Since it’s coming up to their “gotcha” anniversaries I would like to introduce you to Fiona (top) and Abby (below). After we lost our beloved Minpin, we kept an eye out for other Miniature Pinschers available for adoption, and Joanne spotted Fiona at Beyond Rescue. When we met her in person she was very anxious, but once she rolled over for belly rubs I knew she had to come home with us. It turned out she had good reason for her anxiety, she had been badly savaged by another dog while she was being fostered, and so she was very fearful when out in the world. Thankfully with a lot of love and behavioral work she is now far more comfortable. She can still be reactive to other dogs out in the world, and barks up a storm when anyone in the street slams a car door, but she’s very food motivated, so crackers and a great dog walker (thanks Rhys!) have done wonders. After we gave her a DNA test, it turns out she’s 100% Miniature Pinscher, which isn’t something we were fixated on, but it is lovely when we see the traits she shares with Minpin. She’s a tiny dancer whenever there’s a chance of a snack, loves to gnaw on things, and is chatty and vocal pretty much all the time. It’s almost exactly a year since she joined us and I can’t imagine life without her.

Abby has been with us for two years, and we found her at Milo Rescue. Joanne knew I love playing fetch, thanks to a childhood with a Jack Russell as my companion, and her website photo had a ball in her mouth. It turns out that was truth in advertising because there’s nothing she likes more than running after a tennis ball, and will happily lounge around the house with one in her mouth if we let her. She’s incredibly athletic, seeing her leap into the air for a catch is incredible, and I’ve never felt like such a celebrity when strangers oohh and aahh as she trots around holding the ball. Thankfully for my old bones she loves snoozing when she’s not at the park, and while they’re not yet bosom buddies, she has reached an accommodation with Fiona so they sit either side of me on the couch when I work from home, and coexist in our bed at night. We don’t know much about her background, but we think she was on the streets before we found her. Despite that she has mostly overcome her anxiety, but she will lick my face for hours and will occasionally freak out if she thinks another dog is after her ball, or a toy she’s claimed. A DNA test showed that she was about 15% of everything, she’s truly unique. One of her superpowers is that she has a jaw stronger than a steel vice, so getting a ball out of her mouth after she has decided to hold onto it is impossible. The motivation of another throw is always enough for her to relinquish it eventually though, and just like Fiona, she’s deeply embedded in our family now.