Miniature Pinscher

Often referred to as “spirited and fearless,” the Min Pin has a high-stepping gait in which the feet of the front legs are lifted up and out with a bend at the wrist. It’s an appropriate gait for him, given that he thinks he’s hot stuff. He has no clue that he’s a little dog classified as a Toy breed. In his head, he’s a big guy. An active dog, the Min Pin is curious about everything, so safely put away all your medicines and anything else inappropriate for him to get into.

He’s a good family dog and protects his people by challenging intruders who are fifteen times his size with his bold bark. Though he’s quite affectionate with his family, he will never be the kind of dog who likes to ride around in a puppy purse; he’ll walk and prance, thank you very much. He’s a bit stubborn, sure, but his spirited temperament makes for a busy life. His complete sense of self-possession and small stature bring Napoleon to mind.

A tiny Houdini hound, a Min Pin can easily find a way out of a fenced yard and probably views the yard barrier as a challenge to be overcome. Check your fence for holes regularly, preferably daily, or you may look out your front window and see him high-stepping down the street. He’s also a climber.

Because Min Pins are so small and have so little body fat and fur, they get quite cold in the winter and need sweaters or jackets that cover the chest and belly. They can get bald spots (alopecia), which doesn’t help.

As with all Toy breeds, housetraining can be difficult. Begin the minute you bring your puppy home, and try to avoid opportunities for him to make mistakes.

The Min Pin’s short coat sheds, so brush him a couple of times a week to remove loose hair. Other than that, keeping his ears clean, teeth brushed, and nails trimmed is all that’s necessary in the way of grooming.

This is a bold and bright companion dog, agile, trainable, and with a famous — or infamous — sense of humor. He’s eager to participate in family outings, long walks, and organized canine activities such as agility and obedience. But the real secret of his success as a pet is his deep love and loyalty for his owner.

It’s both his virtues — affection for people and a clever nature — and his faults — tendency to dig, bark, and chase wildlife and cats — that make the Min Pin entirely unsuited for the outdoor life. The Miniature Pinscher is a companion dog and needs to live indoors as a member of your family. Making that even more critical is the fact that the Min Pin is very unlikely to stay in your yard, garage, or high-security canine enclosure.

A little dog with a big attitude and a bigger mouth, the Miniature Pinscher has no idea that he isn’t as big as a Doberman. He’ll charge right up to any threat, including a dog many times his size. He’ll try to protect his family, chase cats out of the yard, and sound the alarm when he thinks it’s necessary — which is constantly. And although he’ll fit in your puppy purse, he won’t like it there. This is a dog with a mind and a will of his own, not an accessory.

Don’t let his designation as a Toy dog fool you. Similar to his larger Terrier cousins, the Min Pin will dig, bark, and chase anything that moves, including squirrels, cats, and quite possibly other dogs. Unless he’s well-bred and well-socialized — and sometimes even in spite of such advantages — he’s prone to being a nuisance barker, suspicious of strangers and not great with children.

Min Pins can be wonderful with older children as long as the children don’t manhandle them. His activity level and energy is suited to children, and he loves being a family dog. Supervise interactions with toddlers so they don’t hurt the dog, or vice versa.

Because of his tendency to become protective and territorial, the assertive, proud, and stubborn Min Pin needs firm and consistent training from puppyhood on to control his nipping as well as any tendency he has to bark inappropriately.