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Name:  Rico Suave
Size: ~Large range: 61-100 lbs  
Adoption Donation: $75 (applicable sales tax included). Adoption fees may be paid by cash or check.   
Other:  Neutered Male, Vaccinations current, Microchip, No other pets, No children, Fenced-in yard required

**  Rico Suave qualifies for our  Seniors for Seniors Program.  This program places senior dogs (age 8 or older) with senior citizens (age 65 or older) at a reduced adoption fee of $65.00. If you qualify and are interested in participating in this program, please fill out an application online and type "SENIOR" after your name.  

* Rico Suave requires daily medication for the management of his allergies. The cost of this medication is $180 for 3 months. 

Rico Suave would luv to meet you!

Foster Home Feedback  

*  NO Other Pets, NO Children, and  Fenced-in yard required. 

* Rico has had several masses removed, they were sent to a lab for histopathology. They came back as suspect histiocytomas, but because that type of mass typically occurs in young dogs, the histopathologist is suspicious of cutaneous Langerhan’s cell histiocytosis. Though these masses are typically benign, they may continue to grow, and some may grow faster than others. We have seen some growth and then shrink. The masses may need to be removed per vet recommendation if they show signs of infection.

6/24/24 Foster Feedback: Handsome Rico is lovin’ life at the lake this summer!  Favorite pastimes are sleeping in, sunbathing naps on the blanket softened patio, hoping someone shares a Zorbaz pizza on the pontoon. 

His skin has been great and dander is gone!  He is the healthiest and youngest 11 year old ever!  Still looking for a retirement buddy. I know it says a 6’ fence needed, but a baby gate is probably enough. Such an easygoing, quiet guy.  He is even making friends with a chihuahua. He is a dreamboat!  Love him to pieces!!

2/28/24 Foster Feedback: This distinguished, handsome and spry senior is still patiently waiting (over 900 days now!) for a kind hearted person to share their heart and home with him.  He needs so little…a soft dog bed or a fuzzy blanket on an end of your couch is just fine for Mr. Suave. This guy is easy peasy,  rarely barks, eats and travels well, never has a potty accident, kennels beautifully or can be left loose in the house and is friendly with adult strangers. He isn’t the most photogenic as his expression never changes…it literally always looks the same whether he’s happy, sad, excited or mad. He may look grumpy but he’s definitely not. 

10/21/2023 Foster Feedback: This is Rico Suave and I can’t believe not even one person has asked to meet me over the last two years. I've been anchoring the list of available dogs for waaay too long considering what an agreeable, affectionate and well-behaved guy I am! The only time I ever bark is if the doorbell wakes me up from a snooze. I’m not interested in looking out windows so I never even see the mailman, I have never put my front paws on a counter ever, and I never bother or chew on anything. My foster mom tells me every day what a good boy I am and I really really am!  
I love to ride in the car and am quiet and calm, I don’t need to go outside to do my duty more than a few times a day. I sometimes like to go for a 6-8 block walk (I never pull), but mostly I’m content to just lay on whatever dog bed is closest to where my foster mom is. I even love to just be in my kennel with the door open. Since I’m such a good boy, I have run of the house when my family is gone.
If you read under my picture about some growths I had in the past, I am happy to tell you I haven’t had any more! Yay for me! Although I am almost 10.5 years old, I am very spry and have absolutely no old age aches or pains, my muzzle isn’t grizzled and my eyes see very well.
What I do have are a lot of skin tags and warts and I need to have a medicated shampoo every 5-6 days to keep my sensitive skin doing good. I do have more dander than an average dog, but my mom says it’s not a big deal to swiffer or vacuum more often. She keeps a blanket or sheet over the bed and the couch that I have permission to sleep on. I take cyclosporine every day to help my skin and occasionally have a cytopoint shot if my skin gets itchy. 
While I want to be your only pet, I don’t act bad when I see another dog on a walk, and I don’t give a hoot about geese, squirrels or turkeys wandering around. 
The best thing about me is all the love I show to my foster mom and dad. I am happiest when they sit down so I can invade their personal space and lay my big noggin on their lap! I am such a loveable guy and I know there has to be a forever person out there somewhere for me. I am waiting for you…please come and pick me as your companion and friend!
 

06/12/2023 Foster Feedback: Grandpa Rico is still patiently waiting for his forever home while living at the lake this summer and experiencing new activities. He took his first pontoon ride and was very comfortable just hanging out looking at other boats and the scenery passing by. I also brought him into the water and confirmed he can swim…but he really didn’t enjoy it much. 

What he does really enjoy is basking in the sun on the concrete…and we do short sessions a few times a day. Mostly he just naps the day away staying close to where I am. He is such an affectionate, calm and loving dog!
Go with the flow Rico is so well behaved…he never gets into anything, keeps all 4 paws on the floor and jumps right into the tub for his weekly medicated bath. He rarely woofs at strangers walking on the beach road anymore and is content to just walk around the yard with me for exercise a few times a day.
Rico is such an easy dog…he just needs a home without kids, has a fence and no other pets. He will give you all the love you need!  
 

