Page 94 - K9News_Issue12_July2020

Judging
the
Miniature Pinscher iniature Pinscher
M
There is no doubt that there are many out there
that take on a judging appointment for Min
Pins with the misconception that they are an
“easy” breed to judge. You only have to listen to
candidates at a breed seminar to affirm that this
is certainly not the case. The overall impression
a Min Pin should give you is one of elegance,
balance and short coupled. The elegance and
proud carriage of the Min Pin earns him his well
deserved name of “King of the Toys” A wonderful
breed that has style and showmanship, clean
lines and a square, solid body. Bred to be a rat
catcher, he should have a beautifully balanced
head with the skull and muzzle the shape of
a blunt wedge when viewed from the side
and above. The Min Pin should have a strong
underjaw and correct dentition and erect or
dropped ears, set high. He should have the
most graceful arched neck leading to a firm top
line that slopes gently to the rear and is held
solidly on the move and a tail carried proudly
and set high. His front should be straight, with
the tightest of cat feet and dark nails. Feet
should not turn out when standing. The chest
should be a good depth, reaching down to the
elbows that should be tucked in tight and held
close to the body. The body should be square
and have a moderate tuck up. A gentle sweep
of stifle, not too steep and not over angulated
either completes the beautiful shape a min pin
has.
Behind, a lovely well-muscled rear end that
94
K9 NEWS DIGITAL / JULY 2020
shows you it is in tip top condition, if you run
your hands over the dog, you should feel a firm,
muscular, athletic dog - what you see is what
you get with a Min Pin.
It all comes together on the move, watching a
min pin move around the ring is a true delight,
with high stepping action like a small hackney
horse, when viewing from the rear, there should
not be any closeness of or crossing of the hind
legs -if it is possible to see a tunnel through the
dog it is a lovely clean mover, which moves out
smoothly with drive and determination.
When showing, they should be alert and
confident , showing no signs of nervousness,
and begging to be looked at. A harsh jacket,
clean and shiny, in various shades of red or the
solid colours of black, chocolate and blue with
clearly defined tan markings. The Min Pin is
an active little dog so don’t expect a ring full of
statues – if you keep them standing for a long
time, they will start to fidget. On the table, they
appreciate firm but kind handling and please do
not touch their feet – they are very easily upset
by this – really, on the table, check dentition,
muscle tone, quality of coat and in the males,
testicles, then get them back down on the floor
as quickly as possible where they are much
happier. Animation and style should be all part
of the package - what more could you want from
this cheeky King of the Toys?
by Aileen Coull