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My basic info
Breed
Miniature Pinscher
Color
Black - with Tan, Yellow or Fawn
Age
Adult
Size
Small 25 lbs (11 kg) or less (when grown)
Weight
–
Sex
Male
Pet ID
–
My details
Not good with kids
Good with dogs
Purebred
Shots current
Spayed / Neutered
Housetrained
My story
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Here's what the humans have to say about me:
Jack - Min Pin - adult - 9.5 years of age - male/neutered - black and tan short coat
At Hedgesville Hounds, our foster care providers sometimes find themselves
fostering breeds of dogs with which they are unfamiliar. Sometimes, breeds of
dogs for which they have no real affinity.
Jack's foster mom provided two lists to help us describe Jack; the first was
"what I love about this boy." She also provided a second list, only 1/3 as
long, entitled "what I don't love about this boy." We found it humorous that
some of the same items appeared on both lists. This fact is significant in
depicting Jack.
Jack came to his foster home after 9 years of living a life that is best
described as a mere existence. He had no exposure to people, other animals,
and no experience outside the four walls in which he lived. He did have one
important relationship - that of his brother, Peanut.
So when Jack entered his foster home it must have been a dizzying, and
frightening experience - at first. But Jack is made of sterner stuff than
anyone would have predicted a 9 year old dog could be. His shy reticence
soon gave way to curiosity; his fear gave way to trust; and ultimately, Jack
discovered his inner Min Pin.
So while his foster mom does not love the bouncing Min Pin greeting that is
occasioned by each meal, she is touched by Jack's newfound enthusiasm and
moreover, she is pleased by his hard-won physical fitness. Formerly morbidly obese,
Jack has embraced exercise and now evidences the classic, leggy lines of his
breed.
And while his peppery bark is not a sound that pleases her ears, Jack's
foster mom admits that he has developed discernment, and his MinPin voice is
reserved for events that are actually bark-worthy - visitors, meals, and
running cats.
But the greatest achievement of all - for Jack and for his foster mom - was
Jack's capacity to understand and receive love. He had not really ever
experienced human touch, and now Jack revels in it - he demands it - and he
clamors for first dibs on the chair with his foster mom. He is described by
her as a "world class snuggler", and this line item only appears on both
lists because of Jack's insistent demands for this attention, which annoys
the other resident dogs.
Since coming into foster care Jack has also embraced order and routine. He
goes into his crate as happily as he leaves it. He cooperates with baths and
ear cleanings. He struggles with two Achilles heels - his fear of the vet,
and his house training. At this point Jack needs turnout every 3-4 hours in
order to be reliable in his house training (he does fine throughout the
night). However on days in which this turnout schedule is not possible, Jack
has accepted the use of a belly band.
Exercise is also a newfound pleasure for Jack, and he walks well on lead
with a harness. He has exerted himself to understand and navigate the world
of other dogs, and despite a few checks to his first clumsy overtures, Jack
now runs proudly and collegially with the resident "big dogs."
It is such a credit to this little dog, and to his foster mom, that Jack has
made such remarkable strides. It is also such a credit to Jack that he was
willing to make those strides - that he found the faith, trust and courage
to be open to new experiences. We are grateful to all our foster care
providers who offer so much encouragement and hope to their charges - who
welcome these canine refugees unconditionally, and are willing to risk
loving them and then letting them go.
Jack is ready for that last leg of his journey - the one that takes him home
- and we all predict that he has plenty of new discoveries to make, and many
more wonderful things to accomplish - especially the most important
experience that awaits him: the joy of developing a lasting bond with his own
human(s).
