ALL ABOUT THE MINIATURE PINSCHER
by SHELLEY ERDMAN
D o you remember blowing bubbles on a breezy spring day when you were a kid? You would giggle with delight as the bubbles bounced along with the wind, rising high and plung- ing low, swirling and dancing and chas- ing each other as the current swept them along. Just as you reached for one it would dart off in another direction, alluding your grasp. Sometimes the sunlight and the bubble crossed paths at just the right moment and the bubble took on a special glow. The instant I stepped outside at my very first Minia- ture Pinscher Club of America National Specialty and saw the ex-pens filled with Miniature Pinschers I giggled with that same delight! I went from pen
to pen wanting to reach in and touch them as they bounced and wiggled and swirled as only Min Pins can do. Some- thing about Miniature Pinschers makes people smile and giggle and feel young and energized. If you don’t believe me just watch the faces of spectators, both young and old, when they approach the Min Pin ring at any show. Min Pins are sometimes mistaken for a small version of the Doberman. In fact, a co-worker saw me out with my Dobe and my Min Pin and asked how we got some of them to stay so small. I jokingly mentioned something about a special potion when they were a few days old but realized she was serious, so quickly recanted and offered her cor- rect information. Miniature Pinschers
are definitely not a small, scaled-down Dobe. While both breeds originate in Germany, Min Pins are an older breed, likely coming from crossing German Pinschers, Italian Greyhounds and Dachshunds. The Min Pin ancestors provide our wonderful breed with feistiness, fearlessness, speed, grace and tenacity. Min Pins require little grooming for their short, straight, lustrous coat. They need bathing and brushing to keep their coat free of loose hair and dirt. Nails need regular trimming to keep them at the proper length. Teeth need regular brushing or cleaning by a professional in order to keep the Min Pin’s mouth healthy and prevent issues from bacteria.
“MINIATURE PINSCHERS ARE DEFINITELY NOT A SMALL, SCALED-DOWN DOBE. WHILE BOTH BREEDS ORIGINATE IN GERMANY, MIN PINS ARE AN OLDER BREED, LIKELY COMING FROM CROSSING GERMAN PINSCHERS, ITALIAN GREYHOUNDS AND DACHSHUNDS.”
316 • S HOW S IGHT M AGAZINE , N OVEMBER 2018
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