Mike and Malica - 11 Jun '02
Hello from Austin! - 27 Nov '02
Pics from Rachelle - 15 Jan '03
Eva & Harley - 26 Jan '03
CA Success Story: Cujie - 30 Jan '03
Cujie Update - 23 Feb '03
Mandy & Dinah in CA - 7 Mar '03
Success Story: Vinny in CA - 27 Apr '03
Malica... a new Minpin color - 20 Jul '03
Northern California Volunteers Retreat - 9 Sep '03
Success Story: Neo & Chopper in CA - 19 Sep '03
Flynt, a former foundling - 18 Nov '03
Mandy and Princess - 19 Dec '03
Chauncey - before and after - 23 Dec '03
A Minnie Story - 22 Mar '04
Kirby update! - 17 May '04

Tue, 11 Jun 2002 21:04:49 -0700 - from Katie

Hi Mag..

Could you please post this picture of Mike and Malica playing tug o' war. What a dedicated daddy he is. thanks!

Never Forget 9-11-01
Mike and Katie
Scooter, Malica and Zoo
IMPS-NorCal
www.norcalimps.com
www.minpinrescue.org

Wed, 27 Nov 2002 20:36:44 EST - from Austin

Hello...... My name is Austin.. You might remember me from IMPS.. I was with my foster family in CA, when my new family saw me on line and wanted to adopt me.. (Come on... Who wouldn't?? just look how cute I am). Anyways... With the help from Kim I was on my way to NJ where I am now SOOOOOOOO LOVED and SOOOOOO SPOILED... And I have got to say... I am SOOOOOO happy. I have 2 sisters Drizzle & Lexus (Doberman) and a brother Raider (Minpin). I also live with my new Mommy, Daddy, & Grandma.

I just wanted to drop a line and send some pictures and let everyboby know that "I am loving life"

Austin

Wed, 15 Jan 2003 03:25:25 +0000 - from Rachelle

I am a new IMPS member and would like to share a few pictures on your site.

One of the pictures is of Doobie and Hannah (my two Min Pins)...

... and the other is a picture of them with Peanut, our first foster baby.

Thanks so much.

-Rachelle

Sun, 26 Jan 2003 19:53:57 -0800 - from Mike and Katie

Mag,

These pics are from my mother in law, Jane B. She has two IMPS babies, Eva Diva Salami (from CA) and Prince Harley Higgings Hughes McPin (KS surrender baby). My father in law insists that all small dogs must have big names. Enjoy!

Thanks!!

Never Forget 9-11-01
Mike and Katie
Scooter, Malica and Zoo
IMPS-NorCal
www.norcalimps.com
www.minpinrescue.org

Thu, 30 Jan 2003 16:27:21 -0800 - from Tracy

Cujie (formerly known as "Dixie") had a lot of socialization issues. Luckily, she found the perfect home with Jenny, Lydia and their other beloved pets in San Francisco. This was a difficult rescue dog to place who found her own happy ending!

"I just wanted to let you know how well Cujie is doing. It has been very challenging for all of us the past few months, for Fransis and the cats especially! Cujie's cute parts are soooo cute that it has allowed me to tolerate her pretty serious "issues." We have been doing training with her consistently once a week and I practice most days. Cujie is such a sweetheart at home and is pretty much "normal" -- she and Fransis play constantly. She has another sister, "Kookie" who is the older cat, and one brother "Toby" who is 2 yo and twice Cujie's size -- they often engage in intense staring contests followed by chasing, barking and hissing.

We are introducing her slowly to the big city experience. I take her to Fort Funston every weekend, excellent dog spot, she plays with other dogs, runs on the beach and for the most part does not freak out. Cujie now sits at the door before she goes out, understands stay and will actually sleep in her crate in my car without going crazy. I will call you soon to tell you more details but suffice it to say that she is an incredibly smart and adorable dog -- we absolutely love her.

Jenny"

Sun, 23 Feb 2003 18:20:10 -0800 - from Jenny

Cujie is doing GREAT!!!! She keeps surprising us all with one milestone after another. The trainer has been incredible and the clicker-training and positive reinforcement have really paid off. Cujie still has personal training twice per week and is also spending overnights with my parents who are retired, live in SF, and adore her. She is adjusting well, barking less, and is a lot less anxious. I am so crazy about Cujie and so is everyone else in my life -- her extended family has become quite large...

