.

Cats? Nope.

Her surrender form specifically identifies Chiki as not cat friendly, so we are looking for a home without cats.

The medical glow-up

Chiki came into rescue at a beautifully appropriate weight. At her veterinary visits she weighed approximately 7.4–7.5 pounds, with an ideal body-condition score.

Her intake examination was otherwise reassuring: her eyes and ears were clear, heart and lung examinations were normal, her abdomen was comfortable, her skin and coat looked good, and she was walking normally without observed lameness. Her fecal testing was also negative for parasites, Giardia and Coccidia.

The big item on Chiki’s medical to-do list was her mouth.

She arrived with moderate dental disease, and rescue took care of it. Chiki underwent a full dental cleaning with dental X-rays and had nine teeth extracted. Her pre-anesthetic bloodwork was reported as normal.

So yes, girlfriend got the full dental spa package.

She is also microchipped, is reported as up to date on her core vaccines, received ProHeart heartworm prevention and Bravecto flea/tick prevention, and had her nails trimmed and anal glands expressed while getting established with rescue.

What Chiki needs now

For eight years, Chiki knew exactly where she belonged.

Then life changed around her.

Now she needs someone willing to give her the time to understand that she belongs somewhere again.

Her ideal adopter will appreciate a dog who wants closeness, won't be rattled by some barking, understands that she may initially be suspicious of newcomers, and is willing to work patiently on house training and separation anxiety.

Chiki isn't the dog for somebody looking for a perfectly programmed little ornament.

She's affectionate. She's territorial. She's vocal. She's attached to her people. She's got eight years of established opinions packed into a seven-pound body.

But once you've been admitted to Chiki's very exclusive club?

You're one of her people.

And that's exactly what this little girl is looking for again.