W h a t   I   a m   N O T !

I am NOT a miniature Doberman. Doberman Pinschers as a breed are only about 100 years old; we Manchesters (and our predecessors, Black-and-Tans) have lived in England for almost 500 years! Actually, when Herr Dobermann was breeding his guard dogs in the 1890s, he used my bigger cousin, the standard Manchester, for head type, color, and smooth, shiny coat. So I am not a mini-Doberman...the Doberman is a mega-Manchester! Recently we went to Kimbertal Kennels near West Chester, PA, where they breed Dobermans, and we were really surprised at how similar Dobies are to me. Lora and Andi couldn't get over the fact that Kimbertal is full of "big copies of Rudi!" Someday maybe we will get a Dobie as a pal for me, but for now there is just not enough space.

I am NOT a miniature pinscher. The Miniature Pinscher actually is not related to us or to the famous Doberman pinscher. Pinscher is just a German word for "working dog"...not very specific, right? Min Pins are actually the result of a cross between dachshunds and Italian greyhounds. In Germany, they are sometimes called Reh Pinscher because they resemble small deer. Min Pins have shorter legs and noses and stronger-looking bodies than do Manchesters. The Min Pin people of the world are also a little annoyed with those Doberman people for stealing all of the pinscher glory, because miniature pinschers as a breed are also several hundred years old. They have been depicted in artwork for hundreds of years, so they are definitely not just "little Dobermans."

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