Jenny

Fri, 7 Mar 2003 13:00:11 -0800 - from Tracy

Kat raised her first minpin, Bubba, from a puppy. Bubba first came to visit in December 2001 wearing a very handsome leather jacket! He wasn't too sure about adopting a "sister," but was a good sport about the whole thing. That's when Kat, Kirk and Bubba adopted Mandy from IMPS. Mandy is a wild child, full of energy and a real "daddy's girl." She's always ready to play, play, play!

In March of 2003, Kat and Kirk adopted a second IMPS dog. This time it was Dinah (now known as Princess). Dinah is a very sweet and easygoing girl. Kat knew she had to have her as soon as she saw her big brown eyes in the website photo. Dinah immediately took to her new family and knew she was home.

3/4/03 Update from Kat:
"Dinah is doing great! She is fitting right in beautifully! And she loves to play! I renamed her "Princess". She looks and acts just like a princess! The others are getting used to her more each day. Thanks again for such a wonderful "non-minpin!" She is the sweetest, most loveable and friendliest minpin I have ever been around!
Kat, Bubba, Mandy and Princess"

To follow the stories of Bubba, Mandy and Princess, you can visit Kat's website @ http://groups.msn.com/TheNortoriousMinpinGang.

Sun, 27 Apr 2003 15:14:02 -0700 - from Tracy

When I first saw the picture of the red MinPin with one ear up and the other ear down, I knew right away that Vinny was the dog for me. When I first went to visit him at an IMPS foster home on a Friday afternoon in February 2002, I was shocked at how beautiful this dog really was. Sure, I was a little overwhelmed by his jumping and "play snapping," but in my mind, the decision was already made. I had originally been looking for GreyHounds or Dobermans, but I am now convinced that I have found the breed that is a cross of both, with an altogether unique personality.

Vinny slept the entire car ride home on the front passenger seat - 90 miles from Roseville to Chico. He laid on his back with one leg up most of the way. This pose has become one of Vinny's many strange personality quirks. Vinny often lays on a couch, the floor, or a chair with his front legs straight up in the air. He is happy this way, unless he can get under a blanket or bedsheets, which he will if he so desires. Besides burrowing, Vinny also loves to bark. While we are working on controlling this, Vinny is almost always set off by bicycles and small children - the two things that seem to upset him the most in the world.

For me, the phrase "curiosity killed the cat" almost became "curiosity killed the Min Pin." In October 2002, Vinny decided to sample wild mushrooms growing in Sacramento. Almost four days later, with the 24 hour support of Mueller Vet Hospital, Vinny was released alive. He had the will to survive and did, considering that the toxicity of the mushroom that he ate was high enough to kill a human. A few weeks later, Vinny somehow managed to get onto a table that was 3-4 times his height, and had no chair around it to use as a stepping stool. He felt he needed to sample some Chocolate that I had left out. That was the last time I left food out on a counter - I found out the hard way that MinPins are incredible climbers and jumpers.

The longer that I have Vinny, the more I realize just how great he is. To me he is a best friend - always there for me. Every walk is exciting to him, and he will do about anything for a cookie. He can read emotions, and is always ready to snuggle up. He is the ultimate lap dog - I almost never sit down anymore without him joining me either on my lap or next to me. Vinny sleeps in my bed, and when I go to visit my parents, he sleeps in their bed as well. Vinny also loves his crate. He keeps his stuffed toys and doggy bones in there. Whenever I move the crate, he instantly gets into it, as he knows that it is a sign that we will be leaving for a car ride soon. Vinny loves to travel, and he is the perfect size to go anywhere. I have never stayed at a hotel that wouldnt allow him to stay in the room as well. In outdoor shopping areas, he has learned how to behave himself in crowds, and allows me to carry him so he can go into stores too.

Vinny is the perfect dog. He is affectionate, athletic and full of energy, yet loves to curl up and go to sleep. I can take him running, to the park, or to an outdoor mall, and he loves long car rides, whether sticking his head out the window or in his crate. While he sometimes forgets that he isn't a big dog, his antics and personality leave a much bigger impact than any big dog could have on someone.

Michael

Sun, 20 Jul 2003 20:37:55 -0700 - from Mike and Katie

Mag,

Please post these pics of Malica... she rubbed against a freshly painted wall, and we made a new Minpin color...Black/Tan/Cathedral Grey.
Thanks!!

