Pinschers: characteristics, types, selection and care

Many lovers of four-legged pets want to see a dog in their house, which will become not only a guard at home, but also a true friend for the whole family. But faced with the choice of a breed of pet, many are lost, not knowing which one to stop.

One of the very bright, cheerful and easy to train dog breeds is the pincher. This is a relatively heterogeneous group, uniting many varieties (Austrian, Japanese and so on), which provides a variety of sizes, colors and proportions. The International Federation of Cynologists (FCI) categorizes the group of pinschers as “pinschers, molosses, Swiss cattle dogs and schnauzers”.

Regarding the word “pincher,” there are two theories of etymology. The first refers us to the German language (pinscher), and the second refers to the English verb to pinch, that is, pinching, pinching. Perhaps this is due to the fact that dogs of this breed have their ears cropped.

In earlier times, pinschers were widespread mainly in Central and Western Europe (Alsace, Holland, northern Switzerland, the counties of Baden and Bavaria). In 1835, Dr. H.G. Reichenbach, in his book on dogs, composed the first description of the pinscher.

At the first officially organized dog show in 1878 in Hanover, the Pinschers were introduced to the general cynological community, and after 2 years, Richard Strebel developed the world's first pinscher standard.

In 1895, Joseph Berta founded the Pincher Club, the task of which is to differentiate pinschers and define them as independent breeds.

FCI distinguishes 5 officially recognized varieties of the Pinscher breed: Dobermanns, German and Dwarf, Austrian and Affenpinchers. Some names may be known as royal pinscher, miniature pinschers and others.

They all have common features - all species have developed, athletic muscles, a strong skeleton, everyone has endurance, mobility, love and can jump high. The pinscher’s coat is always short, so in cold latitudes it is difficult to establish a pet’s year-round living outside the house.

By temperament, these dogs are motile, close to sanguines. And also they are distinguished from other breeds by courage, vigilance, alertness to strangers. Aggression to other dogs is possible. Dogs of this breed are well developed instinct, hunting and territorial instinct. But absolutely all of them need a good upbringing, since the excess energy inherent in these animals, without control, can turn into some destruction.

A relatively rare variety of the breed, obtained from local species of dogs, which were dubbed wading, and pinschers of older types. Since the Austrian pinscher is mainly associated with farming, the breed was on the verge of extinction when they were no longer used in the local economy. After the Second World War, the number of this species of breed fell very much., but still partially preserved to our times.

In 1928, the Austrian Pinschers were recognized as an independent breed, which is characterized by squat and stocky. Consider the characteristics of this type:

• at the withers they can reach up to half a meter;
• have a shaggy and twisted tail;
• on average, animals weigh up to 18 kg;
• a pear-shaped head and a wide skull;
• the short muzzle has a pronounced transition to the frontal part;
• lips fit snugly;
• a large nose, expressive dark eyes and ears, which can be either upright or hanging;
• powerful neck, long chest of barrel-shaped form;
• despite a short back and a wide lower back, the dog has strong limbs and a high tail;
• the coat is rather dense, there is a thick undercoat;
• the hair itself is smooth, short hairs, which in rare cases can reach medium length.

This breed is characterized by such qualities as zeal, industriousness and cheerfulness, but they do not perceive a person as a master, but as an equal, parity inhabitant of your home. Usually they are used in farming, but you can also train them in hunting, for example, foxes.

Regarding health, it should be noted that dogs of this species rarely get sick, have a sharp mind and have a playful, ardent temperament.

Distributed in Western Europe. It is believed that they once separated from the Schnauzers, and also that pugs, older Pinscher breeds and Belgian griffons were involved in the development of this breed.

This breed was recognized in 1896 and to this day has clear established characteristics.

• The growth of the animal can be up to 30 cm at the withers, and the desired weight is not more than 6 kg;
• The coat is not a very long pile, the length of which reaches 2.5 cm. And there is also an undercoat.
• For this breed, only black color is allowed (black and gray versions are possible), brown, black with a red tan.But earlier gray, tan, taupe, dark brown, red colors, as well as white paws and chests were allowed.
• The animal has large and dark eyes, erect pointed ears.
• The jaws are closed and may protrude somewhat.
• This species is characterized by a lean body with deep breasts and limbs parallel to each other.
• The structure of the hind legs is characteristic - the angles of the joints are not very pronounced, so it seems that the legs are brought directly under the body.

Temperament is very playful, and energy is disproportionate to size. Another affenpincher can go far in protecting his territory (even showing his teeth), so this breed is not a good choice for families with small children.

