Miniature Pinscher Colors

Six types of color varieties can be displayed in the Miniature Pinscher dog breed, but only four of these are recognized as breed standard colors for show dogs. The type of color which a Miniature Pinscher has will depend on the genetic characteristics inherited by the mother and father.

  1. Typse of Colors

    • The six types of colors which can occur in Miniature Pinscher dogs include: black, blue, chocolate, fawn, stag red (also known as sable) and clear red. Within these colors, additional color variations can occur. White markings can also appear on a Miniature Pinscher coat, but the white marks develop because of an absence of melatonin, not because of color code genetics. For example, blue Miniature Pinschers can either be a solid color with stag red hairs within the coat (known as blue stag red) or a blue color with tan markings on the face, chest, stomach, groin and legs (known as blue). Fawn stag red Miniature Pinschers are a solid color with fawn hairs within the coat, while fawn Miniature Pinschers will have rust or tan markings on the face, chest, stomach, groin and legs.

    Genetic Characteristics of Coat Colors

    • The color that a Miniature Pinscher displays will depend on a combination of genes responsible for coat color. There are over 80 genetic color code combination possibilities available to produce the main coat colors for Miniature Pinschers. The high amount of genetic code possibilities is due to the fact that some color genes are dominant over others. For example, black is a dominant color gene while chocolate is a recessive one and some color genes can inhibit or promote the development of specific coat colors.

    Breed Standard Coat Colors

    • The American Kennel Club recognizes four color varieties of the Miniature Pinscher breed: solid clear red, black, stag red with black hairs in the coat and chocolate with rust red markings. For black and chocolate Miniature Pinschers to be accepted as show dogs, they must display specific rust red markings on the body. These marking points include: twin spots above the eyes and on the chest, markings on the cheeks, lips, lower jaw and under the chin, the inside of the hind legs and the groin, the lower half of the forelegs and the feet. Miniature Pinschers with white markings can be accepted as show dogs as long as the white marks are no longer than half an inch.

    Considerations for Coat Colors

    • Because of the high number of possible genetic color combinations for Miniature Pinschers and the colors which may be produced by these combinations, persons who are interested in breeding Miniature Pinschers for show dogs should consult with an experienced breeder to find out what types of color possibilities the parents may produce. However, due to the number of color genetic combination possibilities, it can be almost impossible to predict with 100 percent accuracy the types of colors which will occur in a litter of Miniature Pinscher puppies. Two colors of Miniature Pinschers, blue and fawn, can have increased risks for a skin disease known as color dilution alopecia. For this reason, breeders advise against breeding blue/blue, blue/fawn and fawn/fawn.