Grooming

When it comes to grooming the Miniature Pinscher is considered a low maintenance breed. However a good brushing twice a week is required to remove dead hair from the coat, this will keep the coat and skin in good condition.

For the show ring it is advisable to trim the coarse feelers from the muzzle, above the eyes and face moles. Any long hair such as found on the side of the neck and up the back of both front and hind legs should be trimmed or thinned as required to give a sleek appearance.

Ears - Ears should be examined regularly and cleaned if required, please do not use cotton buds as there is a risk of accidentally damaging the dogs eardrum.

Feet - If you can hear a clicking sound when your dog is walking on a solid floor then the nails are too long. Nails should be shortened regularly to achieve a tight compact foot. Nothing looks worse than a Miniature Pinscher whose nails have been neglected. Dogs with neglected feet will have thin ugly feet with outspread toes. There is also the risk of in-grown nails, which can become infected and cause the dog unnecessary pain.

If your dog doesn’t mind having its feet touched then nail trimming can be an easy task, however if your dog hates its feet being touched then sedation or restraints may be required. If you own such a dog then it’s easier to gain the dogs trust and desensitise its feet.

Desensitising feet - This is best done whilst the dog is asleep. Begin by resting your hand on the dogs paw. If the dog wakes up, just remove your hand without even looking at the dog. After repeating this process several times you will eventually be able to rest your hand on the dogs paws without disturbing the dogs sleep. This can take anything from a couple attempts to several weeks.

Once you are able to rest your hand on your dogs feet you can start to gently move their toes apart, once you can do this without disturbing the dogs sleep you can move onto the next step which is touching their toenails and lightly tapping against the ends of the nails. With a lot of patience you’ll achieve the desire results and then trimming nails will no longer be stressful for you or your dog.

Miniature Pinschers that exercise on a hard surface regularly wear their nails down naturally, and may not require trimming.

Bathing - is done as and when required. How often this is done depends on the individual Miniature Pinscher. Always use a shampoo that is specifically designed for dogs as human shampoo is too harsh and can cause serious skin irritations.

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Training

Crate Training - is not cruel nor should it be a punishment. The correct size crate gives your dog a safe place for sleeping, safety when you are not around to watch and a place to go to get away from it all. Dogs are den animals and many like a place they can curl up in and feel secure. Your dog can be left home alone for short periods with peace of mind. Used with a regular schedule a crate can be an asset when it comes to house training, as dogs normally won’t soil their sleeping area. Crates also offer safety when travelling for both you and your dog. A dog in a crate is far less likely to cause an accident or be injured should your vehicle be involved in an accident.

House Training -A feeding and potty schedule for your dog is essential as it makes house training much easier. If you are unable to be with dog then before you crate him, take him out on lead and give the command you have chosen for toileting (Go Potty, Be Clean or whatever) to reinforce the desired behaviour. Once he goes, praise lavishly and bring him back inside. If he doesn’t go potty, put him in the crate and try again in a little while. As a rule dogs do not like to soil their beds. If he does soil the crate, take him outside while someone thoroughly cleans the crate. Do not punish him for relieving himself in the house unless you catch him in the act. Do not rub his nose in it or hit him. Simply give a loud, firm, "AAAH! NO!" and take him outside immediately. Try to get him to potty outside and then praise lavishly when he goes.

Please remember, the younger the dog, and the smaller the breed, the smaller the bladder capacity. It is unreasonable to ask a young puppy to hold it for an eight-hour period. Also, some older dogs may have bladder control issues. Sudden house soiling in a dog without previous problems could be a sign of a bladder infection or some other medical condition. Un-neutered males will mark their territory and may do so inside.

You must clean up all accidents with an enzyme cleaner such as Bissell Pet Cleaning Fluid or a similar product, which can be purchased from a pet store. This will effectively remove the dogs scent from the soiled area. If however you use ordinary soap to clean the soiled are the dogs scent will remain, and this will then become a familiar toilet area for him. Never use any product that contains ammonia because urine contains ammonia and the smell will cause him to soil in the same area again and again.