Inherited the name of its breed from its creator Friedrich Luis Dobermann. During his lifetime, dogs of this breed were called Thuringian pinschers, and after his death they acquired the now-known popular name.

Oddly enough, it is the Dobermans that are a large copy of the Zwergpinscher, and not vice versa. Friedrich Louis Dobermann used to create the Beauceron breed, standard German pinschers, Rottweilers and some dogs whose breeds belong to the hunting species.

A number of characteristics of this breed are noted.

• At the withers, animals reach 70 cm, and the average normal weight is 45 kg.
• From above, the dog’s head looks like a dull wedge: the forehead is flat, there is a noticeable transition between the forehead and the muzzle of a small size.
• The muzzle itself is deep, wide and the lips fit tightly to the jaw.
• The teeth are white and form a scissor bite.
• The eyes are medium in size and dark in color. But for certain shades of wool (ash, brown), lighter colors of the iris are acceptable.
• Dobermans do not stop their ears, moreover, they are located at the highest point of the skull. The neck is dry, muscular, the withers well defined and quite high.
• The back is rather strong and not very long, and the powerful lower back is moderately convex.
• The animal has a wide chest with an oval across, the stomach is taut, and forms a curvature.
• The limbs are strong and long relative to the trunk.
• The hair does not have an undercoat, and the hair itself is a straight, hard and rather short pile.

Dobermans are famous for their temperament, but despite the complex nature, the dog of this breed is able to cope with the outbursts of aggression on its own. The high mental abilities of these dogs and the potential for training are noted.

The oldest Pinscher breed, which participated in the formation of the remaining breeds (except for the Austrian species, which had a formation in parallel with the German one). Their appearance dates back to the XVIII century, and the south-west of the country is considered the place of origin. This area is characterized by the spread in earlier times of “marsh dogs”, which have characteristic external features inherent in some varieties of pinchers.

In addition to the name "German Pinscher", this breed is also called standard. If we look at the history, pinschers were not originally a separate line of development with schnauzers - puppies from the same litter were divided into smooth-haired (and were named pinschers) and wire-haired, which were later called schnauzers.

Later, breeders came to the conclusion that it is most advisable to separate these two breeds, because even pinschers were entered into the pedigree of pinschers, and only schnauzers were entered into the pedigrees of schnauzers.

In 1884, the breed of the German Pinscher was officially allocated, and the standard was approved 4 years earlier, followed by a revision in 1895 and another in 1923. It is noteworthy that due to the proximity of Schnauzers and German Pinschers, the standards of their breeds are very close - they differ practically only in wool.

German pinschers are very funny and perky dogsin need of education and early establishment of social contacts with the owner. Brought up in this way, the German pincher is absolutely non-aggressive to relatives and friends, but it is still better not to take risks and not to leave him alone with the kids, otherwise the pincher may inadvertently cause injury to the child. Nevertheless, under the supervision of adults, the German pinscher plays well with children, as he has remarkable patience and forgives the kids many liberties for themselves.

The German pinscher deftly plays on the owner’s weaknesses, trying to captivate him with his affairs, distracting him from his pranks. If the maneuver failed, the pinscher tries to bribe the owner with sincere repentance. Therefore, one should be careful with the charms of this undoubtedly charismatic dog. German pinschers get along well with other pets and are often able to engage them in their affairs, showing the qualities of an entertainer.

Among the German Pinschers, the so-called Harlequin-Pinschers are distinguished. This is another branch of the German Pinscher breed, characterized by a special color - the so-called merle. It is for harlequin-pinchers that merle of various forms is characteristic - white basic color + black ragged spots.

Appeared around the same time, when in Germany began to breed "ordinary" Pinschers. To the advantage of these babies was the fact that they are no less effective in catching rodents and no less selflessly protecting the owner and his property, but they eat an order of magnitude less.

The miniature pinschers have more pronounced traits of the character of the breed, a more expressive temperament. This creates certain difficulties in the process of training and exhibition. The watchdog instinct in these dogs wakes up to 5 months, and from then on, when a stranger appears in the house, the dog tends to take a place between the stranger and the owner, protecting him.

Miniature pinschers do not really like attention, and they do not need constant caress. These dogs have a very clearly defined family circle, and if your pinscher is not the only pet, then he will soon try to establish his supremacy in the hierarchy of pets. But to realize this pinscher will not be through fights.

From the owner, he requires a strong hand and iron will, otherwise he simply will not obey him.

