Miniature Pinscher
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| Miniature Pinscher | |||||||||||||||||||||||||
 A Miniature Pinscher with natural ears and tail |
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| Other names | Zwergpinscher | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Country of origin | Germany | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
| Nicknames | Min Pin | ||||||||||||||||||||||||
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The Miniature Pinscher, also known as the Min Pin by fanciers, is a toy breed of dog. Miniature Pinschers were first bred to hunt vermin, especially rats. In its native Germany, the dog is known as the Zwergpinscher. Pinscher, is the German word for biter and Zwerg means Dwarf in German. The Miniature Pinscher is also known as the "King of the Toy Dogs". Though the Miniature Pinscher is considered a toy breed, it is in fact one of the oldest of the terrier breeds. Only in the North America and the United Kingdom is this breed in the toy classification. In Europe and its native Germany it competes against the German Pinscher and is listed in as a terrier.
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[edit] Description
[edit] Appearance
Height:|| 10 - 12.5 inch
| Miniature Pinscher appearance | ||
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| Build: | Small, compact, muscular, sleek, Weight: | 8 - 12lbs- |
| Coat: | Short, easy-care, light shedder | |
| Color: | Black & Tan, Black & Rust, Chocolate and Isabella fawn. | |
| Head: | ||
| Teeth: | ||
| Eyes: | Dark, bright, oval | |
| Ears: | Often cropped, where permitted, not required by AKC. | |
| Tail: | Docked, where permitted | |
| Limbs: | Straight | |
| Feet: | Small, cat-like | |
| Life span: | Avg 12 to 14 yrs | |
The original true Miniature Pinscher was more stout in appearance than today's refined dog. Its coat was more coarse and the dog in general was less refined. The refined look of today's dog was a result primarily of many who neglected to realize that the breed was a working breed and not a toy breed. Much of the natural look went away with years of breeding for the refined small dog now seen as today's Miniature Pinscher.
[edit] Size
Typically, the Miniature Pinscher stands 25–30 cm (10–12.5 in) at the withers, weighing 4–6 kg (8–12 lb).
[edit] Coat and color
The coat is short and smooth, with colors, according to most breed standards, of red, stag-red, and black or chocolate with tan or rust markings, in addition to the blue and fawn (isabella). t. Blue coats are allowed in the UK, but in the US can be registered but cannot compete in show but all other aspects of the AKC. The Miniature Pinscher frequently has a docked tail and cropped ears, though the AKC no longer requires ear cropping for shows. The AKC standard specifies a characteristic hackney-like action: "a high-stepping, reaching, free and easy gait in which the front leg moves straight forward and in front of the body and the foot bends at the wrist. The dog drives smoothly and strongly from the rear. The head and tail are carried high." The standard in Europe does not require the high stepping gate as the original Miniature Pinscher (zwergpinscher) did not walk in such a fashion. In Europe and Germany this high stepping gate is considered a fault.
The Miniature Pinscher will on occasion carry a small white patch generally located on neck or breast area. This links directly back to the original breed coloring. The Miniature Pinscher did come in Merle coloring which in the Dachshund is referred to as Dapple and in Harlequin like that found in the Great Dane. The white gene is part of the makeup of this breed; though breeders for years have fought to eliminate this gene, it is accepted by AKC in conformation and show so long as the area of white is limited to no more than 1/2 inch in direction.
[edit] Temperament
The Min Pin is an energetic, playful, and friendly dog that thrives on owner interaction. These are typically categorized as "one, or two person dogs", but with socialization, they can be integrated into families, and get along with other dogs, pets, and children. Children, especially younger ones, must be encouraged to act gently and responsibly around this smaller breed to avoid injury for both parties. Socialization as puppies will help ensure they can co-exist and interact with other dogs as adults. Min Pins are outgoing, responsive and clever. They will be aloof around people they have never been introduced to, and are very protective of their owners. This protective instinct will manifest as barking and challenging postures. Although originally bred for ratting, they are also excellent alert dogs, barking at all things they deem a threat.
