The German Shepherd Miniature Pinschers mix is a hybrid dog breed that was bred by crossing a purebred German Shepherd and a purebred Miniature Pinscher.
As a breed with one large parent and one tiny parent, the Miniature Pinschers Shepherd sits somewhere in the middle with a compact and medium-sized build.
The Min Pin Shepherd takes after the Miniature Pinschers’ playful and assertive nature, but they are also as alert and confident as their German Shepherd parent.
It’s as intelligent and cheerful as both parents, with a very active nature and lots of energy to expend.
The Miniature Pinscher Shepherd is a novel dog waiting to be discovered, and here we discussed the characteristics of this interesting new breed.
Continue reading to learn more about the Min Pin Shepherd.
Highlights
- The Min Pin Shepherd is a new hybrid that dates back to the last decades, it’s bred by crossing two hard-working and intelligent German dog breeds; the German Shepherd dog with the Miniature Pinschers.
- It’s a medium-sized breed with an active personality, this dog is no couch potato. It needs to be kept active with exciting activities such as walking, running, playing fetch and dog training sessions.
- Although it’s a medium-sized dog, the Min Pin Shepherd is not a very good apartment dog because they require plenty of space to play and expend energy.
- As a fairly new dog breed, the Min Pin Shepherd is yet to be officially recognized by kennels clubs, therefore, it’s features, personal traits and characteristics are not fully defined.
- The Min Pin Shepherd is a good family dog and cheerful pet, however, they should never be left alone with other small pets and young children because they have the tendency to be dominant and bossy.
- They require proper house training and early socialization. And as very intelligent dogs, they respond well to training.
Breed History
The Min Pin Shepherd is a fairly new dog breed that dates back to the late decade.
This hybrid dog is yet to be formerly recognized by any registry or kennel clubs, hence the history and purpose remains fuzzy at best.
However, we can try to understand this dog breed by taking a brief look at their parents; the German Shepherd and the Miniature Pinscher.
Meet The Parents of The Miniature Pinscher Shepherd
Miniature Pinscher
The Miniature Pinschers is a small German dog originally bred to hunt rodents in homes and stables.
In Germany, it’s home country, this breed is known as Zwergpinscher — which loosely translates to dwarf vermin hunter.
Miniature Pinschers were bred by crossing three active dog breeds; the German Pinschers, Italian Greyhound and Dachshund.
The Mini Pinscher dog dates back to several hundreds of years ago, around the 1890s, but it only caught the public eye after the first world war.
The very first Miniature Pinschers were imported into the United States around 1919, and in 1929 they became recognized by the American Kennel Club.
The Min Pin is a petite dog with an elegant and muscular body.
As a hunter, the Min Pin is full of energy, confident and fearless.
They tend to be very curious and alert, with an inclination to attack small objects, thanks to their innate hunting skills.
Today, the Miniature Pinscher is an excellent family pet and fondly called the “King of Toys.”
German Shepherd Dog (GSD)
The German Shepherd is one of the most popular dogs in the world due to their intelligence, confidence and loyalty.
The dog breed dates back to the 19th century, when they were first bred as herding dogs.
In his quest to find the ultimate German herding dog, Captain Max von Stephanitz, a German Calvary, cross-breed many working shepherd dogs and farm dogs from rural Germany to get the breed we now know as the German Shepherd.
The German Shepherd dog was made popular in World War I, where it served as a messenger, rescue and Red cross dog.
In the US, this breed became popular when a German Shepherd named Rin-Tin-Tin appeared in several motion pictures and became an international movie star.
The GSD is known for its agility, speed, intelligence and devotion, which makes them useful as police and military dogs.
It’s a big dog with an elegant build, well-muscled body and powerful physique. GSDs are generally easy-going and make excellent family pets.
Size and life expectancy
As a medium-sized dog, the Min Pin Shepherd measures about 20 to 25 inches from paws to shoulder, and weighs between 45 and 60 lbs. This dog has an average lifespan of about 10 to 13 years.
Appearance
The Min Pin Shepherd is a medium-sized dog with a compact build and muscular body. These dogs will either have almond-shaped brown or black eyes with medium to long muzzles, semi-flopped ears and a brown or black nose.
Like that of their German Shepherd parent, Min Pin Shepherds have a dense, medium-length double coat which can either be wiry or straight.
The coat is usually bi-coloured; mostly black with brown or tan patches around the face, belly, chest and legs.
Personality
The Min Pin Shepherd is a fairly new dog, and as with all hybrid dogs, it can be difficult to clearly define their personality traits.
