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Discover the versatile German Pinscher: a fearless, intelligent working dog excelling in sports, obedience, and companionship.
Janet Oatney
The Weekly Brief
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This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, June 2013 issue.
Old and bright, the German Pinscher has all the attributes necessary to fulfill its role as a working dog.
A “generalist” breed, their original function was as a multipurpose farm dog. Compact and agile, they were the right size to rid the feed stocks of vermin. Their independence and protective nature ensured the farmer’s cart was safe from pilferage during trips to the market, and hearth and home were secure.
The physical and mental characteristics necessary to be an all-around hand on the farm translate readily into today’s dog sports. Their muscular, compact body is well suited to the demands of agility. Scenting sports such as tracking, K9 Nose Work®, and barn hunt tap into their hunting drives. Obedience and rally capitalize on their tremendous desire to please their owners. German Pinscher’s prey drive is satisfied by lure coursing and, to some extent, herding.
“The German Pinscher has highly developed senses, intelligence, aptitude for training, fearlessness, and endurance. He is alert, vigilant, deliberate, and watchful of strangers. He has fearless courage and tenacity if threatened.”
These traits are considered so important that the standard further emphasizes:
“Note: Great consideration should be given to a dog giving the desired alert, highly intelligent, vivacious character of the German Pinscher.”
German Pinschers are not for the faint of heart or those expecting instant respect and blind obedience. They consider themselves active partners, often devising new and improved methods for completing tasks.
They bore easily and can be insulted by continuous repetitions. “One and done” is their motto—once they master a task or skill set, they expect you to increase the difficulty as part of the game. These traits draw seasoned competitors to the breed.
Developing a training and conditioning regimen requires creativity, innovation, experimentation, and a sense of humor. As one GP rally exhibitor stated:
“He is on a need-to-know basis. Once I see the rally course, I can quickly teach him the exercise.”
“Teach a GP the heel position, a good stay, proper jumping techniques, and you can excel in any sport.”
Most working GPs have titles in multiple events, a testament to their versatility. Currently, there are no OTCH German Pinschers, perhaps due to their dislike for the singular focus high-level obedience requires of competitors.
The breed’s versatility and breadth of skills allow exhibitors to participate in many sports and activities to determine the perfect fit for each team. After establishing the basics and developing a training style for each dog, you can “speed date” through various events.
Within my pack, one dog is a natural herder, another lives to find the rat in barn hunt, and the veteran prefers tracking. While the breed’s skill set is wide, their ability to achieve the highest level of accomplishment within a single sport is not restricted.
Many GPs are competing in agility at the master level, with multiple agility championships recently obtained by the breed.
As a tribute to the breed’s historic function, the German Pinscher Club of America has initiated the Unique Titling Program. This program recognizes GPs that have received titles in sports or venues not available via AKC. Herding, nose work, and carting are just a few examples of events that mimic the breed’s historic function.
To further emphasize the importance of companion events, the GPCA offers a National Versatility Award at the Specialty Show. The highest combined qualifying score in rally, obedience, and agility will be recognized as the National Versatility German Pinscher.
German Pinschers are a healthy and long-lived breed, rarely suffering from joint or other physical ailments that derail promising sports careers. Their moderate size (17″-20″), trainability, long life, and good health celebrate their origin as a multifunction working dog and valuable companion.
German Pinschers don’t necessarily respond to what the owner says or thinks—they respond to how the owner feels. This emotional connection allows you to improve as a trainer and advance as a partner during the journey toward your titling goals.
Find yourself with a German Pinscher, and you’ll never be lost again!
Agility
Watch the inaugural AKC Agility Team Challenge on ESPN2 as six cities compete in a fast-paced team Agility competition.
