Dog breedsPinscher and schnauzer
German Pinscher
- Origin
- Germany
- Type
- Pinscher and schnauzer
- Size
- Medium
- Height
- 45–50 cm (18–20 in)
- Weight
- 14–20 kg (31–44 lb)
- Coat
- Dense, short and smooth
- Colors
- Black and tan, or solid red
- Status
- Recognised by the FCI; endangered in Germany
The German Pinscher, or Deutscher Pinscher, is a German breed that shares its origins with the Schnauzer and is in effect its short-haired equivalent. It was formerly kept as a carriage dog, a stable dog and a ratter. It is a separate breed from the Affenpinscher, the Austrian Pinscher and the Miniature Pinscher.
History
Where the German Pinscher first came from is not known. Dogs of this type, rough-haired and smooth-haired alike, were traditionally kept around stables and carriages, where they were capable rat catchers; they were sometimes called Stallpinscher. Both coat types came from the same lineage and could turn up in the same litter. The rough-haired kind later became the Standard Schnauzer.
The smooth Pinscher was mentioned in print in 1836, and the Pinscher was entered in the German stud book in 1880. In 1895 Ludwig Beckmann described five varieties of Pinscher and noted that the smooth-haired one was growing less common and was seldom seen at shows. That same year a breed society, the Pinscher-Schnauzer-Klub, was founded for both types.
The breed almost disappeared after the Second World War. Werner Jung rebuilt it from a single standard-sized dog and four unusually large Miniature Pinschers; after eight years with no recorded births, a litter was whelped in 1958. The Fédération Cynologique Internationale gave the breed full acceptance in 1955.
The German Pinscher is still endangered. In 2003 it was named an endangered breed of the year by the German society for old and endangered livestock breeds, when there were 40 breeding bitches, and in 2022 it stood in category III, endangered, of that society’s red list. From 2008 to 2017 between 350 and 450 puppies were born each year.
Appearance
This is a medium-sized dog. Males and females alike weigh 14 to 20 kg and stand 45 to 50 cm at the withers. The coat is dense, short and smooth. It comes in two colors: black and tan, or solid red ranging from a light stag red to a dark reddish brown.
Facts on this page were checked against Wikipedia and may have changed since.