However, both the German Shepherd and Miniature Pinschers are very active, confident, intelligent and hardworking dogs, therefore, you’ll expect no less from their offspring.
Miniature Pinscher Shepherds are confident, intelligent and highly trainable dogs, they are alert and energetic.
Like their Miniature Pinscher parent, the Min Pin Shepherd is very inquisitive and will curiously explore her surroundings without reservations, hence they need to be closely watched and properly trained to prevent destructive habits.
These hybrid dogs are naturally protective of what is theirs, they are fearless and make good guard dogs.
These dogs tend to be wary of strangers and will need early and proper socialization. Thankfully, they are very intelligent and easy to train, and they make good family pets.
Potential health problems
When bred from healthy parents, a Min in Shepherd should be healthy. However, dogs can be prone to genetic health problems, and some breeds do have a high susceptibility to certain diseases.
If you’re adopting a Miniature Pinscher Shepherd, ensure that it has healthy parents by asking the breeder for the health clearances, which is proof that the dogs were tested and cleared of certain health conditions.
However healthy they may be, there are certain conditions that a Min Pin Shepherd may be susceptible to, and they include.
Canine Hip Dysplasia: this is a bone problem that affects several dog breeds, the condition is characterized by a thigh-bone that does not properly fit into the pelvic socket of the hip joint. Hip dysplasia tends to manifest later in a dog’s life, and symptoms will usually include lameness and pain on the affected one or both hind legs. Both the German Shepherd and Miniature Pinscher are susceptible to this condition, so it’s not unusual to see it in their offspring.
Exocrine Pancreatic Insufficiency (EPI): this is a genetic condition that affects the pancreas and destroys the cells responsible for producing digestive enzymes. A dog with EPI will be unable to digest food, and will show the following symptoms; loss of appetite, extreme weight loss, flatulence, and change in stool. EPI is usually not fatal, and can be completely treated when detected early. Diagnosis is by a simple blood test, and treatment involves adding pancreatic enzymes to the dog’s food.
Legg-Calve Perthes Disease: this is another condition that affects the hip joint. This is a condition where the hip bone does not get adequate blood supply from the pelvic socket, and as a result starts to disintegrate. Symptoms of the Legg-Calve Perthes disease include limping, pain and atrophy of the leg muscle. This disease affects mostly small dog breeds like the Miniature Pinschers, and it can be corrected by a surgical procedure.
Feeding and care
With a herding dog and hurting dog as parents, Min Pin Shepherds have enough energy to keep them going all day every day.
They are active dogs and will require enough daily exercise to prevent destruction.
These cross-breed dogs are not cut out for a lazy lifestyle, they are no couch potatoes.
If you want a Min Pin Shepherd, then you should be ready to play fetch, go on walks, and engage in activities that are stimulating and exciting for your dog.
These dogs may not be the best breed for small apartments as they need enough space to run about, play around and generally stay active.
They are full of energy and, if not channelled properly, may lend to destruction.
Feeding routine and diet shouldn’t be much different from other dogs, however, a hybrid dog like the Min Pin Shepherd needs a good amount of raw food diet, fish oil and supplements since it’s susceptible to bone diseases.
It’s always important to include only healthy foods, treats and adequate amounts of physical activity to avoid obesity.
Coat colour and grooming
Miniature Pinscher Shepherds have bi-coloured short to medium-length coats; black and tan.
They don’t require excessive grooming, frequent coat brushing to remove trapped dirt and regular baths with a good dog shampoo is recommended.
These dogs will shed seasonally, especially during summer. Just like other dogs, their teeth should be brushed weekly, their nails should be trimmed monthly and ears should be de-waxed regularly to prevent infections.
Children and other pets
These hybrid dogs are very friendly and make good family pets.
They have a dominant personality and shouldn’t be watched when playing with other pets, especially smaller pets.
Min Pin Shepherds are great with older kids, but should never be left alone with young children.
Closing Thoughts
As a fairly new hybrid dog, the Miniature Pinscher Shepherd is still a rare breed.
It’s an intelligent and highly-trainable dog with a cheerful disposition.
This dog is an excellent pet for families in urban or suburban homes with plenty of space for running, playing and staying active.
Since the Min Pin Shepherd is an uncommon breed, finding one for your family can be a challenge.
But if this dog fits the profile of your ideal family pet, make sure you adopt from only a reputable breeder or rescue group with health clearances for both parents to be sure you have a healthy dog.
