Facts & Origin
Origin and history of the Miniature Pinscher
His earliest ancestors could be the German Pinscher crossed with Italian Greyhoundsand Dachshunds have been.The Miniature Pinscher originated in Germany. In 1895 Josef Berta had the idea to separate rough-haired and smooth-haired of a formerly common breed, so that then the rough-haired Schnauzer and the smooth-haired Pinscher were created.
Today there are six different Pinscher breeds, but only three of them look very similar and differ from each other only in size, namely the Dwarf Pinscher or Deer Pinscher, the German Pinscher and the Doberman. The Rehpinscher is the smallest of these three breeds.
Originally it was bred to hunt rats and mice. Therefore, in Austria, the Dwarf Pinscher became known as the "Rehrattler". Rattlers were traditionally kept as stable dogs in Austria; they reliably kept mice and rats out of Austrian stables. The quick and agile little stable dog is still a welcome dog on the farm today due to its good nature and loyalty, even though the Rehpinscher is now kept more as a friendly companion dog and valued for its shiny coat.
Suitability and attitude
Even though the Miniature Pinscher is particularly small among Pinschers, it is just as alert and persistent, protecting its family and their property. Because of its size, this dog is particularly well suited as a city, apartment, and family dog.
| Alternate Name | Rehpinscher |
| Origin | Germany |
| Life expectancy | 12 - 15 years |
| Care requirements | low-maintenance |
| Activity level | average to high |
| FCI group | Pinscher and Schnauzer type |
| AKC group | Toy Group |
| KC group | Toy Group |
Attitude, character and temperament of the breed
Typical character traits of the dwarf or deer pinscher
The lively Miniature Pinscher is a very good guardian, especially loyal, temperamental but at the same time balanced. He is particularly curious and loves to learn. Therefore, he is also very suitable for DogDancing or corresponding dog sports, which challenge him mentally and physically.
The Miniature Pinscher is very affectionate and also likes to play. Nevertheless, if you have children in the family, you must take into account, as with all dogs, that the children treat him with enough respect and, if needed, also leave him retreat possibilities. If they do not do this, he may fight back.
Character
Usage
Health and breeding information
Breed diseases and life expectancy
There are also two diseases to watch out for in the Miniature Pinscher: Acral Mutilation Syndrome, a congenital nerve disease, and Mucopolysaccharidosis, a metabolic disorder. Nevertheless, both diseases are quite rare in the Pinscher.
In general, Miniature Pinschers belong to the particularly robust and healthy dog breeds, but only if, as mentioned above, you make sure to buy a dog over 4 kg from a reputable breeder, because the Miniature Pinschers bred today often particularly small are in turn particularly susceptible to many diseases. You must pay attention to this if you want to buy a Miniature Pinscher. So your companion can reach an age of at least 15 years.
Rehpinscher breeding and purchase
The best place to buy a Rehpinscher is from a breeder who is qualified. Unfortunately, you can find many dubious sellers of cheap torture breeds, so-called "multipliers", on the Internet. If you want to buy a Rehpinscher, you have to calculate with a price of about 500 Euro, whereas every registered breeder of dwarf pinschers sets the prices for his own puppies finally himself.
If it does not necessarily have to be an official pedigree, you can also inquire at an animal shelter in your area or an animal welfare association whether there are currently specimens of this breed. But always pay attention to the individual character.
Breed characteristics of the Miniature Pinscher
The Miniature Pinscher is classified by the FCI as Group 2 (Pinscher and Schnauzer - Molossoid - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs), Section 1 (Pinscher and Schnauzer). The breed standard does not require a working test.
This small dog breed has a height at withers of about 25-30 cm and a weight of 4-6 kg. The Miniature Pinscher is a trotter. The back remains firm and relatively quiet in movement. The movement is harmonious, secure, powerful and uninhibited, with a good stride. Typical of the trot is a ground covering, relaxed and fluid movement, with a powerful thrust and free stride.
The head
The strong Dwarf Pinscher skull is elongated with a flat forehead, wrinkle-free and parallel to the straight bridge of the nose, and without a strongly protruding occiput and only a slight stop, which should nevertheless be clearly marked.
The muzzle
The nasal tip is well developed and black and sits on fine muzzle ending in a blunt wedge.
Typical of this breed of dog are black, firm and smoothly fitting lips to the jaws, the angles of which should be closed. In addition, a breed specimen has a complete scissor bite, which should be strong, well closing and pure white. The chewing muscles are strongly developed, but without disturbing jaws.
The eyes & ears
The dark, oval eyes have close fitting, black pigmented eyelid rims.
