Miniature Pinscher

The breed developed in Germany over several centuries as a farmyard ratter, valued for its speed and fearlessness against vermin far larger than itself. Its hackney-like high-stepping trot, still prized in the show ring today, was originally just an efficient way of covering ground on short legs. German breeders fixed the type through the 1800s, and the first breed club was founded in Stuttgart in 1895, well before the dog reached Britain or America.

Living with a Miniature Pinscher means living with a dog that has no idea it is small. It is alert, confident to the point of stubbornness, and will patrol a garden or challenge a much larger dog without hesitation. Early, consistent training pays off, since the breed can be wilful with owners who are inconsistent. It forms close bonds with its household but is often wary of strangers and will bark to announce them, so it makes a surprisingly good watchdog for its size.

The short, smooth coat needs only weekly brushing, but the breed feels the cold badly and needs a coat on winter walks. Exercise requirements are moderate for its size — brisk walks and games rather than long hikes — though it is a keen escape artist and needs secure fencing, since it will happily follow a scent or a squirrel through the smallest gap.

Today the Min Pin is kept almost entirely as a companion, its ratting days long behind it. It suits owners who want a small dog with genuine character and do not mind a bit of independence, but it is not the easiest breed for very young children, who can be knocked about by its boisterous confidence, or be nipped if they provoke it.