In the process of growth, the miniature pinscher shows remarkable curiosity, but it is very prudent and very smart. If everything is done correctly, in the process of upbringing you will get a faithful dog that will not be overly aggressive, and at the same time will show zeal and a remarkable mind.

In 1880, the first standard of the miniature pinscher breed was established, in 1895 a club of admirers of this breed was founded.

• The height of the mini-pincher is up to 30 cm, and the weight is up to 6 kg.
• The miniature pinschers are very agile, hardy, and physically athletic in their proportions. The shapes are predominantly square, and more fragile and graceful shapes are regarded as defects.
• The nose has a black lobe, which easily moves, the back of the nose is even.
• The eyes of these dogs are dark and very expressive.
• Ears are either standing V-shaped or hanging in the same shape. At the hanging - the ends are adjacent to the cheekbones.
• The neck is slightly curved and short, smoothly passing into the withers. The back is small and strong. The croup is round, the tail transition region has fuzzy outlines.
• The chest is quite wide and has an oval shape. The limbs are strong, strong and graceful.
• The coat is hard, smooth and shiny.

According to the standard, the miniature pinschers are red and black and tan, and the tan should have a rich color and a certain localization - above the eyes, on the chest, metacarpals, the inside of the hind legs, below the base of the tail. Their gait is similar to a horse's one - raising their forepaws high, which is why the breed received a specific nickname - "the riding pony of the poor."

There are Russian, Australian and Japanese versions of miniature pinschers. But you should be careful when choosing a puppy of this variety, because very often a thoroughbred miniature pinscher is given a mestizo of a toy terrier or a cross with other small breeds.

To the selection of puppies should be approached very responsibly:

• you should choose a reliable site for buying a puppy - trusted friends, a shelter with a good reputation or breeders who are positively known in the circles of dog breeders;
• it is advisable to go into this business with an experienced dog breeder who has knowledge in dog breeds, is able to bite tricks and find tricks in various sentences;
• you must familiarize yourself with the breed standards of the current revision.

If the bitch is well-fed, well-groomed and gives the impression of a dog’s contented life, then her puppies will most likely be the same. In turn, if the dog does not eat properly, does not receive the necessary care, then she can run her puppies. Next, you should look closely at the puppies. Pay attention to their interaction with each other, how they play, eat, and resolve conflicts. Sluggish puppies or puppies that are not actively eating should be alert.

Then you need to choose a puppy for yourself by nature. There are two ways to do this.

• The first is to kneel down and call the puppies to you. First, the most courageous and curious will do, then a little less daring, and you should choose from them. But note that in this situation, both aggression and excessive cowardice are not welcome.
• The second is to scare the puppies by stamping their foot loudly. Of those who do not shrink, you can choose a pet.

After you have looked after a specific puppy, you should do its detailed examination. It is necessary to evaluate the dog’s bite, whether there is any discharge from the mouth, what is the condition of the mucous membrane, as well as the teeth. It is important to examine the dog’s coat, claws, eyes and ears, as well as evaluate the dog’s gait.

The mucous regions should be pale pink, the conjunctiva of the eyes should be clean, without a vascular network. The ears should be clean, without separation of any liquids, and the coat should be uniform, glossy, dense, having a color without bald spots.

And you should also consider your ability to keep the dog. If you want a not very voracious pet for apartment living, then the miniature pinscher is your option.

It is desirable to keep Doberman in a private house, providing him with regular meals. The remaining breeds of the Pincher group are characterized by a more moderate appetite, and are quite suitable for you.

Different names are suitable for Pinscher puppies, depending on the gender, nature or outstanding features of the dog. There is a general set of tips applicable for choosing a dog's nickname.

• You should carefully look at the dog, maybe it has appearance features that can prompt you to answer the question about the nickname.
• Observation of the character and behavior of the pet may result. Perhaps in his manners there will be some traits worthy of perpetuation in the nickname.
• The nickname should be harmonious and easily digestible. The abundance of consonants (especially hissing) sounds is hard to remember for the animal.
• The name should not be too pretentious - it is difficult, and can cause ridicule in the eyes of others.
• The name should match your dog’s common traits.

The girl can be called, for example, Yasina, Amina, Bardi, Vesta.

Boys like names such as Janes, Winston, Lucky, Loki, Schuster and others.

Most Pinschers are quite capable of living in an apartment, but for Dobermans it will be difficult.All pinchers tend to be more hierarchical than average dogs, so it is especially important to prove with them who is the boss in the house.

