German Pinscher

History of the German Pinscher breed

German Pinscher is not the oldest breed, but there is still no reliable information about its origin. It is assumed that the progenitors of the animals could be swamp dogs, which were considered good rat catchers and lived in western Europe since time immemorial. But since this hypothesis has not been documented, it is possible to guess endlessly about the real ancestors of Pinscher.

The first written mentions of the breed have been found since 1836. Then the standard pinscher was bred not all over Germany, but mainly in the vicinity of Württemberg. At first, the animals were kept by burghers overpowered by rodents. Nimble and quick-witted dogs smartly destroyed mice, thereby saving the food supplies of the townspeople. Later, the Germans began to acquire inquisitive dogs and just for the soul. By the way, it was the German pinscher who nullified the fashion for pugs, which had been held in Germany for more than a century.

Gradually the breed expanded its field of activity and began to travel with coachmen. Suddenly it turned out that the German pinscher is quite hardy and able to run for the crew for several kilometers without falling from fatigue. In the realities of that time, such pets were extremely profitable. For example, in the absence of the driver, the dog was placed inside the stagecoach without any problems and scared off thieves with loud barking, and when the vehicle was full of passengers, she could safely run behind the carriage. In addition, four-legged guards continued to hunt rodents in horse stalls and barns, for which they were nicknamed stable pinchers and ratlers (from him. Ratte – rat).

Until 1879, German pinschers were bred together with schnauzers , which made it possible to get smooth- and wire-haired puppies in one litter. Later, the animals were no longer knitted together, which was the first step towards the design of pinchers into an independent breed branch. In 1884, a separate appearance standard was drawn up for the descendants of swamp dogs, which was revised twice – in 1895 and 1923. According to the first standard descriptions, pinscher could have any color – the restriction on the types of colors was introduced much later.

In the 40s of the XX century, interest in the breed faded, and in the 50s pinscher almost stopped breeding. The director of the German Pinscher-Schnauzer Club, Carl Jung, undertook to restore the livestock of animals, through whose efforts the number of purebred individuals in Germany was increased several times. In 1989, breeder Burkhard Foss decided to update the phenotype of standard pinscher for the last time and for ten years in a row he knitted his males with a bitch doberman named Evie. According to experts, the Foss experiment benefited not only the exterior, but also the psyche of the resulting offspring, making it more stable.

Video: German Pinscher

German Pinscher standard

Judging solely by the dimensions, we can say that the standard pinscher is an intermediate link between doberman and tsvergpinscher . Smooth-haired, compact, but far from pocket-sized, the dog looks like a muscular, sturdy man, ready to rush off in search of adventures right now. The height of the average representative of the breed is 45-50 cm; weight is 14-20 kg, and these parameters are equally relevant for both male and female individuals.

Head

The skull with smoothed lines of the forehead and occipital protuberance is slightly elongated. The transition from head to muzzle is barely pronounced, but noticeable. The muzzle forms a blunt wedge with an even back of the nose.

Jaws, lips, teeth

The lips of the German pinscher are dry, black in color, completely hiding the corners of the mouth and tightly bordering the jaw area. The number of teeth is 42. The jaws of a dog of moderate strength, forming a "full scissors" bite in the bow.

Nose

The rather large, but harmoniously developed lobe is painted in a rich black tone.

Eyes

Almond-shaped eyes should have the darkest possible iris and be well covered with dense black eyelid skin.

Ears

The ear cloth is V-shaped, high-fitting, hanging on elastic cartilage tissue. The back edges of the ears are turned towards the temples and touch the zygomatic zone. An important feature: the areas of the ear folds should not rise above the skull.

Neck

Due to the elegant curve, the dry neck of the dog looks elegant and refined. The skin fits snugly to the throat area, so the presence of suspensions and chins is not typical for the breed.

Housing

In the reference German pinscher, the outlines of the body tend to be square. The topline, starting from the withers, goes under a slight slope. The back is strong, well stretched, with a deep shortened loin, enhancing the compactness of the appearance. The slightly rounded croup smoothly passes into the root of the tail; the broad chest, oval in cross-section, is lowered almost to the elbows. The inguinal areas of standard pinchers are barely matched and form a smooth curve with the lower part of the abdomen.

Limbs

The forelimbs are smooth, with adjacent muscular shoulder blades set extremely obliquely. Straight forearms are pronounced and evenly muscled. Pasterns are springy, slightly inclined when viewed from the sides.

