Mary Allen
Shoulder height: 42 – 50 cm
Weight: 12 – 18 kg
Age: 12 – 14 years
Colour: yellow, red, and black with tan and/or white markings
Use: Companion dog, the family dog, guard dog
The Austrian Pinscher is a frugal, robust dog of medium build. It is very active, a good guardian, and loves to be outdoors.
Origin and history
The Austrian Pinscher is an old Austrian farm dog breed that was widespread and popular in the second half of the 19th century. The breed has been bred purely since 1928. With the Second World War, the population declined sharply until in the 1970s, triggered by low numbers of puppies and increasing inbreeding coefficients, there were only a few fertile Pinschers left. However, some dedicated breeders and Pinscher lovers managed to save this breed from extinction.
Appearance
The Austrian Pinscher is a medium-sized, stocky dog with a bright expression. Its fur is short to medium long and lies smooth against the body. The undercoat is dense and short. It is bred to be yellow, red, or black with tan markings. White markings on the chest and neck, muzzle, paws, and a tip of the tail are common.
Nature
The Austrian Pinscher is a well-balanced, friendly, and lively dog. He is attentive, playful, and particularly affectionate when dealing with familiar people. Originally a farm and yard dog whose job was to keep intruders away, he is also alert, loves to bark, and shows distrust of strangers. His hunting instinct, on the other hand, is not very pronounced, loyalty to his territory and instinct to guard come first.
The playful and docile Austrian Pinscher is quite uncomplicated in keeping and, with a little consistency, easy to train. It is well suited for all kinds of dog sports activities, but can also be kept busy on walks. It loves the outdoors and is, therefore, better suited to country life. With enough exercise and occupation, he can also be kept in a city apartment.
The dense stock hair is easy to care for but sheds heavily.