My new dog, Ellery, is a rescued Chinese Crested Hairless, now 2 1/2 years old. He had major surgery about four months ago and is finally feeling well - loves to leap and run with a big grin on his face.

But as I said, he is hairless so he loves to be toasty. In the apartment his sweater keeps him warm enough but not toasty so the 'royal robe' I drape over him is a favorite thing of his. He is careful not to shake it off as he trots around.

He loves to go to bed- it is the toastiest place he knows. He sleeps inside the sheets, starting down by my feet and then sometime during the night he shimmies on his belly up to my pillow and there he is when morning comes: the covers around his shoulders but his tiny face on my pillow.

But I think his very favorite thing in the world is when he first wakes up. He has trained me to give him a complete rub down every morning - from massaging his feet and working the muscles in the upper legs to the special scratch just above his tail and the next most important spot on his long neck. In between those points all he asks is a full body massage. He can hardly contain himself; his eyes are dreamy, his mouth chews on my arm as though he thought I too needed a massage. Reminds me of the reciprocal attention that horses give each other.

I have read that the Crested is considered the Clown of the Dog World- I can see why.