5/18/2023 Foster Feedback: Grandpa Rico has gone from holding down the couch to lawn ornament status basking in the warmth of the sun!
Rico may have a grumpy countenance, but he is one of the most agreeable and go-with-the-flow dogs we have had the pleasure of fostering. His allergies still require medicated baths every five days and yep, he does have more than usual amounts of dander…but it’s an easy fix with a vacuum and swiffer!  
Rico is a good eater, keeps all four feet on the floor (except when snuggling on the couch or sleeping just as close as he can possibly can to you in bed at night.) He doesn’t snore, kennels beautifully or can be left to free roam, only wants a short walk on nice days, has never chewed on anything human related, rides quietly and calmly in any vehicle and rarely barks. Look at that adorable little tip of his tongue that escapes his mostly toothless gums. 
Although Rico wants to be your only pet, he is not reactive when seeing other dogs on walks or while riding in the car. He really is such a very, very good boy!  
 

1/18/2023 Foster Feedback: Rico Suave has been with us since Christmas and we LOVE him!  We are retired and mostly home and he is happy not being kenneled all day. Rico is just the easiest and sweetest old man and has excellent house manners and a quiet, loving, and gentle nature.

Literally, all he needs is a comfy dog bed or the end of a couch to nap on…and someone willing to give him frequent medicated baths to help his skin.  Rico doesn’t play with toys or chew on bones but will be happy to take a walk on warmer days, go for rides in the car or cuddle up next to you. He is a champion napper…happiest when he is right next to you with his huge noggin resting on your lap

9/6/2022 Foster Feedback: Rico has been doing well this summer. He enjoys napping on the cement, going for short walks, listening to turkeys (they don't bother him), and playing 5 minutes of tug of war every week. It's a big regiment for a big fella in his retirement phase of life.

Rico has been doing very very well on walks; not reacting to other dogs or other critters out on walks. He is still a very treat-motivated old man. Rico sure would like to lounge in his forever home very soon!

7/21/2022 Volunteer Feedback: Rico Suave is a precious old man who would love to be someone's best buddy. His talents include snacking, pondering the meaning of life, and making sure the couch isn't going anywhere. He likes to be close to or directly on his people while just hanging out, or patrolling the great outdoors and taking in all the local sniffs. He's one of those gentle giants who may look like a grump but is secretly a total softie who isn't afraid to show his love with kisses and snuggles.

2/9/2022: Rico is the perfect winter dog in my mind as he has no interest in long walks in the cold or the snow; he just wants to go out for business purposes only. He loves his walks in the warmer weather of course. Rather than a long cold, snowy walk, he would rather just have a tasty treat out of his kong and then snuggle up for a nap. Handsome man Rico hasn't had any new bumps since the last bumps in the fall disappeared, so that is great news!

Rico recently attended a "VIP" dog event the rescue collaborated with Down Dog Studio and Rico got to spend half an hour getting about a million pets from strangers; he was an absolute ham. He is pouting and sad he didn't find his forever home but, he looks forward to you giving him the next million pets. Rico grows weary of his foster father coming home from volunteering at the shelter almost daily and smelling like other dogs while he sits in his kennel; it's just not right for an old pup in his retirement years!

8/27/21:  Rico has been with me for a couple of months now. Rico was returned to the rescue after about 7 years, so he is really thankful 4 Luv of Dog has been there twice to take him in. Rico has been a very easy dog to have in the home. He is a fantastic house guest, I am more than happy to let him spend a little time here while he searches for that perfect retirement home. Rico will spend most of the day sleeping. He might follow you around the house a little but generally, he is going to find a cozy spot if there isn't a lap to settle into. Rico is kennel trained and spends his time while I am away in his kennel. He does well and seems comfortable. I always give him a reward for kenneling, and he usually gets breakfast in his kennel before I leave for work. He is potty trained and hasn't had any accidents. 

Rico generally gets a little exercise after I return from work and then it's nap time again for Mr. Suave. Rico does love walking and exploring, occasionally even running. As a distinguished older gentleman, however, he doesn't really need extreme amounts of exercise daily as some dogs require. Rico is an oinker that absolutely loves his food and treats, which is great for training and having him follow your directions. That being said, his weight is doing pretty well and he has lost a few pounds since his initial vet visit, as the vet recommended.

Rico's transition from his old home of about 7 years to a stay at the shelter, then to my home was not very easy for him. He was also coming off a prescription of steroids per the veterinarian's advice. While he was completely content inside my apartment almost immediately, he did take some adjustments to the neighborhood on walks. Other people and dogs would stress him out if we got too close. He really needed decompression time to get used to his new surroundings. 4 Luv of Dog sent Rico and me through a six-week training course  "Over Reactive Rover"  through Down Dog Studio to help him overcome this hurdle, and it has helped immensely. Rico has been much easier and calmer to walk and has picked up very well on everything we have been taught. I would, of course, go over some of the things we worked on so he can continue to be successful in his retirement home. I would also encourage adopters to continue training as training classes are just as much for the owner as for the dog. I feel like Rico's transition from his foster home to an adoptive home will be much easier than the transition from the shelter to a foster home. This coupled with the training Rico has received has him really looking forward to lounging around with you, so please consider adopting Rico to help him finish his journey out of the rescue for good!!