These little dogs will need lots of exercise per day. A backyard would be preferable so they can have an outdoor area to run around in, but it will need to be securely fenced in as this breed is the Houdini of the dog world when it comes to escaping. It must be noted that you are dealing with a "terrier" not a "Toy Breed" in such these dogs energy level exceeds the traditional concept or idea of the standard toy breed. Daily walks are not sufficient for this breed as does not permit them the opportunity to wear off excess energy pent up from being indoors. Though dog parks can be a solution, the true Miniature Pinscher being a terrier can go on the hunt at any moment therefore recall is a serious challenge and issue with this breed. There is no standard set for the training of this breed. Therefore much time and effort is needed to ensure that if off lead the dog will not get into trouble which is normal with Miniature Pinschers.Keeping in mind that this dog truly does not see itself as small and therefore will challenge anything including larger breeds. These dogs are not suitable for apartments as many assume. The energy level they possess as well as their natural guard instincts which entail barking at threats ie: noises, usually result in neighbor complaints not to mention the prior noted energy level wherein exercise is required. Left to release this pent up energy level in an apartment very often creates serious damage to floors, walls and furniture. Far too many people own what is referred to as "MinPins". This term is actually used by breeders to denote the smaller than standard sized Miniature Pinschers that do not comply with the normal attributes and characteristics of the breed therefore they are prone to viewing the actions of their dogs with the assumption that the actions define the true Miniature Pinscher when in fact it only defines a few. The Miniature Pinscher is rated the 3rd worst dog for apartments due to above mentioned issues noting that size has no real bearing on which dogs are suited for apartments. In fact the Greyhound is an excellent apartment dog and also in fact actually takes up less space as it prefers to find a bed area where it will remain where the Miniature Pinscher finds its bed to be everywhere in addition to being underfoot.
[edit] Care
- Although the breed is not necessarily bad with children, much care must be taken in educating youths about proper handling and play. Although relatively sturdy for their size, they can be easily injured by rough play with a child. In addition, their high-strung temperament leaves little patience for such rough play.
- Grooming is easy, as the smooth, short-haired coat requires little attention. Care must be taken in colder weather as the coat provides virtually no insulation from the cold.
- Due to their instinct to hunt vermin, special care must be taken in preventing a Miniature Pinscher from "attacking" small objects, such as bottle caps, as they could pose a choking hazard.
- Miniature Pinschers are also prone to overeating and should have their diets monitored to prevent obesity.
- This breed has an insatiable curiosity, so the best toys for Miniature Pinschers are ones that stimulate their curiosity. This may include toys that move or make an interesting noise. Miniature Pinschers enjoy having a collection of such toys, which they will hoard and spend much time in moving from one collecting place to another. However, Miniature Pinschers will chew and inevitably try to eat their toys, so avoid toys made of rubber or plastic. Small stuffed animals, rope toys, and interactive toys that pose a challenge work well. Cat toys (that do not have catnip) are also suitable.
- Miniature Pinschers are territorial, so they should be provided with their own place to rest and sleep, though they will commonly stake a claim to a particular piece of furniture or curtain under or behind which they will sleep when people are in the room. They prefer to sleep on soft objects as well as under soft objects, so a small blanket should be provided to cover them. Unless the owner is amenable to sharing his or her bed, bedroom doors must be kept closed at night as Miniature Pinschers will jump onto beds and crawl under the covers. Care should be taken not to accidentally injure a Miniature Pinscher while they are sleeping under blankets.
- It is essential due to the energy level of this breed that a secured fenced yard be provided. Miniature Pinschers need to exercise regularly. In addition, due to the nature of this breed, when in public this breed must be kept on harness and leash. It is natural for this breed to bolt if something of interest catches its eye. It is better to use a harness as a collar can hurt the dog's neck when he or she bolts.
