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Miniature Pinscher Breed Standard

 Toy group

 

 

 

 

Miniature Pinscher

Known as the "King of the Toys," the Miniature Pinscher is a compact, smooth-coated dog who is alert, spirited and fearless, with a unique high-stepping, hackney-like gait. With his black and rust coloring, cropped ears, and docked tail, he resembles his cousin the Doberman Pinscher, but he is not a miniature Dobie. Coat colors include red, stag red (red with black hairs), black with rust markings, or chocolate with tan.

A Look Back
"Pinscher" means "Terrier" in German, and the Miniature Pinscher is a distinctly German breed that originated several centuries ago as an efficient barnyard ratter. The Miniature Pinscher is reported to include the Dachshund and Italian Greyhound among its ancestors, along with the shorthaired German Pinscher.

 

Right Breed for You?
The Miniature Pinscher can really spice up a person’s life. This dog is small, but he doesn’t know it! He’s quick and active, with a lively curiosity. They are good family companions and look out for their family, bravely challenging intruders with their bold, insistent bark. The "Min Pin" will be happiest with a family that treats him like a standard-sized dog. He may be stubborn, but he’s also smart. Their small size makes them a good choice for apartment life. Play and a daily walk will take care of most of their exercise needs. His short, easy-care coat requires occasional brushing and shampooing.

If you are considering purchasing a Miniature Pinscher puppy,

  • Toy Group; AKC recognized in 1925.
  • Ranging from 10 to 12½ inches tall at the shoulder.
  • Rat hunter.

 


Miniature Pinscher Breed Standard

Toy group

General Appearance
The Miniature Pinscher is structurally a well balanced, sturdy, compact, short-coupled, smooth-coated dog. He naturally is well groomed, proud, vigorous and alert. Characteristic traits are his hackney-like action, fearless animation, complete self-possession, and his spirited presence.

Size, Proportion, Substance
Size -10 inches to 12½ inches in height allowed, with desired height 11 inches to 11½ inches measured at highest point of the shoulder blades. Disqualification -Under 10 inches or over 12½ inches in height. Length of males equals height at withers. Females may be slightly longer.

Head
In correct proportion to the body. Tapering, narrow with well fitted but not too prominent foreface which balances with the skull. No indication of coarseness. Eyes full, slightly oval, clear, bright and dark even to a true black, including eye rims, with the exception of chocolates, whose eye rims should be self-colored. Ears set high, standing erect from base to tip. May be cropped or uncropped. Skull appears flat, tapering forward toward the muzzle. Muzzle strong rather than fine and delicate, and in proportion to the head as a whole. Head well balanced with only a slight drop to the muzzle, which is parallel to the top of the skull. Nose black only, with the exception of chocolates which should have a self-colored nose. Lips and Cheeks small, taut and closely adherent to each other. Teeth meet in a scissors bite.

Neck, Topline, Body
Neck proportioned to head and body, slightly arched, gracefully curved, blending into shoulders, muscular and free from suggestion of dewlap or throatiness. Topline -Back level or slightly sloping toward the rear both when standing and gaiting. Body compact, slightly wedge-shaped, muscular. Forechest well developed. Well-sprung ribs . Depth of brisket, the base line of which is level with points of the elbows. Belly moderately tucked up to denote grace of structural form. Short and strong in loin. Croup level with topline. Tail set high, held erect, docked in proportion to size of dog.

Forequarters
Shoulders clean and sloping with moderate angulation coordinated to permit the hackney-like action. Elbows close to the body. Legs -Strong bone development and small clean joints. As viewed from the front, straight and upstanding. Pasterns strong, perpendicular. Dewclaws should be removed. Feet small, catlike, toes strong, well arched and closely knit with deep pads. Nails thick, blunt.

Hindquarters
Well muscled quarters set wide enough apart to fit into a properly balanced body. As viewed from the rear, the legs are straight and parallel. From the side, well angulated. Thighs well muscled. Stifles well defined. Hocks short, set well apart. Dewclaws should be removed. Feet small, catlike, toes strong, well arched and closely knit with deep pads. Nails thick, blunt.

