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 for showing
purposes but NOT for registration purposes) - 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 - see list below. 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 Miniature Pinscher is not a
scaled-down, version of anything, especially the much larger
Doberman Pinscher, although both are likely descended from the
German Standard Pinscher. It is a distinctly German breed often
referred to as the Zwerg or Dwarf Pincher in historical documents.
German Kennel Club documents also refer to the Miniature Pinscher as
the "reh" Pinscher, but this term is only used for a dog of stag-red
color, "reh" referring to a small red deer found in German forests
years ago. The one fact remains that the Miniature Pinscher
originated several centuries ago as an efficient barnyard ratter,
with no relation to the Doberman or the Manchester Terrier.
Historical artifacts and paintings place the Min Pin as a very old
breed, but factual documentation began less than 200 years ago,
leaving his 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.
Until the early 1900's Miniature Pinscher popularity was primarily
contained in Germany and the Scandinavian countries but has gained
great popularity in the US since the first one was registered with
the AKC in 1925. Originally in the Terrier Group and reclassified as
a Toy in 1930, the official name was changed from Pinscher (Toy) to
Miniature Pinscher in 1972. |
New DNA Test for MPS VI in Miniature Pinscher
A new DNA-based test for mucopolysaccharidosis type VI (MPS VI)
to identify affected, carrier, and normal miniature pinschers has
been developed by researchers at the School.
MPS VI, an inherited lysosomal storage disease, has been seen in
cats. The miniature pinscher is the first dog breed in which it has
been identified. Affected miniature pinschers have been found in
various states in the US and abroad, making this appear to be more
wide-spread and under-diagnosed than previously thought. Diseases in
the MPS group inhibit the cells’ ability to break down large sugar
molecules and parts of the molecules accumulate in cells. This leads
to deformities of limbs, vertebrae, sternum, and particularly, the
hips. Affected animals may also have corneal cloudiness and facial
malformations.
The test identifies affected, carrier, and normal miniature
pinschers. Identification of carriers is particularly important as
they show no signs of the disease. By knowing who the carriers are,
breeders can avoid mating two carriers, which could produce affected
animals, and will assist in eliminating the mutant allele altogether
from the breed.
The test was developed by Dr. Polly Foureman, a Josephine
Deubler Fellow in the School’s
Section of Medical Genetics. The DNA-based test requires a blood
sample to be submitted to the Josephine Deubler Genetic Disease
Testing Laboratory at Penn. The research and test development were
supported by grants from the AKC Canine Health Foundation and the
National Institutes of Health.
The Penn medical genetics researchers, under the direction of
Dr. Urs Giger, are also examining whether the common occurrence
of Legge-Calves-Perthes (LCP) disease in miniature pinschers and
other breeds is related to MPS VI. LCP, a devastating hip disease,
is characterized by necrosis of the femur head. The cause remains
unknown. LCP differs from hip dysplasia and MPS VI, but similar bone
changes are observed in miniature pinschers with MPS VI. Penn’s
researchers want to determine if there is an association between MPS
and LCP disease in this and other breeds with LCP disease. This
study is done by Lisa Berman, senior biology student at Penn, and is
also funded by the AKC Canine Health Foundation.
Dr. Giger and his colleagues are requesting that breeders,
owners, and veterinarians who suspect either condition in a
miniature pinscher contact the laboratory. For a limited time the
first 100 samples will accepted free of charge. Test results will be
kept confidential and information about individual animals will only
be reported to the owner. For further information, please visit the
web site at <www.vet.upenn.edu/penngen> or contact Dr. Giger or
Dr. Lisa Sarvas, the current Deubler Fellow, at <penngen@mail.vet.upenn.edu>
or by fax at 215-573-2162. |
AKC
Miniature
Pinscher Club of America