Miniature Pinscher Training | Mini Pincher | Min Pin and Mini Pinscher Puppy

Improve the Miniature Pinscher Breed

If you’re considering breeding Miniature Pinschers, your primary reason should be to improve the breed.

The Miniature Pinscher Club of America (MPCA) highlights the importance of this primary motivator by making it the club’s top objective:

You need at least a basic understanding of something before you can improve on it. The same is true with breeding Miniature Pinschers.

If you want to breed your dog, gain a thorough knowledge of the breed, and of the approved breed standard. When you’re intimately familiar with the breed, research and study the ancestry of your bitch and prospective stud dog. This includes knowing the dogs’ temperament and health histories.

Don’t be like many breeders who have bred dogs with poor temperament and unknown health histories. Spare any future dogs from joining the countless number of abandoned and homeless dogs—including Miniature Pinschers.

For those of us who do breed, follow the objectives set out by the MPCA Constitution and By-Laws (from: http://www.minpin.org/breeder.htm):

The Min Pin is a generally fit, well proportioned, nicely groomed dog. Taking care to adhere to grooming standards ensures that yours will show well.

The ears may be cropped or uncropped (see section on Tail & Ears). The tail is set high and docked to suit the dog’s proportions. Dewclaws should be removed, with other nails appearing thick and strong.

The short, slick coat requires only twice weekly brushing to keep it shining and free of dead hair. Check ears and eyes daily to be sure they are free of dirt. Bathe only on an “as-needed” basis and never use human shampoo to avoid irritating his skin. Trim your Miniature Pinschers nails as needed to prevent painful in-grown nails and to keep their gait strong and comfortable. (You can find more information on grooming for shows in the chapter “Showing Your Miniature Pinscher”).

Health and natural beauty should come before artificial beauty.

Every type of animal has a set of looks that most expect them to go by. The style of hair, the shape of their body, and the way their ears and tail look all determine whether the dog is in good shape or not. If you have a miniature pinscher, you may be familiar with some of the expectations for your dog. If you are considering the standards to be set for your Min Pin, you also may want to know when to follow the expectations and when to let your dog go with an “all natural” look.

For miniature pinschers, the expectations begin with the ears. Often times, the ears will be longer than expected, making them flop over. Some dog owners want this to be changed so the ears on their Min Pin will stand straight up. The first thing you should know about this particular attribute for Min Pins is that it is a cosmetic preference, and doesn’t make a difference in how the Min Pins hear or live. Usually, cropping of the ears needs to take place when the Min Pins are about fourteen weeks of age. If it is done any later, it will cause health problems, as cartilage can be cut off causing pain and a possibility for the ears to flop over more than they would have otherwise.

I’m glad to see more Miniature Pinschers without their ears cropped. Mine came that way and I didn’t see the need for doggie plastic surgery. Some owners who rush to get body parts chopped off will miss out on how expressive the long ears are, and how much more character the long ears add to their little companions. The breeding standard in the United States calls for cropped ears. In Australia and the UK, however, you can show a Miniature Pinscher with natural (i.e., un-cropped) ears.

If you have a Min Pin whose ears haven’t been cropped, and if your dog’s ears stand up like ours, you might find a lot of people confuse your dog with a Chihuahua. Several years back, it wasn’t uncommon for me to hear one person or another say “hey! Yo quiero Taco Bell! Look, it’s a Chihuahua!” On the subject of whether or not to crop the ears, my position is that unless you’re required to do this, for example, to “show” your dog in certain countries, don’t do it—it’s just cosmetic surgery for dogs. You Min Pin will be perfectly fine with uncropped ears.

The second expectation for Miniature Pinschers is with their tails. Often times, the Min Pins will be born with longer tails than expected. Standards have been set to make the tails shorter by docking them, which means to cut off circulation to the tail so that it can fall off. If this hasn’t been done by the time the Min Pin is two days old, it shouldn’t be done. This is because at two days of age, the Min Pin has not yet developed enough bone to feel you cutting off the tail. After this period of time, the procedure will be painful to your dog and can cause complications. It is also purely cosmetic, meaning that it is not necessary to have a good and healthy pet.

