This past summer was a great one. My husband and I wanted to get a dog, but living in a rental unit at the time, we were limited to a certain size. After having Doberman Pinchers for the past 6 yrs it was hard to want anything else. Garrett suggested we look at maybe getting a Min Pin. Well I had never heard of them and was unsure that I would care for the breed. He told me that they looked like a Doberman but were TOY size. So, I agreed to go and see some at the pet store. I fell in love right away. The pet stores prices were so outrages that we decided to start looking for local breeders. Boy was that a task. All in all I would have to say it was well WORTH it. We found the cutest, sweetest Min Pin and the price was right within our budget. I am dedicating this page to Min Dee Belle (my Min Pin) so that others too may learn more about the Min Pin breed, and their history.

This is Min Dee Belle (a very bad out of focus picture that will be updated VERY soon).

Show Standards
(The following information obtained from the American Kennel Club.)

General Appearance- The Miniature Pinscher is structurally a well balanced, sturdy, compact, short coupled, smooth-coated dog. Naturally he is well groomed, proud, vigorous and alert. Characteristic traits such as his hackney-like action, fearless animation, complete self-possession, and his spirited presence adds to his natural beauty.

Size, Proportion, Substance- SIZE- 10 inches to 12 1/2 inches in height allowed, with a desired hieght of 11 inches to 11 1/2 inches measured at the highest point of the shoulder blades. DISQUALIFICATION- Under 10 inches or over 12 1/2 inches in height. Length of males should equal height at his withers. Females may be slightly longer.

Head- Must be in correct proportion to the body. Tapering, narrow with well fitted but not to prominent foreface which balances with the skull. With no indications of coarseness. The eyes are full, slightly oval, clear, bright and dark even to a true black, including the eye rims, with an exception for the chocolate, whose eye rims should be self colored. The ears are set high, standing erect from the base to the tip. May be either cropped or uncropped. Skull should appear flat, tapering forward toward the muzzle. Muzzle should be strong rather than fine and delicate, and in direct proportion to the head as a whole. The head should be well balanced with only a slight drop to the muzzle, which is parallel to the top of the skull. The nose is black only, with the exception again to the chocolate which should be self colored. The lips and cheeks should be small, taut, and closely adherent to each other. Teeth must meet in a scissor like bite.

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

Forequarters- Shoulders clean and sloping with moderate angulation coordinated to perit the hackney-like action. Elbows close to the body. Legs should show strong bone development and small clean joints. As viewed from the front, straight and upstanding. Pasterns strong and perpendicular. Dewclaws should be removed. Feet small, catlike, toes strong, well arched and closely knit with deep pads. Nails thick and 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, they should appear well angulated. Thighs well muscled. Stifles well defined. Hocks should be short, and set well apart. Dewclaws should be removed. Feet small catlike, toes strong, well arched and closely knit with deep pads. Nails thick and 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 fo black hairs). Black with sharply defined rust-red markings on the 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 then listed. Thumb mark (patch of black hair surrounded by rust on front of the foreleg between the foot and the wrist; on chocolates the patch is chocolate hair). White on any part of the 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 a spirited presence is preferred.

These standards were approved by the American Kennel Club July 8, 1980

The King of the Toys

The Min Pin at first glace has an uncanny resemblence to the Doberman. Sometimes they are even referred to as Teacup Dobermans, perpetuating the myth that the Min Pin was a bred down Doberman. In reality the two dogs are not related, altough they do share the same guard dog instinct. Because of the strikingly similar appearance the black and tan color variation of the Min Pin is a very popular choice for the pet owner who wants to have a Doberman look-alike that fits perfectly into and apartment or small home. Limited yard space is not a problem for these rambunctous creatures. They can get a LARGE amount of excercise in a very small area. Another surprise of the Min Pin is their assertiveness toward large dogs, with an attitude that refutes their true size.

According to the Miniature Pinscher Club of America, "Germany is the undisputed home and origin of the Min Pin where they are also known as 'Reh Pinschers.' They were called that because of their resemblence to the red deer that roamed the forests of Germany many years ago."

This page is under construction PLEASE be sure to check back for an update. Thank you for your cooperation.

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