For the rear legs of the "German", a parallel, but not excessively narrow delivery is typical. Moreover, when evaluated from the sides, the hind limbs are located in relation to the body at a slight tilt. The hips of a dog with developed muscles, impressive length and width. The knees, as well as the elbows of the front legs, without eversion to the outer and inner sides. The sinewy shins turn into strong hock joints ending in vertical metatarsals.

The paws are rounded, with arched fingers gathering into a ball, dense pads and black claws. An important caveat: the hind legs are always slightly longer than the front ones. The German pinscher moves at a free trot. The length of the step in motion is formed by a free sweep of the front and a powerful push of the hind limbs.

Tail

A harmoniously developed tail should have a natural appearance. According to the German law of 1998, the cupping of this part of the body and the ears of the German pinscher is officially prohibited.

Wool

The coat is very short, thick, evenly covering the dog's body. Healthy hair has a pleasant satin shine, which is especially noticeable in the sun or in well-lit rooms.

Color

The standard recognizes one-color (red-brown, murugo-red) and black-and-tan suits of the breed. Ideally, if the scorch marks are extremely saturated color and distinct shape. The tan spots are distributed in this way: under the tail, on the inside of the hind limbs, on the pasterns and paws, in the throat area, above the inner corners of the eyes.

Disqualifying vices

German pinscher will be disqualified for the following disadvantages:

• any malocclusion;
• mismatch to sexual type (bitches resembling males and males in the type of bitches);
• deviations from the specified standard of growth by more than 3 cm;
• nervousness, distrust, cowardice and uncontrolled aggression of behavior;
• vices in addition, color and type of wool, allowing to suspect the uncleanness of an individual.

The character of the German pinscher

German pinscher is a personality dog. Moreover, the personality is cunning, incredibly curious, able to benefit from the most seemingly ordinary situations. At home, a nimble scoundrel tries to adapt to the owner, but at the same time he will never agree to the role of a secondary pet. Moreover, with the rest of the four-legged creatures, the pinscher is able to get along and even be friends, but it does not bother him at all to consider himself a cut above the rest of the "tails" in the house. Checking the authority of the owner for strength is another favorite activity of young individuals, so do not succumb to provocations. As soon as the dog feels that the leader's throne has been vacated for a moment, she will immediately reign on it.

German pinscher champions in the ability to dodge, cheat and portray universal repentance. These abilities are especially pronounced when a scolding threatens. Usually, a dog who has made a mistake has two tactics of behavior: distracting a person's attention by calling for games or pulling a mournful, guilty face on the muzzle, looking at which the animal wants to hug and regret, but not punish in any way. If for some reason the pinscher was shouted at or denied what he really wanted, he will not be offended, but will quickly adjust to the situation. For example, once again he will pretend to be an understanding good boy who realized his own wrongness, or he will try to get what he had his eye on earlier by cunning. There is absolutely only one thing – the "German" will not sulk and show aggression, because it is simply unprofitable.

A little bit about the tricks of standard pinchers. The breed, like bunnies from Duracell advertising, is able to be active indefinitely. For this reason, the dog is constantly trying to draw the owner into the game. If the owner refuses to satisfy the entertainment needs of the pet, he will not insist and will occupy himself. However, keep in mind that sometimes such "self-entertainment" ends up gluing wallpaper, painting over scratches and tightening home furniture. Accordingly, if you are not ready for destructive surprises, educate the ward correctly and do not leave unattended for a long time.

The hunting instinct of the breed is muted, but this does not prevent the German pinscher from getting into various adventures on the street. In addition, sometimes the spirit of the ancestors wakes up in the pet, requiring a small sacrifice, which usually become mice and garbage rats. On walks, the descendants of swamp dogs are looking for adventures wherever possible. If nothing interesting came into view, the doggie will try to compensate for the lack of impressions by lying in something smelly. And the stronger and more disgusting the smell of the substance is, the more pleasant it is for the pinscher.

The breed joins dog collectives surprisingly easily, occupying a niche of a mass entertainer in them. So if you are afraid for the health of a pet who has run away to get acquainted with sheep dogs resting in the distance, then it is completely in vain – German pinscher do not arrange fights with fellow tribesmen. Well, if suddenly a real danger looms on the horizon, then the savvy "Germans" will prefer not to run into it here and will rush off at a speed that the most fleet-footed will envy greyhound .