Never Forget 9-11-01
Mike and Katie Brant
Scooter, Malica and Zoo
IMPS-NorCal
www.norcalimps.com
www.minpinrescue.org

Tue, 9 Sep 2003 11:31:30 -0700 - from Tracy

Here's the group picture from our Tahoe Retreat. We all had a great time, especially the pins. If we look a little tired, it's because this was taken the morning we were leaving. Thanks to Stan and Sonya for the use of their cabin.

Pictured ~
Back: Alice and Tuzzy; Marilee and Izzy
Front: Tracy and Bella; Jullie and Bleu; Karen and Rocky; Rachelle with Doobie, Hannah & Buster

Fri, 19 Sep 2003 12:46:00 -0700 - from Katie

Here is our story of going form a no-dog house to a two-dog house:

I got my first dog when I was 4 years old - a miniature schnauzer named Heidi. Sadly in February of 2000, she passed away at 16 years old. While I was at college, she lived with my parents and it was extremely tough not being there for the last days of her life.

I wanted a dog very badly after she passed away but Beau and I lived in a studio apartment in Berkeley that didn't "officially" allow pets and besides, we were both in school and couldn't fully commit the financial resources. After moving to Sacramento in late 2002 and buying a house, the dream of having a dog started to look like more of a possibility. But as anyone who has bought their first house knows, money isn't exactly falling from the tree right after the transaction. So for about six months I got on the minpinrescue site every day and looked forlornly at all of the beautiful dogs being adopted. I contacted Tracy many times about particular dogs thinking I was ready and every time, something came up to prevent us from adopting.

Neo and his new family

Finally in June, we felt like we were probably ready for a dog - at least I was. Beau wasn't entirely sure. So when Tracy contacted me and asked if I was interested in a little chocolate pin named Willy I was ecstatic! She brought him to my house. He was very nervous at first but seemed to feel ok about our little place. At the time, I thought we were meeting him and then Beau and I would discuss it. But Beau said "well she's leaving him with us right?" That's when I knew he was really ready for a dog and so we signed the papers and began our adventure.

The first two weeks with Willy, who we renamed NEO, were tough. He was very anxious when we left him at home and our neighbors were not enthused with his separation anxiety barking. We were afraid at one point that it might not work out and I was in absolute tears. I LOVED this dog. Luckily my neighbors could hear me bawling and offered to wait out all of his adjustment period. At about two weeks, he stopped his separation anxiety activities with only a few items chewed up. However I was still extremely anxious to leave him alone after dark and I knew he needed some canine companionship.

I figured I'd give it a good 6-9 months before introducing a second dog but then a little minpin named Arnold showed up on the site in August. At first, I was looking at him for my parents who also wanted a dog. But after hearing more and more about him, I started thinking he was a possible match for us. He was about 100 miles away from us and we had a hard time connecting with his foster mom because our schedules just never seemed to click. I had almost given up on him. I even told her "if a good home comes along between now and when we finally meet, please give Arnold to them." Finally, Gina had to come to a dog show in Sacramento and we were able to meet Arnold. He was a very sweet boy and seemed like he would be a good fit. So we took him home, named him CHOPPER and he and Neo are now best friends.

Neo and Chopper

Chopper has been doing well. He's been tougher to house train than Neo and our carpet is sad about that. But I think I see him improving. He does some resource guarding, but has responded well to kind, gentle training.

I think we're going to have a great future with these dogs. I love them both very much. Neo has gone from being a momma's boy to daddy's boy. And Chopper is quite attached to me too. They're great companions and they make me take them on walks every day which keeps me in good shape too :-)

Tue, 18 Nov 2003 17:12:34 -0800 (PST) - from Linda, via Marilee

Hi, I'm Linda. I adopted Flynt (now Gatsby) a little over a year ago. Tracy, here in Sacramento, helped me with the adoption and Jacquline in Concord was his foster mom. I want to tell you about our happy outcome.

About two years ago, my husband was diagnosed with ALS. He spent some time in the hospital in SF. On the day he was released, the SPCA brought several puppies into the hospital and put a 7-week old min pin in his hands. We had been talking about getting a small house dog (we have two elderly labs) and had planned to get a rat terrier. Needless to say, my husband fell in love with the min pin, but the SPCA does not offer dogs to terminal patients.

When we got home, I found IMPS web site and put in an application, but knowing my husbands time was short, I found a puppy from a breeder -- house raised by a woman who owned both parents of my puppy. We named her Daisy, and she became my husbands's constant companion -- sleeping on his lap or shoulder when he slept, and covering his face with kisses when they both awoke.