Coat
Smooth, hard and short, straight and lustrous, closely adhering to and uniformly covering the body.

Color
Solid clear red. Stag red (red with intermingling of black hairs). Black with sharply defined rust-red markings on cheeks, lips, lower jaw, throat, twin spots above eyes and chest, lower half of forelegs, inside of hind legs and vent region, lower portion of hocks and feet. Black pencil stripes on toes. Chocolate with rust-red markings the same as specified for blacks, except brown pencil stripes on toes. In the solid red and stag red a rich vibrant medium to dark shade is preferred. Disqualifications -Any color other than listed. Thumb mark (patch of black hair surrounded by rust on the front of the foreleg between the foot and the wrist; on chocolates, the patch is chocolate hair). White on any part of dog which exceeds one-half inch in its longest dimension.

Gait
The forelegs and hind legs move parallel, with feet turning neither in nor out. The hackney-like action is 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.

Temperament
Fearless animation, complete self-possession, and spirited presence.

Disqualifications
Under 10 inches or over 12½ inches in height.
Any color other than listed. Thumb mark (patch of black hair surrounded by rust on the front of the foreleg between the foot and the wrist; on chocolates, the patch is chocolate hair). White on any part of dog which exceeds one-half (½) inch in its longest dimension.

Approved July 8, 1980
Reformatted February 21, 1990

 

 

THE PRO'S & CON'S OF
THE MINIATURE
PINSCHER

PRO'S

1. THEY ARE VERY DEVOTED AND LOVING FAMILY MEMBERS


2. They are a fairly "clean" breed that doesn't require much grooming


3. Small size, suits small home or RV for those who travel


4.  Protective, good watch dog


5. Clever and energetic makes them playful and entertaining


6. Short clean coat good in warm climates but need coat in cooler weather


7. Generally healthy and long lived, need regular teeth cleaning


8. They make great bed buddies


9. They get along with other dogs & cats


10. All the good things can be bad in the wrong household

 

 

 

CON'S

 

1. BECAUSE THEY ARE VERY DEVOTED TO THEIR FAMILY, THEY DON'T TEND TO LIKE OR

ACCEPT STRANGERS WELL, THERE ARE EXCEPTIONS SO LONG AS THEY ARE WELL

SOCIALIZED AS PUPPIES.

2. Adventuresome so need fenced yard or to be on lead when outside yard, athletic so can keep up to
active family, needs supervision to prevent injury


3. Must have firm but fair guidance


4. Big egos will take on anything so not wimpy "little dog" but need supervision so they don't get hurt
by bigger dogs


5. Can't handle cold weather so need to potty on pee pad's when very cold or snowy, short clean coat
good in warm climates but need coat in cooler weather


6. Must have firm but fair guidance


7. Tend to be hard to housebreak, please refer to #6


8. Require a fence built to contain a flea, they can get out of anything


9. Often become "deaf" under many circumstances, such as while trying to attack a big dog, chasing
birds, barking at people walking by, etc, etc, etc... Please refer to #6


10. Yes...They "ARE" barkers...and No, obedience training will "not" stop it


11. They tend to be "nippers", Please refer to #1 & #6


12. Because they are very intelligent dogs, most people consider them "stupid", this is only because


these little dogs have convinced these people they are in an effort to get away with more things. In the

 
bigger picture, they get bored very easily with repetition, so they need things changed up on them

 
once in awhile to make them "think". They do have the attention span of a "Nat", so, Please refer to #6
 

 

 

Because of all the "con's" in this breed, there are literally hundreds of them put into rescue monthly,

Yes, MONTHLY.


This breed can be very hard to live with, many people think they must have one just because they are

 
so "Cool" looking, or others want one because they either always wanted, or use to have a Doberman

 
but either couldn't have a large dog or whatever. The fact is, they are "nothing" like a Doberman.

 
Another fact is they are not Miniature Doberman's, fact is, they are over 400 years older then the

 
Doberman and they have "NO" personality or "Temperament" of a Doberman, the only resemblance is
the "look".


Please take serious consideration to all the "con's" of the breed prior to acquiring one.

I urge you to do lot's of research on the breed & the breeder.

