The Minpin Standard

AKC Standard | Kennel Club Standard | Differences Between the Standards

The Miniature Pinscher, or Minpin, like all other purebred dogs, is measured against a breed standard of perfection, a written description of what the ideal specimen should look like. Each dog-registering organization draws up a description, or standard, for each breed it recognizes; however, these standards vary, mainly in the way they are worded, from registry to registry and from from country to country. The Minpin has acquired following all over the world. It is helpful to compare the differences in standards between the American Kennel Club and the Kennel Club of Great Britain. Although they are both very similar, there are some notable differences between the two clubs. Below, are the hignlights of each organization's standard.

AKC Standard for Minpins

General Appearance

The Miniature Pinscher is structurally a well-balanced, sturdy, compact, short-coupled, smooth-coated dog. He naturally is well groomed, proud, vigorous and alert. Characteristic traits are his hackney-like action, fearless animation, complete self-possession, and his spirited presence.

Head

In correct proportion to the body. Tapering, narrow with well-fitted but not too prominent foreface which balances with the skull. No indication of coarseness.
Skull: Appears flat, tapering toward the muzzle.
Muzzle: Strong rather than fine and delicate, and in proportion to the head as a whole. Head well balanced with only a slight drop to the muzzle, which is parallel to the top of the skull.
Nose: Black only, with the exception of chocolates which should have a self-colored nose.
Teeth: Meet in a scissors bite.
Eyes: Full, slightly oval, clear, bright and dark even to a true black, including eye rims should be self-colored.
Ears: Set high, standing erect from base to tip. May be cropped or uncropped.
Lips and Cheeks: Small, taut and closely adherent to each other.

Neck and Body

Neck: Proportioned to head and body, slightly arched, gracefully curved, blending into shoulders, muscular and free from suggestion of dewlap or throatiness.
Topline: Back level or slightly sloping toward the rear both when standing and gaiting. Length of males equals height at withers. Females may be slightly longer.
Chest and Ribs: Body compact, slightly wedge-shaped, muscular and well-sprung ribs. Depth of brisket, the base line of which is level with points of the elbows.
Loins: Short and strong in loin with belly moderately tucked up to denote grace of structural form.
Croup: Level with topline.
Tail: Set high, held erect, docked in proportion to size of dog.

Forequarters

Forechest: Well-developed.
Shoulders: Clean and sloping with moderate angulation coordinated to permit the hackney-like action.
Legs: Strong bone development and small clean joints. As viewed from the front, straight and upstanding, elbows close to the body.
Pasterns: Strong, perpendicular.
Feet: Small, cat-like, toes strong, well arched and closely knit with deep pads.
Nails: Thick, blunt.
Dewclaws: Should be removed from both front and hind legs.

Hindquarters

Hindquarters: Well-muscled quarters set wide enough apart to fit into a properly balanced body. As viewed from the rear, the legs are straight and parallel. From the side, well angulated.
Thighs: Well muscled.
Stifles: Well defined
Hocks: Short, set well apart.

Miscellaneous

Coat: Smooth, hard and short, straight and lustrous, closely adhering to and uniformly covering the body.
Color: Solid clear red, Stag red (red with intermingling of black hairs). Black with sharply defined rust-red markings on cheeks, lips, lower jaw, throat, twin spots above eyes and chest, lower half of forelegs, inside of hind legs and vent region, lower portion of hocks and feet. Black pencil stripes on toes. Chocolate with rust-red markings the same as specified for blacks, except brown pencil stripes on toes. In the solid red and stag red, a rich vibrant medium to dark shade is preferred. Disqualifications: Any color other than listed. Thumb mark (patch of black hair surrounded by rust on the front of foreleg between the foot and the wrist; on chocolates, the patch is chocolate hair). White on any part of dog which exceeds one-half (½) inch in its longest dimension.
Gait: The forelegs and hind legs move parallel, with feet turning neither in nor out. The hackney-like action is a high-stepping, reaching, free and easy gait in which the front legs move straight forward and in front of the body and the foot bends at the wrist. The dog drives smoothly and strongly from the rear. The head and tail are carried high.
Size: Ten (10) inches to twelve and one-half (12½) inches in height allowed, with desired height eleven (11) inches to eleven and one-half (11½) inches measured at highest point of the shoulder blades. Disqualifications: Under ten (10) or over twelve and one-half (12½) inches in height.

APPROVED JULY 8, 1980

Back to the Top

Kennel Club Standard for Miniature Pinschers

General Appearance:
Well-balanced, sturdy, compact, elegant, short-coupled, smooth-coated toy dog. Naturally well groomed, proud, and alert.

Characteristics:
Precise hackney gait, fearless animation, complete self-possession and spirited presence.

Temperament:
Fearless and alert.

Head and Skull:
More elongated than short and round. Narrow, without conspicuous cheek formation. In proportion to body. Skull flat when viewed from front. Muzzle rather strong and proportionate to skull. Nostrils well formed. Nose black with the exception of chocolate and blue in which it may be self-colored.

Eyes:
Fitting well into face. Neither too full nor round, nor too small or slanting. Black or nearly black.

Ears:
Set on high, as small as possible, erect or dropped.

Mouth:
Jaws strong, with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e., the upper teeth closely overlapping the lower teeth and set square to the jaws.

Neck:
Strong yet graceful, slightly arched. Well fitted into shoulders. Free from throatiness.

Forequarters:
Forechest well developed and full, moderately broad; shoulders clean, sloping with moderate angulation. Legs straight, medium bone, elbows close to body.

Body:
Square, back line straight, sloping slightly towards the rear. Belly moderately tucked up. Ribs well sprung, deep rather than barreled. Viewed from top, slightly wedge shaped.

Hindquarters:
Parallel and wide enough apart to fit in with a properly built body. Hindquarters well developed, muscular with good sweep of stifle, and hocks turning neither in nor out. Legs straight, medium bone.

Feet:
Cat-like feet;nails dark.

Tail:
Continuation of topline carried a little high and customarily docked short.

Gait/Movement:
Coordinated to permit a true hackneyed action.

Coat:
Smooth, hard, and short. Straight and lustrous. Closely adhering to and uniformly covering body. Hair forming ridge on any part of head, body or legs is highly undesirable.

Color:
Black, blue, chocolate with sharply defined tan markings on cheeks, lips, lower jaw, throat, twin spots above eyes and chest, lower half of forelegs, inside of hind legs and vent region, lower portion of hocks and feet. All above colors have black penciling on toes without thumb marks. Solid red of various shades. Slight white on chest permissible but undesirable.

Size:
Height from 25.5 - 30 cm (10-12 inches) at withers.

Faults:
Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Note:
Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

Back to the Top

Differences Between the Standards

Between the AKC and the KC versions of the standard for the Miniature Pinscher, the following exceptions exist in the British version:

Nose: Black only, with the exception of livers and blues which may have self-colored nose.
Feet: Nails dark.
Color: Blue acceptable.

Back to the Top