Breed History
Despite a great similarity in appearance, the Miniature Pinscher is not, as many believe, descended from the Doberman Pinscher....
The breed is, in fact, older than the Doberman Pinscher. It was developed in Germany by crossbreeding various terriers and other dogs, including the German Pinscher, Dachshund and possibly the Italian Greyhound; the Min Pin was originally created to control the rat population in stables.The Miniature Pinscher or at least a similar looking dog was first depicted in paintings and sculptures beginning in the 17th century. It was not documented in writing, however, until some 200 years ago. Many people confuse the relationship between the Miniature Pinscher and the Doberman Pinscher, incorrectly believing that the Min Pin is a miniaturized Doberman. During the 1930s, the Miniature Pinscher breed standard stated that the dog should resemble a small Doberman Pinscher, when in fact the Doberman had been created in 1890 by Lois Dobermann to resemble the Miniature Pinscher. Therefore, it is actually the Doberman that is named and modeled after the Min Pin, not the other way around. The Miniature Pinscher was first imported to the United States in 1919, and was registered with the American Kennel Club in 1925. Today, the Min Pin is a fixture at dog shows and one of the more popular breeds in the US. It is often referred to as The King of the Toy Dogs.