The Miniature Pinscher ( Min Pin ) originated in Germany several centuries ago. The breed standard
was first recorded in the German Stud Book in 1880.
It was first shown at the Stuttgart show in 1900 with
93 Miniature Pinschers in competition.
Although though he looks like a miniature version of the Doberman Pinscher,
he is not related. The miniature pinscher is actually older than the Doberman pinscher and was a recognized breed in Germany
many years before the Doberman was developed.
In Germany the breed is often called the Reh Pinscher ( term only
used for a dog of stag-red color), because of its resemblance to the Roe Deer , a small deer that is said to frequent the
forests of the Rhineland.
It is also sometimes known by several other names Zwerg Pinscher ( Zwerg means
dwarf in German ), Toy Pinscher, Dwarf Pinscher, Deer Pinscher).
The min pin was developed from various breeds including
the Italian greyhound, German pinscher and the Smooth Dachshund, and was originally used to hunt rats in stables. Pinschers
have been used as ratters for over 300 years.
By 1920, the miniature pinschers started to be exported to the United States and by 1925, the
miniature pinscher was accepted into the American Kennel Club as a member of the toy group. 1929 saw the Miniature Pinscher
Club of America being formed, and the breed became as popular in North America as it had already been in Europe.
In New York, the dogs had entries in the Miscellaneous Class between 1911 and 1929. it
appeared at the Westminster Kennel Club Dog Show -New York Dog show site for the first time in 1930, as a Miniature
Pinscher and competed in the Terrier Group, but was moved to the Toy Group in 1931.
Canadians were
slower to warm to the Miniature Pinscher. It took until 1937 for the first Miniature Pinschers to be registered with the Canadian
Kennel Club Stud Book.