 Breeders that sell their pets with full registration

 
should NOT be considered to purchase from as they obviously are only breeding for profit and are a

 
major contributor to the mass amounts of Min Pin's in rescue.

 

 

 

Health Issues
for the Miniature Pinscher

 

The Miniature Pinscher is a fairly healthy breed but, like other breeds, they are susceptible to some health problems, including:

 

 


Patellar Luxation

Medial Patellar Luxation (also known as Kneecap Luxation and Slipped Stifles) may be congenital or acquired. The congenital form is most common in the toy and miniature breeds, and may occur simultaneously with other pelvic limb deformities. Most researchers believe luxated patellas to be heritable (inherited) as well, though the exact mode of inheritance is not known.

When patellar luxations are present early in life, the major muscle groups of the thigh pull toward the inside of the leg, putting abnormal pressure on the knee joint cartilage. The result is a bowlegged stance and an abnormal pull on the patella.

When the patella is in its normal position, its cartilage surface glides smoothly and painlessly along the cartilage surface of the trochlear groove with little or no discomfort. As the patella "pops out" of its groove these cartilage surfaces improperly rub each other. The dog may cry out and try to straighten the leg to "pop it back in" or may hold the limb up until muscle relaxation allows the kneecap to reposition itself. There is little or no discomfort until the cartilage is effectively "rubbed off" or eroded to a point where bone touches bone. From this point on, each time the patella "pops out" into its abnormal, luxated position it will cause pain.


Legg-Calve Perthes (LCPD)

LCPD (also known as Avascular Necrosis) is a disorder of the hip joint occuring in both humans and dogs. It is most often seen in miniature and toy breed dogs between the ages of four months and one year. The Miniature Pinscher is one of the breeds at risk.

LCPD is a result of interrupted blood supply to the femoral head resulting in avascular necrosis. This is followed by revascularization whereby the femoral head is subject to collapse or remodel, creating an irregular fit in the hip socket and leading to stiffness and pain. The results are similar to those experienced by larger breeds with hip dysplasia.

The degree of severity varies. No specific causes are known although it is believed to have a genetic mode of inheritance.

 


Hypothyroidism

Canine Hypothyroidism is the most commonly diagnosed hormonal disease found in dogs. The term hypothyroidism simply means the underproduction of thyroxin, the hormone produced by the thyroid gland.

The thyroid gland is located on the trachea (wind pipe) of the dog, just below the voice box. It exerts its influence on the dog's body by producing and releasing thyroxin into the blood stream. This hormone, and thus, the thyroid gland itself, is very important in controlling growth and development and maintaining normal protein, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism of the dog.

Hypothyroidism usually occurs between the ages of two to six years. The most common sign is an increase in body weight. Lethargy and some form of skin disease (i.e., thin coat, loss of hair, dandruff, oily skin, increased scratching) are also common signs of Hypothyroidism.

The treatment is through thyroid hormone supplementation given orally once or twice a day. Usually thyroid supplementation improves the clinical signs associated with the disease within four to six weeks. All the clinical signs of hypothyroidism are reversible, once treatment is started.

 


Epilepsy

Canine Epilepsy is a chronic condition characterized by recurrent seizures. Seizures are the result of muscle responses to an abnormal nerve-signal burst from the brain. The cause can be anything that disrupts normal brain circuitry:

Idiopathic Epilepsy, meaning "no known cause", also referred to as Primary Epilepsy, is possibly inherited. Secondary Epilepsy can be caused by:

 

  • Low blood sugar,
     
  • low thyroid function,
     
  • infections causing brain damage,
     
  • ingestion of toxins,
     
  • brain tumors, and
     
  • vaccinations.

Most dogs with Idiopathic Epilepsy suffer their first seizure between the ages of one and five years. A genetic basis for Idiopathic Epilepsy is strongly suspected in several breeds.

 


Note: This is only a partial listing of some of the health concerns that can be found in the Miniature Pinscher and should not be considered as a complete listing. This section is provided as a source of information only. It is not intended as a substitute for professional care. Always consult with your Veterinarian about health related matters.

 

 

 

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