Deciding to make changes for the ears and tails of your puppy Min Pin will be a determination made by your expectations for the puppy. If you want to show the Miniature Pinscher, you will have to apply the cosmetic rules. For most United States shows, it is a requirement that is made. This is mainly so the ears and tail will stay completely erect in a competition, allowing the judges to see the way that the Min Pin is shaped.

If you only plan on having your Min Pin as a companion, you should keep some other things in mind. The major point to consider is the pain that the dog will be going through. It has been stated that docking a tail and cropping ears is much like amputating a limb on a human. The dogs will be uncomfortable and in pain for a long period of time. You should also keep in mind that if something goes wrong, it can cause infections or other complications with your dog. If you are considering cutting the tail, you should also consider that this is one of the most important parts of communication for a Min Pin. When their tale is shorter, it makes it difficult for them to find the same levels of communication with you.

So why was the Min Pin developed? Assuming they were indeed created by breeding the Doberman with smaller breeds, what were the original breeders hoping for when they made this decision?

There seems to be little in the way of a comprehensive history of the breed, though we can safely speculate that hundreds of years ago, German farmers might have admired and respected the Doberman’s ability to hunt and viciously attack their prey. A smaller version of the Doberman would be more manageable and better suited to rid the barnyards of rats and other small rodents that pestered the farmer and his animals. The Min Pin was perfect for the task and was used for just that for hundreds of years.

The fact that the Min Pin’s nature leant it to become an ideal household pet was surely a welcome surprise. Although he served a purpose on the farm, owners enjoyed his loyalty and companionship. A voracious rat catcher, he was intelligent and faithful as a house dog.

So although we can only speculate on the original breeder’s thought process behind the creation of the Min Pin, lovers of the breed are certainly thankful that it was developed! The attractive, friendly breed did indeed serve a useful purpose then as a rat catcher and now as a companion and beautiful show dog.

The Miniature Pinscher, or Min Pin, owes its striking resemblance to the Doberman Pinscher to its German pinscher heritage. This family also includes the Affenpinscher and Schnauzer breeds.

The Doberman breed was actually created in the 1890’s out of a desire to create a larger version of the lovable Min Pin. Because record keeping on the Min Pin breed dates back only 200 years, little is known of the breed’s actual age or origin, other than the fact that it originated in Germany over 300 years ago. Paintings and sculptures indicate that it is an older breed with a rich history.

A believable theory is that the Min Pin was developed by breeding smaller breeds such as the Italian Greyhound or Smooth Dachshund with the German Smooth-haired Pinscher. The Min Pin was used as a barnyard ratter throughout its history in Germany, where it is sometimes called the “Reh Pinscher” because of its resemblance to the red Roe Deer in the region. Though it was developed in Germany, it has been bred throughout Scandinavian countries.

The word “Pinscher” is used to describe the breed’s work ethic and refers to the dog’s tendency to pounce on and viciously bite their prey. Much like the word “Setter” refers to that breed’s hunting habit, so does the word “Pincher” apply to the Min Pin.

The Min Pin bears a proud nickname, “The King of Toys”. This refers to his rare high stepping gait and proud walk. He is a compact, solid companion dog with an energetic and lovable nature. This active breed requires frequent exercise and loves to be on the go. Even in their elder years, the Min Pin remains playful and watchful.

As a companion and family watchdog, the Min Pin is extremely loyal and dedicated. He becomes possessive of those he loves. When faced with competition or a potential threat, the Min Pin is fearless and acts like a much larger breed. Though he stands only 10 to 12.5 inches at the shoulder, he may seem to believe he is ten feet tall! His beautiful short, smooth coat is black or brown with tan markings and requires very little grooming. Another less common variation of this color scheme is the smooth, shining solid red coat.

Min Pins are respected and well-liked for their intelligence and fun loving demeanor. Their size and temperament makes them the ideal companion or house dog.