[edit] History
Although it has a similar appearance, the Miniature Pinscher is not a "Miniature Doberman". Rather, the breed is much older. Although the Miniature Pinscher appeared in paintings and sculptures several centuries ago, the factual documentation on this breed goes back to 1836 with the writings of Dr. Reichenbach. The Doberman Pinscher was bred by Karl Frederich Louis Dobermann in 1880. It is likely that the strong resemblance is derived from the Deutscher Pinscher (German Pinscher). It is strongly believed that this, and not the Miniature Pinscher, is the breed that Dobermann used in establishing his Doberman Pinscher. Dobermann had noted that he was looking to create a dog resembling the Miniature "Zwerpinscher" Pinscher but 15 times larger.
In 1895 The Pinscher Schnauzer Klub officially recognized Dobermann's Pinscher. The misconception that the Miniature Pinscher is a "miniature doberman" occurred because the Doberman Pinscher was introduced to the US before the Miniature Pinscher. In 1919 the Miniature Pinscher was introduced to the AKC show ring. At that time, not knowing that it was referred to officially in Germany as the Zwergpinscher (dwarfpinscher), the AKC referred to the breed as simply "Pinscher" and listed it in the miscellaneous category. By 1929 (the year of the breed's official introduction into the AKC), not noting it was a true Terrier breed, it was decided to officially place it in the Toy breed classification. Unfortunately for conformation purposes the description that the AKC noted, that the dog "must appear as a Doberman in miniature", led to the aforementioned misconception still noted today that this breed is a "Miniature Doberman Pinscher" when in fact the two breeds are not related. The original name for this breed in the US was "Pinscher" until 1972 when the name was officially changed to Miniature Pinscher.
The Miniature Pinscher and Dobermann's Pinscher share no common ancestry. In 1836 (the oldest documented writings of the Miniature Pinscher) after years of study of the breed Dr. Reichenbach determined that the Miniature Pinscher was derived from crossing a smooth coated Dachshund (a favorite German breed of the time with excellent ratting skills) with an Italian Greyhound. This is the only documented facts about the Min Pin's origin. All other offerings have no basis in fact and are speculations based primarily on individuals and some breeders who have no real knowledge so have been left to speculate. Being that Dr Reichenbach was from Germany which is the home of this breed there is no reason to believe any of the other theories since offered as they are only that. Many believed that the German (Deutscher) Pinscher was used as breed stock but unfortunately this is false as this breed came about as purely an accident in the 1700's when wirehaired standard Schnauzers started throwing smooth coated pups. How or why know one has been able to document. Being it occurred nearly 100 years after the "Reh" "Zwergpinscher" there is nothing to support this theory. In addition, as Dr Reichenbach resided in a time when the original breed was around it makes no sense to question his findings. In Germany the home of this breed it has been accepted as fact for over 170 years. The idea of including the Italian Greyhound was to make a more swift ratter as this breed was primarily used on farms where open fields required a faster dog to chase down rats and mice. The original Miniature Pinscher was not a true house pet but a working breed left to the barn with minimal human contact, much like feral cats on farms today. This created the unique independent trait in the breed that is still found today.
It must also be noted that the word "pinscher" in German does not stand for or mean, "terrier". The word "terrier", like "setter", pertains to the way the breed works. The German word "pinscher" translates to "biter" or the way it bites when attacking its prey. This has been a long-standing problem with the term "pinscher" wherein the reference and translation is twofold but those referencing the information regarding the word fail to note that actual translation.
[edit] External links
- American Kennel Club article on Miniature Pinschers, retrieved March 20th, 2007.
- British Miniature Pinscher
- Miniature Pinscher Club of America
- Canadian Miniature Pinscher Club
- Canadian Kennel Club breed standards
- Westminster Kennel Club information
- Internet Miniature Pinscher Service (IMPS), U.S. breed rescue organization
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