The Miniature Pinscher has prick ears or flap ears, which are set high and are V-shaped with the inner edges of the ears resting against the cheeks. They should be turned forward towards the temples, with the parallel fold not overhanging the top of the head.
The rump
Nobly curved, the neck must not be too short and must blend harmoniously into the withers without any set-on. It is dry, without dewlap or loose throat skin. The skin thus lies tight and without wrinkles. Starting from the withers, which form the highest point, the upper profile line slopes slightly backwards, leading to a strong, short but tight back and strong loins. The distance from the last rib to the hip is short, so that the dog appears compact. The croup, on the other hand, runs in a slight curve and merges imperceptibly into the base of the tail.
The chest of the Miniature Pinscher is only moderately broad, oval in cross-section and reaches to the elbows. The forechest is distinctively formed by the tip of the sternum. Overall, the lower profile line, whose flanks are not excessively tucked up, forms a nicely curved line with the underside of the rib cage.
The tail
Natural, the breeding goal of the Miniature Pinscher is the sabre - or sickle tail.
The limbs
In general, the forelegs, seen from the front, are sturdy, straight and not narrowly set. The shoulder blade lies firmly against the rib cage, is well muscled on both sides of the shoulder blade bone and projects above the spinous processes of the thoracic vertebrae. As oblique as possible and well laid back, the angle to the horizontal is about 50°. Similarly, the upper arm is well attached to the trunk, strong and muscular with an angle to the scapula of about 95° to 105°.
The elbow, correctly fitting, is not allowed to turn outward or inward, and continues into a strongly developed and muscled forearm, which is completely straight when viewed from the front and side. Both the stable front tarsus and the springy front metatarsus are strong. The latter is vertical when viewed from the front and slightly sloping to the ground when viewed from the side.
The hindquarters are oblique when viewed from the side, parallel when viewed from behind, but not narrowly set. The moderately long but broad thigh is strongly muscled, the stifle joint turned neither in nor out. The long, strong and sinewy lower thigh leads into a powerful, stable hock joint, which must be pronouncedly angulated neither in nor out. The hind pastern is perpendicular to the ground.
The front feet of the Rehpinscher are typical "cat feet": short and round with tightly knit, arched toes. The pads are coarse, the nails short, black and strong. The hind feet, on the other hand, should beslightly longer than the front feet .
The coat
The skin is close fitting all over the body and is covered with short and dense, smooth lying hair, which is shiny.
Color-wise one finds the Rehpinscher in:
- Solid: deer red, red-brown to dark red-brown.
- Black-red: Lacquer-black hair with red or brown markings.
In black-red individuals, a dark, rich, sharply defined blaze is desired. The markings are distributed over the eyes, on the underside of the neck, on the metatarsus of the forelegs, on the paws, on the inner sides of the hind legs and under the root of the tail. There are also two evenly spaced triangles on the forechest, neatly separated from each other.
| Fur length | short |
| Fur | flat coated |
| Ear shape | Standing Ears |
| Tail | lang |
| Anatomy | slim, sporty |
| Size ♀ | 25 - 30 cm |
| Weight ♀ | 4 - 4 kg |
| Size ♂ | 25 - 30 cm |
| Weight ♂ | 4 - 5 kg |
| Suitable For | Children |
Colors
Known Diseases
Nervousness
Very often, unfortunately, small and thin breed suffering from permanent nervousness.
Permanent tremor
Persistent tremors can be very common in small breeds, and are often psychological.
FAQ
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No, Miniature Pinschers are not considered a dangerous or aggressive dog breed.
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High quality food is essential for the health of a Miniature Pinscher. You should calculate the amount of food on the age and weight. A rule of thumb says 2.5% of the weight is a good amount of food. So a 5kg Dwarf Pinscher should eat 125 grams per day.
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Small dogs are often less educated and trained. Misbehavior is ignored. A Miniature Pinscher is considered a barker if it has been trained badly or not at all. In principle, no dog is a barker by nature.
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As a small and relatively robust dog breed, Dwarf Pinschers usually live to be at least 15 years old.
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Acral Mutilation Syndrome, a congenital nerve disease, and Mucopolysaccharidosis, a metabolic disorder. Both diseases are very rare in the Pinscher, but they can occur.
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If the dwarf pinscher is bred even smaller (<4kg), so that a number of health problems arise, one can speak of torture breeding.
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Originally he was bred to hunt rats and mice. In Austria, the Miniature Pinscher therefore became known as the "Rehrattler". Rattlers were traditionally kept as stable dogs in Austria; they reliably kept mice and rats out of Austrian stables.
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Yes, the Miniature Pinscher can also be kept as a family dog.
