The Miniature Pinscher Club, along with other breed clubs, has seen a huge influx of puppy enquiries during the COVID-19 pandemic. This is a concern to us because when the current climate returns to some sort of normality, new owners may no longer have as much time on their hands. Consequently, these puppies could end up being put up for sale again, which could also have a detrimental effect on our Club’s Breed Rescue by overwhelming it with unwanted Min Pins.

Under "Lucy’s Law," the breeder of a puppy is the only person who can legally sell puppies under 6 months old. Therefore, anyone who is not the breeder is breaking the law if they attempt to sell a puppy under this age to another party.

After researching the breed thoroughly and deciding that a Miniature Pinscher is definitely the right dog for you, make contact with reputable breeders. These can be found on the Kennel Club Assured Breeders website, or you can contact the Miniature Pinscher Club directly at miniaturepinscherclub@gmail.com for a list of members who are happy to receive puppy enquiries and place you on their waiting list.

A good tip is to speak with and visit breeders even if they do not have a litter at the time, allowing you to see Miniature Pinschers in a home environment. Ask lots of questions: What are they like to live with? What are the good and bad traits of the breed? You may decide that they are not the right fit for you after all and find that a different breed would suit you better.

Reputable breeders do not breed often and certainly not to fulfil demand. Be prepared to wait for the right puppy and ask to go on a waiting list if they have one. As breeders, we take having a litter very seriously. We are responsible for those puppies for the rest of their lives and will take back any dog at any point in its lifetime if the owner’s circumstances change. We also offer lifetime support and advice; we should always be your first port of call for any questions about your puppy—not public social media forums. If you have to resort to those types of pages to seek basic information, then the reliability of your puppy’s breeder would be questionable.

Kennel Club registration (papers) is not a guarantee of a good breeder; it is simply a registry that lists the sire, dam, grandsires, grandams, and so on, for which the breeder has paid to register the puppies. Currently, there are no compulsory health tests required by the Kennel Club for our breed. That is not to say Miniature Pinschers do not have health problems—like all breeds, they do—but generally, a well-bred Min Pin should lead a long and healthy life.

Members of the Miniature Pinscher Club test all sires and dams before breeding for slipping patella (a condition that can be prevalent in toy breeds) under the Putnam Scoring scheme. Any prospective owner should always ask the breeder if this test has been carried out on the parents and ask to see written evidence, which must include details of the vet who performed the procedure. You should be looking for 0:0 scores in both the sire and dam. As a club, we have seen a great reduction in dogs affected by slipping patella by carrying out this testing. Details about scoring can be on our health pages, where you will also find a list of tested dogs and their scores. You do not have to be a club member to download the testing form for your vet to perform scoring and submit the results to our database.

You should expect to pay between £1,000 – £1,500 for a well-bred puppy from health-tested parents. Currently, the recognised colours by the Kennel Club are: • Black & Tan • Solid Red (all shades) • Chocolate & Tan • Blue & Tan

Please do not be fooled by inflated prices for so-called "Rare Colours"—they are not rare. These colours, which carry the dilute gene, can come with health issues such as Colour Dilution Alopecia. This may not be immediately apparent in puppies but can affect them as they mature. Responsible breeders will avoid these colours due to the health implications. "Merles" are Colour Not Recognised (CNR) within the UK breed standard; to achieve this colouring, a different breed was introduced into the lineage, and these dogs also carry the dilute gene. Black & Tan and Red remain the preference for most breeders.

Always view puppies with their mother in her home environment; never purchase a puppy based solely on photos or over the internet. There have been many scammers taking advantage of lockdown by advertising non-existent litters online and defrauding people out of thousands of pounds for puppies that do not exist.