For the average person on the street who hears the word, “pinscher,” they probably think Doberman Pinscher, and maybe the Miniature Pinscher. If they’re a little more dog savvy, they might know about the German Pinscher (thought by cynologists to be the first pinscher breed) and the Austrian Pinscher. What they might not think of as a pinscher is the Schnauzer (which was once known as the Wirehaired Pinscher), or the old Affenpinscher believed to be in the ancestry of the Miniature Schnauzer. Indeed, in a piece on breed history, the Affenpinscher Club of America writes, “some of the early litters registered with the Z.Z. of all registered as one-half Affenpinschers and one-half as Miniature Schnauzers.”

Both the Schnauzer and Affenpinscher were the first pinscher dogs imported into Britain (where the Kennel Club put them in the Utility Group) and North America where they were placed in the terrier group, a situation amended in 1945.

Why the terrier group?  Because historically, a Pinscher was a type of dog with a long working history as a formidable ratter. They were the products of Germany influenced by neighboring France. According to the AKC, in fact, the word “pinscher” is the Germanic form of the French word for “nip” or “seize” – pincer.  Curiously, according to some, the French word pincer derives from the English “pincher” and refers to the cropped ears seen in the pinscher breeds. Not all pinscher breeds retained “pinscher” in their name as illustrated by the Danish Pinscher which today is known as the Danish-Swedish Farmdog.

Image: Doberman Pinscher Sugar Skull Art by Robin Arthur of RobiniArt is available for purchase as a print here