Rat Pinscher

The Rat Pinscher is a hybrid between two Terrier type purebreds, the American Rat Terrier and the Miniature Pinscher.  The Rat Pinscher is a recent hybridization with no history or breed standards.  Its origins are unclear, but the Rat Pinscher was most likely first bred in the United States, as is most designer breeds.  Owners who wish to understand their Rat Pinscher's breed histories can review the origins and character traits of the parents to help understand and predict their hybrid's health and temperament. The American Rat Terrier is a small dog of the Terrier family, bred in the United States.  The Rat Terrier is a combination of several other Terrier and possibly Hound breeds whose original role was that of a small ratting dog.  The Rat Terrier was bred for its tenacious vermin hunting abilities as well as its small size and assisted farmers with rat problems in their barns.  The American Rat Terrier was also bred with regional Hound breeds, such as the Beagle in the U.S. South to increase its pack mentality and the Greyhound in the Midwest to increase its fleet abilities against the fast jackrabbits that plagued the fields.  The Rat Terrier was not bred for show but to assist with vermin hunting duties, so it was a late-comer to the American Kennel Club, having been recognized only in 2013.  However, the Rat Terrier has a relatively long history in the United States and was the dog of choice to help President Theodore Roosevelt with the White House rat problem during his presidency. The Miniature Pinscher is a German dog that is thought to be several centuries old.  However, detailed documentation on the breed is not available.  Standards for the Miniature Pinscher, which is often referred to as the Min Pin, were developed in the 19th Century and included both the black and tan and the red-coated variations for the breed.  The Min Pin has a striking resemblance to the Doberman Pinscher but in a considerably smaller package.  However, the Miniature Pinscher is an older breed than the Doberman, and the two are not closely related.  The Min Pin is a German Terrier whose name means miniature biter.  The breed remained popular in Germany early on but grew in worldwide popularity following World War I.  The Min Pin then made its way to the United States in the early 20th Century where it gained recognition by the American Kennel Club in 1929.   The AKC originally classified the Min Pin as a Terrier but later reclassified it in the Toy group.