Education and training

Due to the natural propensity for manipulation and the ability to adapt any situation to their own needs, there are no "service books" from German pinscher. But this does not mean that the breed is not amenable to training. On the contrary, pinchers are ultra-smart, have developed intuition, and in terms of intelligence are not inferior to such Einsteins of the dog world as poodles and border collie . The problem of the breed's upbringing and training lies only in the fact that its representatives are engaged exclusively in the mood and work disgustingly under duress.

Experienced dog handlers say: the first and most important lesson for a puppy who has moved to a new home is the need to follow the restrictions set by a person. That is, in addition to recognizing the authority of the owner, the German pinscher is obliged to obey the internal regulations of the family and not violate the prohibitions known to him. At the same time, it is important not to overdo the stick and not try to drill the dog. Hard pressure relatives dobermans can't stand it.

In order to raise an exemplary companion and pet from a standard pinscher, breeders with experience recommend to stock up on perseverance and the ability to treat the tricks of the animal with humor. Remember, the breed tends to circumvent restrictions, but not explicitly, but surreptitiously. For example, a dog will withstand the temptation of a bowl of cat treats in the presence of a person, but will empty the dishes in the first seconds when he leaves the room. Trying to scold and punish the German pinscher for being enterprising is pointless. Firstly, he managed to get his offense out of his head at the very moment when the delicacies ran out in the bowl. And secondly, at the first lecture, the dog will portray such remorse that you will be ashamed of your own reproaches. Tell the dog off when you catch it exactly in the act and don't make a tragedy out of the fact that in your absence the pinscher stole cookies from a vase on the table – the breed has absorbed similar tricks at the genetic level.

An important nuance when working with a pinscher is that it is important not to get hung up on the faultlessness of fulfilling requirements. For most pets, for normal integration into the family and the street environment, it is enough to complete a course of UGC, which includes basic dog management commands. Quite often, videos are posted on breed forums in which standard pinscher demonstrate a brilliant command of OKD. Indeed, it is not difficult to cope with such courses for the breed – it will be difficult for the owner who has decided to discipline the pet according to the type of service dog. Therefore, when you see a pinscher passing standards for offending, keep in mind that months of titanic work of a dog handler are behind the honed actions of an animal.

German pinschers are trained according to the same principle as all cunning dogs – trying to interest them in the process, affection or delicacy. To concentrate the animal's attention, European breeders recommend using a clicker. If it is impossible to manage a four-legged rascal even after reading mountains of special literature and watching dozens of training videos, it is better to entrust the matter to professionals. For example, from the age of three months, it is useful to take puppies to training grounds, where instructors conduct a course of educational training. A more effective option is individual paid classes with a dog handler, after which you will receive a controlled and more or less understanding pet team.

Maintenance and care

The ancestors of German Pinscher lived in carriage sheds and barns, but modern representatives of the breed are 100% apartment pets. Of course, the dog is not averse to spending time in the yard or on the plot of a country house, but only in the summer and during the day. Daily walks for the breed are an urgent necessity, and it is necessary to take out its representatives to "air out" twice a day, for at least an hour and a half.

Always remember that German pinscher dogs are weather–dependent. For example, most individuals categorically refuse to walk if a mushroom rain is drizzling outside the window. You can try to solve the problem by buying a waterproof blanket, but, according to experienced breeders, it is often impossible to impress a four-legged prankster even with such comfort attributes. In frosty weather, it is better to shorten the duration of walks if your ward is not a fan of sports exercises and active games, or buy a dog a insulated jumpsuit in which he will definitely not catch a cold.

Hygiene

As with all shorthair breeds, with German pinschers you will not have to spend money on grooming, learn the basics of proper stripping or run around the apartment with a vacuum cleaner to collect the loose pet hair. All that is required to maintain the beauty of the wool is stroking it with a rubber mitten or a brush a couple of times a week to collect dead hairs.

The issue of bathing, if you don't have a show animal, is solved even easier. It is necessary to wash pinchers as pollution occurs, which happens more often than we would like, because of the love of dogs for lying in carrion and excrement. In summer, hygienic procedures can be carried out in natural reservoirs, but keep in mind that the breed does not want to swim and swim, so if it climbs into the water, it is solely to please the owner.

Hygiene of the ears of the German pinscher should be carried out once a week. If an excess of sulfur is detected during the examination, drip a hygienic lotion such as Veda or Favorite into the funnel, massage the folded ear for a few minutes and let the animal shake its head so that the remaining liquid flows out along with the impurities. In addition, it is necessary to ventilate the pet's ears daily, holding them by the tips and gently waving to help the air get inside the funnel. Another option is to wrap the ear cloth back, gently fixing it with special clothespins.

