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German Pinscher History
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The German Pinscher is a rather old breed, and is the common ancestor of many of the more popular Pinscher dogs. Descending from the ancient German Bibarhund, the German Pinscher originated in the 17th century from crosses between the Tanner and the Black and Tan Terrier. These quick dogs were skilled ratters, and their ability to clear out a stable or kitchen made them valuable animals to countless German farmers and families.
The German Pinscher’s popularity reached its zenith in the late 19th century; the breed standard was created in 1884. Not long after, though, the breed’s popularity began a slow decline that would be dramatically punctuated by the World Wars. After World War II, the German Pinscher was all but extinct. The breed was eventually saved in 1958, when Werner Jung bred a German Pinscher bitch smuggled from East Germany with four different oversized Miniature Pinscher males. Virtually all German Pinschers alive today are descended from these five dogs. The breed was brought to the United States during the 1970s, and after a brief stint in the Miscellanous class beginning in 2001, the German Pinscher was finally recognized by the American Kennel Club as a member of the Working Group in 2003. Though still quite rare, the German Pinscher has managed to win over some devoted fans and its future seems secure.
