Min-su ::adopTEd::
In November of 2021 three friendly, itchy puppies were found on the street in the Gokgyo-ri Province of Asan, South Korea. They appeared to be abandoned and were eager for help from their rescuers.
They were brought to the local, high kill pound in pretty rough shape where their brother quickly found an adopter, but Minji and Minsu were left behind. To make a tough situation even worse, there was a parvo outbreak in the pound so the most vulnerable dogs were not taken out of their kennels or touched by a human for three months to reduce the spread. Minji and Minsu were unable to socialize, see sunlight, or be comforted for that entire time until we offered to help. 💔 Once we had their flight booked, our amazing rescue partner took them to vet visits and housed them in their facility leading up to the flight.
Now that the pups have arrived in Portland they’ve been gaining strength and life experience to help prepare them for their forever families. They are confident alongside another animal but are still working on being brave alone. See Minsu’s journey on our Instagram page here.
A FEW OF OUR FAVORITE Minsu THINGS FROM his FOSTER mom…
Minsu is a darling and delightful pup, appropriately named with respect to his gentle and affable nature. He has been a joy to live with already, well received by his two dog foster sisters who are also highly food and toy motivated. The 3 pups are fully able now to eat together as well as navigate treasured toys scattered about. Minsu can be found anywhere my youngest dog, Yuri, is; be it exploring or playing in the backyard or house. He also delights in tug-o-war play with giant personality 9lb Mochi.
He is great at learning which he seems to very much enjoy. Minsu is also really good at “reading the room” when he feels safe and secure. His potty success rate has been 100% outside, of course with ample opportunities to support the success. Other successful developments include his ability to relax and chill out appropriately (he is not showing any excessive barking at all) usually in his living room crate which he enjoys having accessible with the door open.
Minsu’s foster sisters allowed him on the couch early on, to my total surprise, where he can also be found snuggling with them and even me, the human. He accompanies us on nature outings which he seems to very much enjoy, practicing his walking and leash skills, as well as being carried in a backpack in order to give him a break as he grows stronger. He is able to travel relaxed, seat belted in the car now. Overall Minsu shows healthy sociability, curiosity, and enthusiasm where/when he feels safe.
A FEW THINGS Minsu IS WORKING ON FROM his FOSTER mom…
The main focus areas for Minsu have been tending to his physical and emotional well being. He arrived very thin and has been eating 3 meals per day, rapidly approaching a good weight and starting to sport a beautiful coat. He has recently shown distress when I left the home without leaving a dog foster sister to “babysit” while he’s crated. We are currently being supported by Wildhearts as we navigate the separation anxiety. If I leave him with another pup and turn on music the departure seems to be a non-issue.
There have been a few times when I’ve carried Minsu into a new space like an elevator or into the studio for his photoshoot (without another dog alongside him) where he’s had a poop accident while in my arms. His entire body responds when he’s in a fearful state.
While his confidence is increasing walking around the nearby high school, even now at high foot traffic times for students, I am quickly reminded about his newness. Minsu has a natural flight/freeze state when encountering humans (not all) who are walking, especially straight towards him, staring, or sometimes even bending over to try and pet him. I am practicing courteous interventions to this issue to advocate for him in these situations. Stating the obvious, he is a flight risk today. I feel confident he will be a joyful, responsive, and loyal companion to those who will work with him on the rewarding journey of building trust together.
UPDATE: Recently Minsu moved to a new foster home and we’ve discovered he struggles with male-presenting folks. He is very wary and suspicious when alone with his foster dad indoors and will bark when he makes sudden movements. Also, when under stress, Minsu is also vocal when hearing random noises outside. Transitions definitely stir up a regression in his behavior.
THE IDEAL FAMILY FOR Minsu WOULD HAVE THE FOLLOWING:
A fenced yard.
A friendly, already trained dog in the home.
A home with female-presenting folks or one with a very patient male willing to put in a lot of effort to win Minsu’s trust.
A lot of patience, eagerness to continue training, consistency, & lots of love!
Minsu’s Details:
Breed: Terrier mix
Age: 7 months old
Sex: Male
Size: 16lbs
Color: Brown/White/Black
Spayed/Neutered: Yes
Microchipped: Yes
Vaccinated: Yes
Medical notes:
Overall, Minsu needs some TLC to build his strength and body fat % up.
He also has had weepy eyes (conjunctivitis) since day one, which has improved greatly, but tends to reappear when he’s under stress. He has over the counter eye drops which are used sparingly.
Minsu arrived with scarring around the edges of his ears which may have been a reaction to vaccinations before the flight or possibly a bacterial infection while living at the high kill pound. It doesn’t seem to bother him and has been slowly disappearing, but it will be important to keep an eye on it.
Housetrained: Yes
Crate Trained: Yes
Site: Wildhearts Rescue
Location: Foster home in Portland
Intake Date: 03/07/22
Good with cats: Unknown, but with a slow introduction he’d likely get along with a cat (but surely would try to play with them).
Good with dogs: Yes
Good with children: Possibly, with a very slow introduction.
Good with adults: Yes, with a very slow introduction - and takes much longer to warm up to male-presenting folks.
Adoption Fee: $650