If ventilation is not done, the humidity inside the ear increases, pathogenic bacteria that cause itching develop in it. As a result, trying to get rid of unpleasant sensations, the German pinscher shakes his ears, "breaking" the delicate sensitive tips into the blood. As an alternative to "airing" the hearing organs, cupping can be considered. But it is worth carrying out the procedure only if you have a pet - in Germany and the rest of Europe, cupping is prohibited and individuals with "shortened" ears are not allowed before international exhibitions.

The eyes of German pinscher are relatively healthy, so it is recommended to simply inspect them by removing the mucous lumps from the corners with a clean cloth cloth moistened with hygienic lotions on chamomile broth. If there is discharge from the eyes, go to the veterinarian – healthy representatives of the breed do not have eyes flowing. Claws of pinchers are shortened once a month.

Feeding

On breed forums, German pinschers are called "vacuum cleaners" for their constant passion for snacks and the habit of dragging any products that do not lie well. For this reason, it is not entirely appropriate to talk about the types of feeding. Any pinscher who feeds on industrial "drying" steals tomatoes and sausage from time to time, and vice versa – individuals sitting on natural nutrition, no, no, and will take away her "Proplan" from the cat.

If we describe the pet's menu from the point of view of health benefits, then we can say that the diet of the German pinscher does not differ from the diet of any domestic dog. The basis of the animal's diet is lean stringy meat, which, in order to save money, is periodically replaced with offal and fish fillets (only frozen sea fish). Buckwheat and rice porridge can also be cooked with meat waste.

The dog can get the missing vitamins from vegetables (carrots, beets, pumpkin crops), fruits (apples, bananas, pears, occasionally plums), berries (blueberries, gooseberries). Low-fat dairy products and chicken eggs should also appear regularly in the pincher bowl, as well as fresh herbs in the form of celery and parsley. And of course, do not forget about vitamin and mineral supplements, mandatory for all dogs that eat natural food.

Those who have chosen ready-made dry food for a four-legged pet, it is better to prefer well-known brands of super-premium class and higher. They are more nutritious, do not contain harmful cheap ingredients and are enriched with vitamins and trace elements necessary for the pinscher. You probably won't have to choose a brand according to the taste preferences of the dog – the "Germans" are swearing everything in a row, not forgetting to beg for an additive.

Health and diseases of German pinscher

Standard pinscher have very strong immunity, but genetic predisposition to a number of ailments is not excluded, including Willebrand's disease, hereditary cataract, heart diseases (mitral valve dysplasia, heart defect, subaortic stenosis). Almost half of puppies and teenagers have ear tips injured when the animal shakes its head. This phenomenon is due to the fact that the skin on the outer part of the ear dries out and becomes more vulnerable (superficial ear vasculitis). To prevent wounds from appearing in the future, you need to monitor the hygiene of the ear funnel (clean, ventilate), as well as lubricate the dry skin of the tips with a nourishing cream or coconut oil.

How to choose a puppy

• If the breeder does not save on testing producers for genetic diseases and willingly demonstrates the results of the examination, this is a good sign.
• Carefully study the pedigree of the litter, find out whether the puppies of the German pinscher are proglistogonen, whether they have been vaccinated according to their age.
• Choose a brave, curious puppy and immediately dismiss insecure and aggressive kids who, having matured, will create a lot of problems with their behavior.
• Find out what breed type a particular breeder offers. There are German pinscher types schnauzer and in type doberman . The former have a more powerful physique, the latter are more elegant and taller on their feet.
• Check with the seller from which countries the breeding bitch and male originate. In addition to German manufacturers, the offspring of standard pinscher from Finnish and Swedish lines are appreciated.
• If a puppy is bought for exhibitions or as a future breeding individual, it is important that his ancestors are tested for the so-called weakened color. If this gene appears in the offspring, the path to the ring and to breeding will be closed.

The price of a German pinscher

If you want to buy a dog of German blood, then it is better to look for professional breeders engaged in breeding and selling puppies in Germany on special sites like vdh.de . As for the prices, in the homeland of the breed they start from 900-1000 euros. By the way, if you plan to buy a foreign pinscher for subsequent breeding, you will have to work hard - they do not like to sell producers abroad in any of the European countries. In Russia, too, there are several kennels where you can take a healthy dog with the RKF metric. The cost of such a German pinscher will fluctuate within $400 – $500.