[rhynes]

Old thread I know but interesting reading.

My girlfriend has a purebred male minpin, 3 years old, he's got us both wrapped and then some. Ears weren't cropped, born without a tail and cute as a friggin' button. I'm no dog expert, just putting the views out there of this particular minpin. They are a hundred pound dog in a 10 pound body.

There's no shortage of love and affection given to this dog. They are very endearing, affectionate, love to burrow (can be comical) and will tend to sleep under the covers in your bed. How they don't suffocate is beyond me, but that's where he sleeps. I don't find this dog overly hyper, not barky, not overly protective, he's apt to be a lap dog but has energy in reserve when it's playtime or time for a run. We exercise him through the halls of the condo when it's cold, in a full out run he sounds like a pack of horses running down the hall.

You MUST be able to give these dogs some trust. They are a dog, I've always believed in letting a dog be a dog, and min pins are a great example of a dog that shouldn't be humanized.

Dog park - resounding YES. These dogs have energy to burn off and a dog park is probably the best thing for them. They really need socialization with people/kids and other animals but Jagger seemed to come by it naturally. Yes, DO keep an eye out for them, they are small and can be an easy target. The first time we took Jagger out to the off leash, GF was a nervous wreck and it showed in the dog - second time she was fine, so was he. Let them sort out their own issues, don't try to rescue them in every situation - unless they need it - they are tough little dogs, they will surprise you, have some trust and faith in them.

Jagger has issue with large "puppies", he's not too fond of them and it's probably due to the lack of social skills in a young dog. A large boxer took him to task one day, young dog but full grown, rolled Jagger a few times in rough play. The boxers owner was going to intervene in case Jagger got hurt, I asked him to let it roll and watch how Jagger deals with it. I let him be a dog, Jagger gives 3 warnings by way of growl and shoulder check - then will bite, but not hard, only one nip is ever needed. Not once did he look to us to rescue him - but I wouldn't let him be in danger either. The boxer didn't know what to do and left him alone, and the owner was fine with the whole situation, good lesson for the boxer. For the rest of the walk, the boxer would turn and look at Jagger, but then resume his own way. Again, you need to have some trust in these dogs, they are mentally tough, fearless in many ways, they are intelligent and he won't take crap from any dog. He has zero issue with older large breeds, and for some reason will gravitate toward pit bulls and cane corso's.

Hunting? You bet your boots. Again, I like to let the dog be a dog. Will take him out periodically to hunt mice at friends farms and I swear he looks forward to it. Roll a hay block and watch him go, mice don't stand a chance. Gophers, he hasn't caught one yet (don't really want him to) but to watch him tear apart a hole to get at them is comical.

As a side, I love dachshund's as well, see them periodically in the park. Try to pet it and it runs behind the owner in fear. "Oh she's scared"... Really? Tends to take them off guard when I tell them that the dachshund was bred to be fearless for taking on badgers down hole. They shouldn't be afraid, it's in the way they are raised. I don't want Jagger to be afraid, and he's not.

We have him on a raw diet now, been nearly a month and he seems to love it. Starting to see the benefits of it and he'll be fed that way from here on in.


Overall, I never thought much about minpins til I met this little guy. Always thought they were yappy hyper little things but I was sooo wrong. For such a small package, they pack a big punch with a whole lot of love. Raise them right, and they are fantastic little dogs. He's not well trained with tricks, we really don't bother with it - he knows how to sit for food and that's about it. We do set boundaries, and he respects them. We won't humanize him, we trust him and have faith in him - that goes a long way. I wouldn't hesitate to have another in my life.