Breed Standard
Head: Robust, long. Slight stop. Rectangular nose bridge. Blunt, wedge-shaped muzzle. Lips smooth, lying close to jaws.
Ears: If cropped, prick. If natural, drop, v-shaped.
Eyes: Medium size. Oval. Dark color.
Body: Compact. Dry neck. Moderately broad chest. Ribs slightly sprung. Well developed forechest. Belly moderately tucked up. Short back. Heavily muscled legs
Tail: Docked to approximately three vertebrae. Set high, carried erect.
Hair: Short, thick, smooth, and close-lying.
Coat: Solid color: fawn or shades of brown to stag red. Bi-color: black with tan, red, or lighter markings above the eyes, on the neck, forechest, lower legs, feet, inside of hind legs, and around the anus. Markings also on the cheeks, flews, and lower jaw in the Miniature Pinscher.
Size: 25 to 30 cm (10-12 in).
Weight: 2 to 4 kg (4.5-9 lb).
History
Historical artifacts and paintings place the Miniature Pinscher as a very old breed, but factual documentation began less than 200 years ago, leaving their actual origins to debate. The Miniature Pinscher is reported to include the Dachshund and Italian Greyhound among its ancestors. Many historians and those who have researched the background of the breed agree that this heritage is most likely, adding the shorthaired German Pinscher to the family tree. The international kennel club, the FCI, lists the Miniature Pinscher in Group 2, Section 1.1 Pinscher, along with the Dobermann, the German Pinscher, the Austrian Pinscher, and the other Toy Pinscher, the Affenpinscher. Other kennel clubs list the Miniature Pinscher in the Toy Group or Companion Group.
Behavior
Miniature Pinschers are for experienced dog owners. The Miniature Pinscher is an assertive, outgoing, active and independent breed. Miniature pinschers are energetic and need a fenced in yard to run in; they make great agility dogs. They are great escape artists and some recommend having a kennel with a lid on it for them to run around in. They are good watch dogs, as they are alert and wary of strangers.
It is recommended that adults and teenagers, rather than young children, play with a Miniature Pinscher as younger children play rough. This is a very clean breed. The Pinscher can live in the city if he receives a fair amount of exercise. Regular brushing is required.
Function
Watchdog, Agility Dog, Pet.
Health
Some of the breed’s major problems are patellar luxation, cervical (dry) disc, legg-calve perthes, epilepsy, thyroid, heart defects and eye problems in varying degrees of severity.
