| Frequently Asked Question's |
| Where did the Min Pin come from? It is generally believed that the Min Pin evolved from the ancient German Pinscher family of dogs by crossing the Dachshud, Italian Greyhound and Manchester Terrier. Germany is Unddisputed as the home of origin where the Min Pin was known as the "reh Pinscher" due to its resemlance to a small red deer, the "Reh". How did they make the Dobie so small? The Miniature Pinscher is a small compact dog, ideally between 10" and 12.5" at the whither. The CKC and AKC breed stand allow the following colors: Red, Stag-Red, Black and Rust, and Chocolate and Rust. Other colors, although able to be registered , are not to be used for showing or breeding because of the very limited and defective gene pools that they originate from. The Min Pin should appear well balanced, as long as he is tall, sturdy, short coupled, with a smooth, short and loutrous coat. The Min Pin is distinguished by its "hacney-like" gait and its lively, animated attitude. Where should I get my Min Pin from? If you do not already have a puppy yet, please shop around. You should find a reputable breeder, that provides you with the highest quality puppy that you can find. The puppies should be CKC or AKC registered, and should come with a written health garantee and return policy. Along with a spay/neuter requirement. Do not buy fromsomeone that breeds more than two breeds. It is also not recomended that you buy your puppy from a pet store, backyard breeder or by auction or mail order. You should be able to see the inside of the home where your puppy was raised. You should find his envirement clean and rather "dog" oriented, with toys aroundnad maybe even puppy pens and beds. You should be able to visit the puppies and their parents before purchasing your puppy. You should feel comfortable with your breeder as this will provide you additional support on how best to make your experience with your puppy a positive one. Why not buy from someone who breeds more than two or three breeds? This is a breeder that is not specializing in a couple breeds, but is rather mass producing. You will pay the same amount of money generally for the highest qulity to the lowest quality pup. Why not buy from a pet store, back yard breeder, by auction or mail order? If your breeder is not in your local area, it makes building a relationship with them near imposible. Take advantage of your breeder's years and years of experience with this breed. If there is something wrong with your puppy, you will want to beable to take the puppy back to the breeder. All reputable breeders will take their puppies back, no matter what the reason. You would never buy anything that you will have for 12-17 years, that you will put your heart and soul into, sight unseen and without doing proper research on where this item came from. Please shop around and find the highest quality puppy and breeder that you can. Are Min Pin's Yappy? Min Pins are a talkative breed, especially when new people come to visit or something that interest them is going on, but I also say they are as noicy as you allow them to be. Obedients training is recomended. Are Min Pins Nippy? Well bred and well socialized Min Pins are not nippy at all, however there are some Min Pin's out there that ruin it for the entire breed. Min Pin's may bite if provoked or put into a situation of defence or injury. What are the health issues concerning the Min Pin? Due to responsible breeding of the Min Pin, this is a very healthy breed. There are several health issues that concern the breed. The most common are patellar luxation, Legg-Calve-Perthes (LCP) disease, epilepsy and several eye disorders. When you buy your puppy, your breeder should discuss with yoou, all of the procedures they go through to ensure that breeding parents are healthy and free of genetic defeat. You should feel comfortable that you puppy is free of genetic defects and your puppy purchase contract should include some health garantee in writing. What does CKC or AKC registered mean to me? The CKC (Candian Kennel Club) is a a registery which maintains records of showing and breeding dogs, guaranteeing that you puppy is both purebred and that he came from the adults that your breeder said that they did. Your CKC parers and pedigree honor the heritage that your puppy came from. Reputable breeders ALWAYS register their litters with the CKC or AKC specifically, because this is the only way that puppies will be able to be shown in CKC/AKC events and the their puppies registered with the CKC. All other registeries have been created to replicate the Canadian and American Kennl Clubs. Breeders that use other registeries are only doing so because they have had their privileges removed by the CKC/AKC or their dogs are not able to stand up to the DNA testing that guarantees their lineage. What are the personalities of a Min Pin like? A well-bred and properly socialized Min Pin is both the class clown and the loveable and loyal companion. To know a Min Pin is to love the Min Pin. You will find the Min Pin to be fearless, animated, intensely curious and always full of vim and vigor. Becasue of their high energy levels and inquuisitiveness, the Min Pin bears close watching in order to avoid trouble. They should reside in a yard that is secrely enclosed with proper fencing, and possibly roofed as well.Min Pins can be reckless. They will jump from high tables and are good climbers and can hurt themself if not watched and protected from this sort of thing. Are Min Pins good with kids? The answer to this depends both on the children and the Min Pin. If the Min Pin is raised with children who treat them in a gentle way and are taught responsible dog ownership and treatment, they will adore children. However, if children are allowed to grab at them, or treat them roughly in any way, the Min Pin will tend to protect himself and may even bite. It is important to realize that even as a full grown adult, the Min Pin is a very small dog. The wrong type of play and handling can easily result in broken bones or serious and expensive injury. Why shouldn't I breed my dog? I just love his personality and I know he will produce that in his puppies. Every time a Min Pin puppy is born, it will will either strengthen or weaken our breed. Our goal is to always strengthen the breed. How is this done? 1) By only breeding the best dogs together, creating a strong foundation and gene pool. The CKC?Akc has a formal program for quality assurance of each breed. This is done by owners showing the breed quality dogs in what is called confirmation events. After teh dog has recieved enough wins, the dog can become a champion. Championship is one way to be sure that the Min Pin should belong in a breeding program. 