Notice something wrong with the above headline? Miniature Pincher is not the correct spelling. Miniature Pinscher has an “s”. Bonus points if you caught that and don’t feel bad if you didn't. There are probably 10,000 internet searches monthly for “miniature pincher”. OK, so that’s probably not a misconception, more like a mistake.But the most common misconception is thinking that the Miniature Pinscher is a miniature Doberman Pinscher. It is not. True they both descend from the German Pinscher, but that’s where the relationship ends.
In fact the Min Pin is a much older breed than the Doberman. Min Pins were popular in Germany in the early 1800’s, while the first real Doberman was not bred until 1890 by a German tax collector named, appropriately enough, Louis Dobermann.
Don’t be surprised if you make this mistake. There’s a good reason for it. As early as 1929 some standards made reference to the Miniature Pinscher being similar in appearance to the Doberman Pinscher.
The word “pinscher” is a descriptive term, not a term to describe heritage. In German, the word means “biter”, and it’s also possible the word was derived from the English “pincher”, or one who pinches or seizes. This then could also account for the common misspelling “miniature pincher”.
I’ve also heard it said that Min Pins are not good with kids. This is totally FALSE. My Min Pins love my children. Here is the problem. Although Min Pins act like big dogs, they certainly are not. If children play too roughly, the dog will run away. Always let the Miniature Pinscher approach the child (or a stranger) and not the other way around. Treat them right and there is no better, energetic, loving and loyal pet.