Miniature Pinscher vs. "Min Pin" Part: 6 The United Kingdom

The favoring of the breed as a Toy dog also occurred in Great Britain. A rarity among European countries, the UK is not under the FCI standard, and its version of the breed has no requirement to resemble the German Pinscher. Its Kennel Club has a Miniature Pinscher standard similar to the AKC, with a “precise hackney gait” listed first among its primary characteristics. Like the AKC, the Kennel Club classifies the Miniature Pinscher in the Toy Group.

The effect of the Toy classification is evident in British the Min Pin of today, but it was perhaps less so in the past, at least in what was offered by one of its earliest kennels, Birling. During the 1960s, this kennel was known worldwide for producing Miniature Pinschers with strong build, good chests, sound toplines, in league with Rebel Roc's Casanova Von Kurt, only more Pinscher-like. (See photos at Palana page and below.) In modern times, old Birling Miniature Pinschers have become models for figurines, but their well-proportioned likeness--that balance of strength with elegance--is a rare reproduction anywhere in the world.