A couple of months after my husband died, I heard from IMPS, and was asked if I was still interested in adopting a dog. Daisy had been such a joy that I agreed to take in another dog. Flynt (who is now called Gatsby) was about a year and a half old. He was very shy of loud noises and uncomfortable around strangers.

Now, he and Daisy are inseparable. They both sleep on my bed, or in a big chair in the family room, snuggled together. I have a very busy household with two girls in college and all their friends draped over the furniture along with the dogs. Daisy is also called Princess Daisy because of her imperial attitude, and Gatsby is a love bug who wants nothing more than to doze in someone's lap.

I've never owned a male dog before, nor such a sweet natured one. His eyes seem to glisten with love when he hears a familiar voice or is invited onto someones lap. I am so lucky to have found Gatsby, and I wish to thank Tracy and Jacquline, but I lost their e-mail addresses when I got a new computer. I would be very grateful if you could pass on my message. Photos attached.

Linda

Fri, 19 Dec 2003 14:52:29 -0800 - from Tracy

Hi Mag ~ We all thought this was so cute it should be posted to the Success Stories. Mandy and Princess are IMPS dogs. Bubba was already the "man" of the house before the two girls were adopted. Thanks.

Tracy, IMPS No. CA

Hi, I wanted to send you a few recent pics of Mandy & Princess. Princess is my minpin from Heavon! (Mandy is sweet, too-becoming more of a Mama's girl-she follows me just about everywhere!). Princess has never so much as snapped or growled at Kirk or I, since we have had her. I can take anything from her, move her, dress her up, or do whatever I want to her and she never gives either of us any feedback. I never have had a dog with such a sweet disposition. Mandy trys to be agressive towards her and boss her around, but, when she does, Princess loses her 'sweet disposition' and lets Mandy know that she's not one to be messed with. If Princess has a toy or treat, she usually takes it underneath the bed, or in a corner, where nobody can sneak up behind her. Then she growls, if Mandy so much as sticks her head, in the room. The growling is usually directed towards Mandy. She hardly ever growls at Bubba, since he doesn't bully her.

Mandy and Princess are the best of friends, when it comes to playing together. They love to play and play and play! I spend more time, just taking pictures of them to post on my website. Talk about a 3-ring circus!

Princess loves to be dressed up. She seems to take on a different personality, when she is wearing something, strutting her stuff! Everyone who comes into contact with her, falls in love with her, wanting her. She is welcome wherever we go.

Mandy is good around people, once she has been around them alot. On Thanksgiving, we had several people over, including Mandy's 'grandparents' (my mom and stepdad) and since Mandy was familiar with all of them, she made sure she was the 'center of attention'. During this time, Princess, just laid underneath a table, that had snacks on it, guarding it, from Mandy & Bubba. Princess will guard almost anything I sit down, making sure the others don't come near it. A few nights ago, I laid a bunch of clothes out, on the couch, that I bought Kirk for Christmas and Princess got right in the middle of them, guarding them from Mandy. "Mama's Guard Dog" is what I call her. It's too, too funny! She is definately Mama's dog, but, she loves her Dad, too, going straight for his lap, as soon as he sits down, demanding to be the closest to his head. Kirk calls her "Miss Priss." I bought her a Princess costume for Halloween. When I put it on her and people are watching, she acts just like royalty-sitting straight up, as if we are all her subjects. She doesn't try to take it off, even the hat. People are amazed at her.

I hope you have ave Merry Christmas and Happy New Year. I sent you a Christmas card, in the mail, which has our "kids" on it.

Take Care,
Kathy, Kirk, Bubba, Mandy and Princess

Tue, 23 Dec 2003 07:23:20 EST - from Karen

Hi Mag,

Enclosed is a before and after picture of my adorable little Chauncey. He came to me last February along with a female min pin as my first foster babies for IMPS. The two were part of a 50 dog raid on a puppymill breeder. Well, I fell in love with him the moment he came prancing into our house. He was putting on a big front as Mr. tough guy as he checked out his new environment. He was labeled a fear biter by the shelter that rescued him. He looks worn out and old in his before photo although his age was estimated to be between 3 and 5 years old. The tips of his ears were rotting and his coat was dull probably from urine and feces falling on him from the cages above his. His testicles and tiny paws were rubbed raw from living in wire cages his entire life. He never had human contact because he was automatically fed and watered. Despite all he went through he still had a fighting spirit and lots of love to give. I adopted him soon after and he just blossomed into my loving and smart companion. He worships my 11 year old min pin, Princess Casey, and she tolerates his adoration. If you can, would you please put these before and after pictures of Chauncey on the website?
Thank you! Happy Holidays!
Karen

