If there is one being who means the world to Harpuja Nair, it is her 13-year-old Miniature Pincher or “Min Pin” named Joey.

Harpuja remembers that from the moment she could speak and understand what a dog was, she wanted one.

She pestered her parents so much that they finally took her when she was five years old to a pet shop where she was struck with love the moment she laid eyes on Joey.

“A hopeful puppy jumping up and down, pressing his face to the window, waiting for his family, waiting for me,” Harpuja remembers.

She says that as a young pup, Joey was never really interested in soft toys, just her parents’ shoes. He also loved to eat and had a weird fondness for papayas, bananas and tomatoes.

Harpuja remembers never being able to resist Joey’s adorable golden-brown puppy dog eyes when he begged for food, and so would “accidentally” drop tidbits on the floor for him. Needless to say, her mum always knew and wasn’t too pleased about it.

Despite his petite build, Joey is convinced he’s huge and being the “King of the Toys”, Min Pins are by nature a fearless and loyal breed.

“To his belief and understanding he will always be a great big Saint Bernard and I love him for it. He’s constantly trying to stand up to much bigger dogs, continuously ‘protecting us’,” Harpuja says.

But his bravery goes out the window when he spots a cat or hears a clap of thunder. Then he’ll jump in fright, burying his face in Harpuja’s arms.

An active dog in his youth, Joey loved open spaces and would take off like the wind when let off the leash, his shiny coat dazzling in the sunlight, his head held high.

He absolutely adores hiking or just being in the forest. When out in the hills, gone is the lazy old fellow and out comes an extremely excited two-year-old. He darts off on the trail, but always stops midway, looking back, waiting for his humans to catch up.

Joey also has a rather regal way of walking, referred to as a “hackney” gait, in which he lifts his front legs high and almost fully extended when taking a step forward.

Rather sneaky, Joey takes instructions from only one person in the household – Harpuja’s dad. So when dad’s away, Joey bosses everyone else around.

One day he stole Harpuja’s marble-sized rubber ball and refused to give it back. Fearing he might choke on it, an emergency phone call was made to her father, who said firmly on the speaker phone, “JOEY!”

“Looking puzzled, ears all perked up, eyes bulging, Joey darted under the couch,” Harpuja says. After her dad firmly said, “SPIT IT OUT”, Joey immediately spat the ball out, still looking pretty scared and confused.

It’s a humorous story Harpuja and her family never tire of retelling though it likely doesn’t please Joey all that much.

Joey is also super intelligent, and has mastered the art of unlatching his cage door. Once while boarding at a pet shop, he escaped from his cage at night and made a royal mess of the store.

The shop owner said he couldn’t believe what Joey had done despite being warned of Joey’s “tricks”. So on the second night, his cage was padlocked.

Despite his tiny size, Joey has a loud bark. But being older and wiser, Joey only barks occasionally now, mostly to register his displeasure at something.

The rest of the time, he lets his silence do the talking for him.

When he wants to go for a walk he’ll wait patiently by the stairs and stare until someone gets the message. Or scratch the door when he wants to be let out.

Best of all though is when he rests his head on Harpuja’s lap – that’s when he wants to be cuddled, which is pretty often.

“But if I had to pick my best loved feature about Joey, it would be his eyes,” Harpuja says. “You truly forget that you are looking at a dog and just see an intelligent being that knows things but just doesn’t have the ability to voice it.”

She says Joey is the best dog she’s ever had the good fortune of knowing, and that he changed her in ways she never knew she could change.

“He has made me a better person. He is my whole world and I will always love him.”

TELL US ABOUT YOUR PET: FMT Lifestyle readers are invited to send in pictures (landscape format) and a short video (if any) of their furry, scaly or feathery friends to [email protected]. Don’t forget to include details like your pet’s name, age, breed and a short story about them.