Donovan's Pinscher

With the thought of choosing an appropriate name for our Donovan's Pinscher we kept these six things in mind: the type of coat, the coloring, personality, size, breed type and the personal history of the individual dog we'd selected from the breeder. Since we knew we needed a dual-purpose breed-- one that could work in law enforcement AND serve as our family pet, we chose a name suitable for both: Dutch.

I'm a police officer, and wanted a dog with guardian instincts. With a little research, we discovered the Donovan's Pinscher. Dutch is 55 pounds of energy and purpose. We love his brindle coloring and his fit build.

Dutch is our family pet on weekends, but when we're at work, he's with me and all business! I'm in the K9 unit now, and Dutch is my partner. At work, Dutch acts as my eye and ears - and of course, my nose. He's very protective and knows his job. For me he's the perfect partner.

As our family pet, he fits in perfectly and knows when and how to interact and play with our small brood. He will protect to the death and that gives my husband and me a sense of security when it comes to our children. My youngest thinks Dutch is her 'horsey' and he plays along, trying to accommodate her as best he can, but I think Dutch is the happiest when he's at work. I make sure to provide him with plenty of exercise on weekends when we're off duty. I want him fit and ready when we head to work on Mondays.