Mon, 22 Mar 2004 16:39:31 -0800 - from Patricia

Lil Miss Minnie had quite an ordeal her 1st week after being given up by her owners. Rumor has it, she bit the Santa Clara SPCA person when her owners gave her up, then the SPCA gave her right away to Foster Mom Rachel V. because they had an outbreak of Distemper. I had just applied on the website about the same day Minnie got posted and in the same area, so I got to meet her the following night! Then she went in to get spayed and her dewclaws removed. The adoption went through and I picked Minnie up at the Vet's. I took her home in Aptos California where I nursed her where she was sick for 3 days. By the 3rd day she came to me with her lil wiggly tail of hers and wouldn't let her new Mommy out of her sight! We have been bonded ever since which is now 6 months! Minnie was 5lbs when I got her, now she is a whopping 8lb Micro Minpin.

Minnie was not housebroken and only knew the sit down command. Now she knows sit, laydown, dancy-dancy, go to your office (her pen), go to your bed, be nice, have a chewy (only eats them on her bed), stay, off, wait, go ni-night(her kennel), go potty, and my favorite Give Mama a hug (Yes, she actually hugs me)! Minnie has also gone from car sick, people trust issues, and growling at dogs to; loves the car, lets people pet her, loves meeting people & lil dogs at the beach and goes to doggy daycare where she plays with her little friends!

Oh, and lets talk about her wardrobe! She has a rain coat, a party sweater, a doggy sweater, a Santa suite, a Harley hat, a valentine scarf, a pink sweatshirt, a leopard purse to carry her in and now a tuxedo! (Just in case there's a formal event)!

Miss Minnie is the sweetest, smartest, cutest, cuddliest Micro Minpin you'd ever meet!

Thanks IMPS for my lil girl!
Patricia
Aptos, California

Mon, 17 May 2004 14:16:23 -0700 (PDT) - from Tamara

Thought you might be wondering how Kirby is doing. Tyler and I are so in love with this little guy and I think the feelings are mutual. You may have heard we moved recently, not far, to a townhome in the same complex (actually just across from our old place). Kirby settled in right away.

He loves to curl up under the covers with me every night; although, is happy to curl up with Tyler until I decide to go to bed. By around 11pm he will usually come looking for me like "hey aren't we going to bed yet?" and when I say let's go to bed he goes in and starts to scoot under the blankets. He enjoys his walks and we have a pretty good schedule down. It has taken awhile to get him use to not barking at every live creature we pass be it human or otherwise. I have found if I say "be good' ( don't know how I came across that one, but said it one day and he didn't bark) it works almost every time now when some body is coming to walk by. He also responds to the "uhuh" extremely well usually when I don't want him to get into the garbage someone scattered on the ground. He also stops and waits for the "go" when I say "wait" to cross the street. We are still getting to know each other, but have had no bumps in the road since the kitchen escapes initially; although, I don't remember if I told you he also escaped from his crate three times, luckily when I had him with me visiting work and he was safe, now he has a designer crate/ cage and seems to like it, silly as it may seem he is in it during the day and at night when we are sitting watching TV I leave it open and he walks right in with the door open to lay down and chew on his chewy stick. Gosh, I could just go on and on about how wonderful he is and how wonderful MinPins are in general.

We can not thank you enough for chosing us to give him a new home. Tyler, my son, can't get enough of him and this is the funniest, when it is time to wake Tyler up in the morning, Kirby jumps up on his bed, puts his paws across Tyler's chest and quietly "errrrs" at me when I say "Tyler time to wake up" not a growl, just kind of a "so don't wake him up, I want to hang here with him" Tyler thinks it is hilarious and Kirby seems to so think I will let Tyler sleep all day. This is a daily ritual during the week.

By the way Kirby and Chazy (the cat) are getting along tolerably. The cat seems to try and tempt him by lying on the floor in his way, he comes up to say hi and she decides to hiss, but never fails to lie down within a few feet of him. He wants to play with her so badly, but she so won't go for it. No cat chasing or dog battle wounds from cat attacks thus far. Seems as though she likes him but doesn't want us to know it.

I hope all your family members, canine and human alike, are doing well. I will attach a recent picture of Kirby. Thank You, Thank You, Thank You for all your support and so much more.

Happily a MinPin family member!!!!

Tamara