All about German Pinschers

Dogs of different breeds and sizes have taken the place of the most demanded pets for a long time. They not only perform the functions of guards and companions on the hunt, but also become full-fledged family members for a person. Among the variety of dog breeds, German pinschers should be distinguished, which are notable for their attractive exterior and character traits.

The Deutscher Pinscher is a medium sized, smooth coated dog originally from Germany. Previously, the breed was used as guard dogs accompanying stagecoaches. However, such functions gradually faded into the background, and German pinschers became excellent companions for humans. The first pinscher standard was described in 1880, and the breed was registered four years later. In the post-war years, the demand for dogs of this breed fell sharply, and only in 1958 work began to increase the number of such animals. In the 80s, in order to maintain and strengthen the genetic potential of pets, the pinscher was crossed with a Doberman, which had a positive effect on the result.

Today, the purebred German Pinscher stands out for its proud posture, smooth curves of the body and relief muscles. According to the description of the dog and the FCI standards, pinschers should have a height at the withers in the range of 45 to 50 centimeters, with a weight of about 14-20 kilograms. Sexual dimorphism is moderate. In dogs of this breed, the skull has an elongated shape with a protruding occipital protuberance, the frontal bone is flat, the feet are moderately expressed according to the standard. The animal's muzzle resembles a blunt wedge, the lines of the nose are straight with a black lobe.The lips are pigmented, have a dark color, jaws with a scissor bite.

The eyes of dogs are oval, with dark, tight-fitting eyelids, the ears are triangular on the cartilage, the ends are drooping, set high. With a standard ear length, they should not be higher than the top of the skull. The tail and ears can be cropped at an early age, but this is not a requirement for the breed. The position of the dog's neck is curved, it is of medium size, with a smooth transition to the withers. The pinscher body looks square, with a slight slope to the tail, the chest is wide, oval in shape.

Smooth-haired pinschers can be solid color or black and tan. Acceptable color options are brown, murugy, red-red. The markings are concentrated over the eyes, on the limbs and on the chest. They can be located on the hind legs and in the genital area. Dogs of this breed often develop genetic ailments. Among the main diseases from which Pinschers can suffer, it is necessary to highlight dysplasia of the hip joints and von Willebrand disease, which concerns low blood clotting. In addition, animals can be prone to allergic reactions. However, such cases are not so common, therefore veterinarians position the breed as strong, with well-developed immunity.

The breed is not devoid of strengths and weaknesses. The advantages of dogs include the following qualities.

• Animals stand out for their mischievous and good-natured disposition, which, of course, is an indisputable advantage when choosing a pet. In addition, dogs are very loyal to their breeder, therefore they become excellent companions and protectors. Pinschers are non-aggressive, which makes it possible to keep a dog in a house where there is a small child.
• Despite their small size, such four-legged companions are perfectly trainable and do not show stubbornness.
• German Pinschers can be kept in apartments and private houses.
• Pinschers will willingly accompany a person on cycling or other outdoor activities.
• Due to the peculiarities of their fur, mini-dogs do not cause much inconvenience in terms of cleaning. Also, this feature greatly facilitates the care of pets.
• Animals are highly intelligent.

Among the negative features should be highlighted:

• the dog requires obligatory two long walks;
• animals need competent and early socialization in order to properly raise a reliable friend for the family in the future.

The Pinscher as a pet is characterized on the positive side, since it has a balanced character, is distinguished by high intelligence. Dogs are sociable, love to play. Among the pronounced character traits, it is necessary to note the territorial instinct, which is expressed in a sense of possessiveness. It is this feature that allows them to be used as guards who will not bark over trifles. In the event of a critical situation, even in light of its small size, an adult dog will defend its territory and owner. A similar instinct is able to manifest itself in relation to food, as well as personal toys and sleeping place.

Pinscher from the first day of his life in the house can try to take a leadership position, however, indulging in this dog is not recommended, since in the future this can result in a loss of control and authority in the eyes of the pet. Dogs at a young and adult age are very bad at coping with loneliness, with a long absence of the owner they tend to get depressed. The German Pinscher treats children favorably, but not all of their pranks will tolerate.

