Charming Pachanga

I was immediately intrigued by Pachanga for a completely random reason - she looks a bit like the wonderful dog my grandmother had when I was little (a rescue dog turned service dog named Bobo). When Pachanga saw me lingering in front of her kennel and peering in at her, she immediately perked up and fixed me with a soulful stare, making soft little whining sounds that seemed to say "Please, please take me out for walk!" She was extremely friendly from the moment I walked into her kennel, and seemed delighted to have some company. She is a very gentle, amiable dog, and as such it was easy to get her collar on and get her all ready to go for her walk. Once outside, her tail literally never stopped wagging for the whole 45 minutes we were out and about.

She is a dog who makes people smile. Every time we would pass another pedestrian, her tail would wag even faster and she would wander towards them wanting to say hi and wanting to lick their hand. She coaxed a smile from almost everyone we walked by with her cheerful, outgoing personality. True to her hunting dog lineage (she is part Beagle, part German Shorthaired Pointer), she is alert to her surroundings and focused on taking in the various smells she finds along the trail. She seems pleased to see other dogs nearby, and seems at least somewhat prey-driven (she was mighty interested in those ducks we saw, for example). Her leash manners have room for improvement - she pulls on the leash and will try to dash off after something that intrigues her. She seems very intelligent, though, and I think her leash etiquette will really improve with some steady guidance. She sits very nicely on command and will stay seated until you indicate that she can get up. Although she doesn't know the command "shake" yet, she seems to already instinctively know it as she will sometimes extend one paw to you in an adorable greeting. She seems like a pretty athletic little dog and might be a good companion for someone who likes to go jogging (although she's delighted with a mellow walk, too, like the one we had today). Although she is energetic and eager to explore the world around her, she isn't hyper. She is a very merry, friendly, happy little dog who would make someone a great companion.

Text and photography by Alicia D.