2) By educating yourself through club membership: reading numerous books both on the breed and on canine genetics, well being, health, etc. 3) By getting strong guidance from a local and already established REPUTABLE breeders> 4) Extensive health and DNA testing for genetic defects, to guarantee that only the best and soundest breeding animals are bred from. %0 CKC/AKC registration is not inherently an indication of breeding quality. If you are devoted to the breed, and desire to spend copious amounts of time, energy, and money to breed for quality only, then you should talk to other established Min Pin breeders for more detailed information and advice BEFORE starting a breeding program. I really want to breed. How do I go about it? Once puppies are old enough to be assessed for show quality versus pet only quality, the puppies are sold to approprate homes. If the puppy is for a companion home, spay/neuter/no breeding contract is provided. To show homes, a show/breeding contract is provided. This is intended both to keep the qulity of the Min Pin high and the quantity at a level that would limit unwanted dogs, dogs ending up at the pound, etc., as well as retain the highest quality of life of the puppies and their owners. Since show puppies will go on to reproduce, breeders are very cautious about who they place their dogs with. For this reason, you should find it very difficult to purchase a Min Pin via the internet or by phone, unless you have a lot of information about the breed and about breeding and showing, as well as references. Breeding is a large responsibility and reputable breeders take that responsibility very seriously. They don't just sell to anyone. We are interested in what will make the breed stronger and better, and that is our primary goal. You'll proably find many, many websites that list Min Pin puppies for sale but unless those breeders can back up their breeding program with champion and health certificates, guarantees and contracts, and if they don't ask for personal references then you should NOT buy a puppy from them. If you love this breed you will be responsible with it. Please let the experts do their job. Breeding is very rewarding undertaking, and we stated before it is also a very large and expensive responsibility. You want to be sure that no dogs you create end up in bad situations or worse, dead or abused. When should I get my puppy neutered or spayed? It is recommended to have your puppy neutered/spayed by 6 months of age. You breeder should discuss the details about this when you get your puppy. There are a lot of misunderstanding out there about spay/neutering, that will effect your puppy in a negative way. Nothing could be further from the truth. Spaying/neutering not only makes the puppy easier to potty train, cleaner (no marking territories), it actually extends the life expectancy of the dog, because there are certain diseases that the dog will never get because they are spayed/neutered. What does my Min Pin eat? Since a Min Pin is very active, he can consume more kibble for his weight than larger breeds. Generally speaking, puppies should eat more, and more often than adults do. Most premium kibbles (Innova Evo, Tiberwolf Organics, Natural Balance, Nutro, Proplan) will provide amounts of feed on the bag's instructions. Puppies enjoy some warm water on their food to enhance the smell and flavour. You should not let your Min Pin eat so much that he gets fat. The Min Pin is an athlete and should have an athletic build. Overweight Min Pins are susceptible to bone issues as they age, and diabetes. We recommend feeding puppies twice daily and adults only once daily. A nice treat for Min Pins are fresh fruits/vegetables, such as carrots, pieces of apple, or melon. 'BARF' type diets can also be used if you have the freezer space and buy from a reputable source, of balanced, quality product, as many out there are not what they claim. Here at Mightymite we personally prefer corn free products, and as little grain based diet as possible. How should I groom my MIn Pin? The Min Pin has a short coat and requires minimum amounts of grooming. Toenails should be trimmed about every two weeks or so. Bathing, and ear cleaning about once a month, with intermittent brushing will keep your Min Pin clean, and in healthy shape. The coat should shine and be very vibrant. Should I crop my dog? Other than for showing, cropping is purely a personal choice. This procdure, when done by an expert vet is just like any other surgery and should cause the dog very little discomfort. How often do I take my Min Pin to the vet? If you have a puppy, he will need to visit the vets for puppy boosters at 7 weeks of age, 11 weeks of age and then 15 weeks of age. He will then need a rabies vaccine between six months to a year, and spaying and neutering can be done at the same time. Once a puppy is a year old, an annual wellness exam is recommended. Whenyou get you puppy from your breeder, it is recommended that he already has the first two sets of shots. Many people take their puppies into the vet's withing a couple of days of their arrival in their home, just to make sure all is well. |