In terms of interaction with other animals, situations can be different, with representatives of the feline family it can be difficult for pinschers to contact in light of their playful and active disposition. With dogs, the situation is better, however, conflicts are not excluded when dividing territory and identifying a leader among animals. In light of the presence of the hunting instinct, the dog can identify smaller animals (for example, birds) as potential prey.

To acquire a purebred and healthy dog, you must first of all find out all the information about the breeder of the parents of the selected puppy. Be sure to visit a nursery with animals. A purebred German Pinscher is unlikely to be bought at the flea market or through advertisements on the Internet. It is for this breed that a proven breeder will be extremely important, since a feature of German dogs is a tendency to certain hereditary diseases. In the conditions of keeping and breeding animals in good kennels, puppies can be tested before being sold to help identify the disease at an early stage. It is important to study the health status of the dog's parents, as well as to observe how the dogs are kept in general.

It is worth paying attention to the behavior of the puppy, even at a young age, the pinscher should not be cowardly, since courage is the main quality of this breed... It will not be superfluous to pay attention to how the pet moves in order to exclude unwanted lameness, which is a sign of joint problems. It is possible to purchase a pinscher with a corrected shape of the ears and tail, but in many countries docking is no longer practiced.

Dog grooming falls into the category of simple activities. It is worth noting that the pinscher, which will be kept in a private house, is best taken indoors for the winter. An insulated and properly equipped aviary can be an alternative. Dogs are prone to digging holes, at this point you should pay special attention.

A natural diet is considered to be a more natural option for feeding four-legged pets, but pedigree dogs still require the most balanced menu, so some breeders prefer industrial-made ready-made dry food. To feed the Pinscher with such products, the owner is advised to comply with the following conditions.

• A premium food will be ideal in terms of its chemical composition, since budget options most often contain a lot of unsafe preservatives.
• Do not buy dry food for your dog by weight. Often these very products are sold with an expired shelf life. Feed should be of high quality and airtight packaging.
• A dry product cannot be pre-soaked in water, milk or broth, since such manipulations destroy its balance.
• If a dog's diet involves the use of industrial feed, then it will not need additional fortified supplements.

As for the natural diet, for the Pinscher, he recommends cooking with lean meats. It can be chicken, rabbit, turkey, as well as offal. It is best to choose fish from marine varieties, be sure to remove all bones from it, and boil it first. You can take any cereals, the exception will be barley, which is very poorly absorbed by the animal's body. Fermented milk products are necessary for the dog, but it is best to refuse the introduction of milk into the diet altogether, since it will provoke indigestion. Regardless of the chosen feeding option, the diet should be adjusted over time. All meals are taken at the same time. Puppies up to six months old are on five meals a day, it is recommended to feed an adult pet twice a day - in the morning and in the evening.

The pet is smooth-haired, so it will not cause any problems in terms of care. Water procedures for pinschers are shown only if absolutely necessary. Regularly rubbing the coat with a damp cloth will be sufficient in most cases. It is recommended to comb the dog out using not a brush, but a rigid mitten. You can carry out these procedures every other day to avoid the appearance of a large number of villi on the floor if the pet is kept in a dwelling.

In addition to wool, you need to pay attention to the ears, eyes, teeth and claws of the animal. The length of the claws should be controlled by removing the excess with a claw cutter. The eyes can be wiped several times a week using a damp cotton pad. Teeth and ears will need to be cleaned weekly.

It is necessary to train pinschers from early childhood. In order for a dog to coexist without problems with a person, it must be completely controlled by its breeder. This breed is distinguished by good intelligence, therefore, in the process of training, it demonstrates high performance. All classes must be carried out regularly, otherwise the training will not bring results. Dogs of this breed must be introduced from the moment of purchase to other dogs and people, to provide full-fledged walking twice a day if the pet lives in an apartment. In addition to teaching the teams, the pinscher needs to be played. In this case, you can combine training and play with competitions, which will be useful for training and endurance of the animal.

All about the German pinschers, see the next video.