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Miniature Pinscher Breed Information

DogBarkings.com

DESCRIPTION

The Miniature Pinscher is a breed with sleek, clean lines, well muscled and compact in build, whilst small in stature.  They have square proportions and a clean-cut, well-chiseled frame.  The coat is short and hard, with a smoothness that lies tight to the body and covers the dog from head to toe.  The coat is easy to care for and is straight, coming in the colors: red (the most common), black and tan, or chocolate.  The dog belongs to the Toy group, yet despite being a small breed, it possesses sturdiness, with a well developed chest, powerful thighs and a unique, high-stepping gait.  The eyes of the Miniature Pinscher are dark, sometimes even black, with an oval appearance.  Tails are usually docked, however in some countries this process is now illegal (the United Kingdom is one of these), nevertheless the tails base is set high on the back.  Ears are also usually cropped (where allowed) and take on a triangular, erect shaped.  This helps to give the dog an alert and intelligent demeanor.  The muzzle of the Miniature Pinscher meets in a scissor bite and has surprising force for such a small dog.  The nose is black and finishes a muzzle in proportion to the rest of the body.  Their front legs are straight (dewclaws are normally removed), whilst their topline is level, or sloping slightly toward the rear.  They have small cat-like paws.  The high-stepping gate is also referred to as a hackney-like action and the Miniature Pinscher holds its head high and drives with power from the rear.

TEMPERAMENT

The Miniature Pinscher is an energetic, proud and lively breed of dog.  They have a hardiness and courage that defies their small stature and they retain much loyalty to their masters.  Proper leadership is a must in owning a sound and happy Miniature Pinscher.  It has been said that they do better with one or two owners although they are able to become part of families providing every member of the family is able to display an outranking of the dog within the home.  The first stage in ensuring a happy relationship with your Miniature Pinscher is early socialization as a puppy with other dogs, humans and children in particular.  Small dog Syndrome is a common occurrence with this breed as with many other Toy Breeds.  It is a result of humans allowing smaller dogs to take on the pack leader role, by not ensuring correct discipline and behavior.  It is more common in smaller dogs because there is a lesser feeling of immediate danger or concern when dealing with a far smaller animal.  Lets face it a German Shepherd barking loudly and looking aggressive is probably going to warrant a more concerned attitude than a Miniature Pinscher would.  Being a pack leader is a stressful job for a Miniature Pinscher in the human world and can lead to many unwanted behavior problems such as nipping or biting, persistent barking, dog aggression and suspicion toward strangers.  Having said this, the Miniature Pinscher if trained properly and given the correct leadership can be a highly intelligent and highly trainable breed of dog.  The Miniature Pinscher is also naturally territorial so it should be given a clearly defined place to sleep.  They are in fact very keen to learn and please once their pack role has been established.  If properly managed the Miniature Pinscher can make a fabulous and wonderful companion dog.

HEIGHT: Dogs 25-30cm (10-12inches), Bitches 25-28cm (10-11inches)
WEIGHT: Dogs 4-5kg (8-10lbs), Bitches 4kg (8-9lbs)

HEALTH

Generally a very hardy and healthy breed, Miniature Pinschers can suffer occasionally from heart defects, patella luxation, cervical dry disk, Legg-Perthes, hypothyroidism and mucopolysacharidosis, although these are very rare in comparison to other breeds.

LIVING CONDITIONS

The Miniature Pinscher being a Toy Breed is perfectly suitable for apartment life, despite being very active indoors.  They have an insatiable curiosity both outside and inside the home and so it is advisable that care should be taken with items such as bottle tops, as they may be a choking hazard.  They also love to escape and explore, so if allowed to run free in a yard, or back garden a high enough fence is needed to stop their determined efforts to escape.

EXERCISE

Play alone will not sufficiently deal with the Miniature Pinschers exercise requirements.  A daily walk is a must as it fulfills their instinctive need, as a dog, to walk.  Off leash play and running is also excellent providing you can safely control where the dog can or will go.

LIFE EXPECTANCY: 15+ years
LITTER SIZE: 2-6 Puppies

GROOMING

The Miniature Pinscher has an easy-to-care for coat which should be combed and brushed with a firm bristle brush from time  to time.  Shampoo only when necessary.  A warm damp cloth or chamois can be used to clean loose hairs and give the coat a nice shine.  Nails and ears should be clipped and cleaned respectively from time to time.  They are an average shedder.

HISTORY

Many people mistake the Miniature Pinscher as a descendant of the larger Doberman Pinscher, not least because of their similar appearance, albeit with a size difference.  However the breed is older than the Doberman Pinscher and is a result of the cross-breeding of several terrier-like dogs with other breeds, including, the German Pinscher, Dachshund and possibly the Italian Greyhound.  Its initial working role was as a ratter in horse stables, a job to which it excelled.  First depicted at the beginning of the 17th Century through sculpture and painting, the Miniature Pinscher only found its place in written documents about 200 years ago.  The main reason for the confusion between the Doberman Pinscher and the Miniature Pinschers relationship, may stem from the 1930´s when the breed standard for the Miniature Pinscher stated that, the breed should resemble a smaller version of the Doberman Pinscher, when in fact the Doberman Pinscher was created in 1890 by Lois Doberman to resemble the Miniature Pinscher.  Thus it is the Doberman Pinscher that is named after the Miniature Pinscher and not the opposite.  The Miniature Pinscher was first registered by the American Kennel Club in 1925, after coming to the United States in 1919.  Referred to as ´The King of the Toy Dogs´ the breed is a regular at dog shows and is one of the most popular breeds in the US today.

Original article with pics and more - Miniature Pinscher

About the Author

I am dog enthusiast and DogBarkings.com owner and webmaster, where you can find many more excellent dog breed information articles with breed pictures and videos. I am also the proud owner of a Labrador Retriever called Shakespeare.

i have a cavalier king charles spaniel who is 5 months will he calm down?

my puppy is very lively, he likes to nip your hands and clothes, and dosent seem to be able to learn the word no, he isnt screard of anything so i cant ditract him, any ideas? and will he mellow with age?

Your puppy is teething, what you need to do is have something that the puppy is allowed to chew on (such as a toy) & swap your clothes/hands for the toy & praise him. Otherwise, yelp/cry/create any drama over any nip your receive & walk away! Your puppy will soon realise that if he wants your attention that he needs to behave himself or he is left alone to play. My boyfriend thinks I am insane when I carry on after a teeny puppy has not really bitten me but she gets the idea.

He's still only a baby, with plenty of play & exercise he'll calm down eventually & you'll soon have a dog that just wants to rest near you.

Julian McMahon ~ Nip/Tuck ~ "King Size Papa"

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This entry was posted on Sunday, October 4th, 2009 at 12:43 pm and is filed under bedding. You can follow any responses to this entry through the RSS 2.0 feed. Both comments and pings are currently closed.