All ears

[greatbear]

My (not so, anymore) little Snickles is a Miniature Pinscher. Min Pins are the result of crossbreeding Dachshunds with Italian Greyhounds. The result is what appears to be a tiny Doberman. Of course, Snickles likes to think of himself as a full-on Doberman, complete with a Tasmanian Devil growl (it's hilarious at times) and a take-charge attitude. I have to remind him that he is really just a sausage dog on stilts. Nowhere can this be demonstrated better than with his big, wonderful ears.



It is usually common practice to dock the tails and ears of Min Pins for whatever reason, I guess to give them that Dobe style. I see it as cruel, since the ears and tail of this dog are so expressive. Nothing beats the sight of a wagging tail, especially not an oscillating stub. As for the ears, da Snick and I are brothers from a different mother.

Yeah, I'm a dog intactivist I guess.

Edit: Don't let all this cute fool you. A few minutes ago he somehow managed to get hold of a ballpoint pen and chewed it to smithereens on the freshly cleaned living room carpeting. Yes, the carpeting is ruined now.

Comments

[maxauburn.livejournal.com]

Ouch!! I'm sorry about the carpet!!

Damn.

But he is a total cutie!

Max chewed up some old comic books of mine when he was little, and broke an expensive cut glass vase that had been a gift from a dear friend of George's.

Charlie loves to scratch the painted walls and door jams, and there's paint chips on the carpet everywhere. My mom & I both paid big bucks for my apartment hallway to be repainted just a few years ago, too.

*Sigh* .....pets.

[mrdreamjeans.livejournal.com]

Even if it lasted just a moment, he has a sweet face. My friend Casey had a Min-Pin named Sadie. I adored her. Alas, she ran off and was never found.

ps ... Sadie had the docked ears.

[mort-83.livejournal.com]

What a cutie!

But the carpet. Ugh!

My Lab once grabbed a black sharpie out of my tool box while I was working in the bathroom. I noticed that the sharpie was missing from where I had just placed it, and heard her trotting out of the room. I got up, yelling, NooooOOoooOOooooOoooooo! and time began to slow down. It seemed like it took me forever to get to her-she had crawled under the couch and had the sharpie both paws and was gnawing on the back end. If I grabbed at it, she could have run all over the house with the damn thing. I made a quick grab and managed to get it away form here. She had punctured the thing it tow places, and had she chomped down again, she'd have ruined a wool floor rug. I was lucky.

Sorry about your rug! Damn!

[franklanguage.livejournal.com]

My Corky has a docked tail—he was a rescue, found wandering around the streets of Queens—and the springer spaniel I had—found on the streets of Newark—also had been docked. Considering that Corky is a mixed-breed—Australian terrier and probably Yorkie—there's no damn reason they had to dock his tail.

It's just plain stupid—not to mention painful—to dock the tails and ears of puppies. Ever.

I have a friend who has a min pin who describes her as a "squirrel on acid." Do you find that to be true? After the pen incident, I guess so.

[putzmeisterbear.livejournal.com]

Adorable even if destructive.

[bitterlawngnome.livejournal.com]

I read somewhere that Dachshunds are the most aggressive and bitey-est dogs on account of having been bred to go after badgers.

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

I wouldn't mind nibbling a badger or two myself,. While Dachs can be aggressive little nippers, in my observation they rarely are unless provoked, or you try to come between them and their master as they are very possessive.

[wrascalism.livejournal.com]

What an ink-credibly cute doggy!

:o)

[restoman.livejournal.com]

Awwww! Such a sweet little trouble-maker!

All is not necessarily lost with the carpet. Ballpoint ink can be removed from carpeting. Here is one of several websites that gives instructions on doing it:
http://www.howtocleanstuff.net/how-to-remove-ballpoint-ink-from-carpet/

Good Luck!

[notdefined.livejournal.com]

He is just wonderful! I would never, ever, doc a dog's tail, ears or anything else unless it was medical necessary. Yep, Roscoe's whip of at tale has given me a whipping more than once, but it is who he is and as annoyed as I get at is sometimes, docking it has never entered into the conversation. And ears, come on, why do people do this. A Doberman is as handsome as hell with their floppy ears. Rachel's ears are like radar antennae and Nigel's contribute much to his expressions and state of mind. And when Roscoe, lifts his ears, and tilts his head in an inquisitive expression, well, you get my drift. Trim them for my fancy? Bah!

Oh yeah, there is an ink remover for ball pen ink.

[dan4behr.livejournal.com]

I'm glad you're keeping da Snick 'au natural'.....

Perhaps some of that Oxyclean or other stain removers might be worth a try - or even a visit from the professional carpet cleaners?

There's some stuff you can try at the pet store - bitter apple extract, I believe. I found it to be a godsend as I had to put it on some furniture legs when Dusty got a notion to chew them a while back. Jess, my late, great lab could practically eat apart a house. Until she was two, lordy, what a terror. Hope you can encourage him to 'get with the program'.

[rcfozzie.livejournal.com]

We have one as well... Yes, very cute with great personalities... and yes, can be quite devilish!

[designerotter.livejournal.com]

I'm a sucker for cute pet shots - especially of dogs. I didn't know the origin of Mini-Pins...always thought they had somehow found a way to downsize Doberman's...though, come to think of it, their faces are really those of a black Dachshund.
For years my bro had a Mini-Pin ...very smart he was, and could (and did) get into everything - once ate a box of chocolates. Bad side effects ? - not with Stimpy (he was named after the cartoon character).
Sorry about your rug ...maybe if you left several ballpoint pens strewn all over the carpet your pooch would obligingly chew 'em all - and then nobody would notice the lone ink stain [ducks and runs] ;0)