Be sure to set the rules and framework for both the pet and yourself - Pinchers have a keen sense of justice, so they will not follow the rules established by those who themselves are not ready to follow them and keep order. And even in this case, some pinchers will perceive you as a maximum, as an equal partner, only of a larger size.

It is very important to provide such a leisure to your baby, who will be happy for him and will spend all his strength, because the unreleased energy can be transformed into destructive potential - tattered sofas, nibbled chairs and broken flower pots.

Encourage your dog's impulses for active games, especially if the situation does not threaten destruction. Therefore, on the street you should give all your best along with your dog, then at home the pet will be calm and balanced.

Keep in mind that the pinscher’s wool does not allow them to hibernate on the street - some pinschers cannot walk without clothes in winter, it doesn’t matter if your dog or puppy is an adult. And at temperatures below +7 degrees, some types may even need shoes. And if the street is hot and the sun is bright, you may also need light clothing - to protect the dog from sunburn, and certainly water.

Consider having other pets. It is ideal to raise a pinscher with other animals from a puppy's age - then it will be easier for him to adapt to his family and get used to them.

You must immediately be puzzled by the issues of appointing a place for sleeping, eating and temporarily determining the place of the toilet, since at first the pinscher will energetically look for where to do his business, where to eat and where to sleep. And if you don’t choose a place in advance, it will be harder for the puppy to get used later.

For the most part, the health of the pincher depends on the diet, since a well-fed dog is extremely ill. Pincher can be fed with both natural food and dry food, but only with one thing. If you choose natural food, then it is necessary to include raw beef, horse meat, hypoallergenic meat of poultry.

The amount of meat should be from 60 to 80% of the diet. The rest will mainly consist of cereals and vegetables, but dairy products and multivitamin preparations can be added periodically. Twice a week, you can replace meat with fish, boneless.

Here are a few principles for feeding pinschers.

• Adaptation. If you take a puppy from breeders - carefully listen to what kind of complementary foods they introduced during weaning from mother's milk in order to feed them with the most similar food.
• Constancy. If you initially chose one thing (canned food, dry food or natural food) - stick to this until the end.
• Caution. New products should be introduced gradually.

Serving should be strictly for one meal. For every kilogram of body weight, 25 g of food is needed in a single serving. When cultivating the pincher’s eating habits, it is necessary to accustom to the fact that feeding occurs at the same time, and after 15 minutes there may be no food, so you should not pick and turn your nose.

From 8-10 days after receiving the puppy from the breeders, new products are introduced into his diet, gradually, being careful. The frequency of feeding is approximately as follows:

• up to eight weeks - up to 8 times a day;
• up to three months - 5;
• up to four - 4;
• up to five months - three times a day;
• from six months to old age, the dog is taught to 2 meals a day with unlimited drinking.

As for dry feed, you should know that for digestion dogs are ideal premium and super-premium foods, veterinary diets and feed from the category of holistic.

Pinchers are quite unpretentious in matters of hygiene.But this does not mean that you can not pay attention to the pet in terms of care. The animal must be bathed at least once a week, and it is also necessary to brush it with a massage brush so that it removes old hair, epithelial elements, and also disperses the subcutaneous and intradermal blood flow.

Shampoos need special, containing proteins to make the coat look more well-groomed. For dogs with sensitive skin, you can use special hypoallergenic balms that eliminate dry skin that can be caused by shampoo.

It is necessary to regularly cut the claws so that the floors, furniture, and also the animal itself are not damaged if the too long claw breaks. It is also necessary to regularly examine the eyes, ears and condition of the pet’s teeth, and if necessary, clean.

Training begins long before learning the basic commands with building discipline in a dog-master relationship. Necessarily the first commands learned by the pinscher puppy should be “place” and “fu” / “not allowed”, but one should not be too strict with the puppy. You must be patient and persistent, demonstrate determination to become the leader of the pack.

Since pinschers are mainly temperament sanguines, they will easily learn teamsbut you’ll have to try a little to fix it. These dogs are very inventive and welcome a playful activity. Therefore, if you arm yourself with rewards in the form of caresses and sweets, as well as your dog’s favorite toys, you can significantly speed up the process.

It is important to maintain, cultivate and direct the territorial instinct and ownership instinct in the right direction so that the pincher is a good defender of your home.

Proper pet handling, good upbringing and proper care will turn your dog into a true friend, a devoted and loyal member of the family.

Interesting facts about the Doberman breed, see the next video.