Alexander the Great is a 4-year-old Minature Pinscher in Caspian, MI, who needs $1,860 for a colonoscopy and diagnostic testing.

Alex is my 5th MinPin. Sasha, my 1st little girl was a gift from my daughter for Christmas, she lived to 10 because of a heart murmur. Samson came next because daughter insisted on a little boy. He sure turned out to be a keeper! Athena came next after we lost Sasha. Athena will be 11 in March. Beauty came next when our friend, mentor and the dogs' breeder, Joan Krumm, gave her to me. Beauty passed in September and would have been 14 at the end of October. Alex came to me after I lost Samson--he lived to 15. I have been blessed that all my dogs have coexisted peacefully and Athena and Alex are no exception. With Alex's recent hospital stay, Athena was quite upset to be without him and howled for hours!

I like strong names for feisty little dogs. Alex is my 1st show-quality pup and his full name is Valdon's Alexander the Great of Caspian. Joan took him for a month to train him for confirmation. 1st time out he got best puppyat the Waukesha Dog Shows in 2017. I have never had training to show for confirmation, so we started out with obedience and rally. After he turned 2, we started agility. We do trick dog as well. This coming summer we are going to try coursing--if he is up to it.