The ancestors of the German Pinscher and standard schnauzer were the Rat Catcher, Great Ratter, or Rat Pinscher which became extinct in the 1800's. Texts suggest the German pinscher was first defined as a specific breed in 1879 in Germany. Around 1900 the pinscher club decided to only allow the smooth coated version to be bred.

The German pinscher is the seed dog for both the Doberman and the miniature pinscher and fits in-between these two in regards to height. The German pinscher like the giant schnauzer were both bred as general German farm dogs.

The pinschers main uses were similar for many terriers of the time: to kill vermin, her d stock, watch dog, guard dog and be a domestic dog. The last one is tricky when you consider the serious physical acts that the dog had to do in its day job.

While some suggest apartment living is ok for this dog, this is very misleading. Due to the endurance bred into this dog it requires a lot of vigorous walking and off lead socialisation to tame the chase instinct.

The German pinscher is now bred around the world as a companion dog, leaving the guard dog duties up to its larger and stronger Doberman cousin. That said it still has very strong jaws pressure and sharp teeth, so if not discipline sufficiently can cause problems in a home environment and around children if owner dominance is not asserted.

This is a brave and dominant dog and will not back down from challenges from other dogs. Once bonded with a family, it makes a formidable protector, but can bite to keep a threat at bay ... so continual training is strongly advised.

Cantona the German Pinscher

You will see in the video here the fun nature of this relatively young pinscher. The play that it is performing with its feet and mouth is aimed at honing its skills for catching vermin.

In fact if I had of read the history of this dog before I began playing with it I might have hesitated much more. That said, this particular dog was quite happy to be patted and even picked up. The breed is known for having a possessiveness trait (toys food etc) however again training can decrease this drive.

Curiously they are also known to be big barkers, and while this dog had ample opportunity to do so, rarely did it bark.

Like many dogs many issues can be resolved by daily walking, discipline and good nutrition.

Article by Bruce Dwyer. If you wish to use any of this information please use a LINK reference to http://www.dogwalkersmelbourne.com.au

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