English Standard
With the Breed Standard extended as further information...
GENERAL APPEARANCE
Well balanced, smooth coated, medium size with elegant and flowing outlines but strong and well muscled.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Overall appearance
The Pinscher is one of robust, strong body and bone not a fine greyhound appearance in the breed. Elegance does not mean fine and is a serious fault in this breed of dog. They are able to work in harsh environments and have the energy and stamina to do long hours on thier own. Please remember this when judging the overall breed type. The tuck up in the GP is not well tucked up but a gradual upward line from rear end of Sternum to underbelly.
CHARACTERISTICS.
TEMPERAMENT
High spirited and self-possessed.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Fearless is to be expected with a guarding and ratting breed for the work intended. Fearlessness means afraid of nothing and this breed does not tolerate those who push the dog position in the pack outside its owners, outside its home it considers any area it is housed in its own (guarding tendencies). This is territorial instinct. Outsiders are considered to be potential intruders when invading the dogs space (crate, home, ect as with most terriers and guarding breeds). Direct eye contact is not advisable unless you own the dog and is typical of the guarding breeds and not unique to this breed (meaning staring into the eyes while either judging or playing).
Judging Temperament
Our breed type is aloof but eager to please his master and brimming over with enthusiasm with a one track mind.
A German Pinscher should always have a happy attitude and some even smile when meeting new people and should wag their tails enthusiastically as puppies.
Older more experienced dogs are less outwardly bubbling over with enthusiasm they will typically be calm but alert and will respond to the judge or other interesting distractions, but NOT excessivley pull away from the judge, remembering their tolerance of direct eye contact by adults, is limited towards strangers. They are suspicious (wary) of strangers (not fearful) and a typical guarding breed also. (Unlike most terriers).
HEAD AND SKULL
Seen from above and side resembles a blunt wedge. Strong but not heavy, elongated without pronounced occiput. Overall length in proportion to back (from withers to base of tail) is approximately 1:2. Top of muzzle parallel with extended line of unwrinkled flat forehead; slight but distinct stop. Cheek muscles strong but not prominent. Deep muzzle. Nose full and black; in reds, nose of corresponding shade. Lips tight and dark. Snippiness undesirable.
FURTHER INFORMATION.
Head type.
Vital in the Pinscher and is one of uniqueness and separates it from the Dobermann head type, although with a wedge shaped head and parallel planes. Elongated does not mean exaggerated length of head and must fit twice into the resonably short square back to keep the proportions correct.
* It is NOT offically measured in two equal parts from tip of nose to stop and from stop to occiput, although it is used as a general rough estimate of equal parts it is not stated in either the English or F.C.I standard and never has been. (The Dobermann is measured in this manner).
FURTHER INFORMATION Picture above shows ideal head type (including correct muzzle depth andunderjaw) a good wedge and almost perfect planes. Correct eye and ear shape and size. Note;correct length of well muscled feminine neck.
EYES
Dark, of medium size, oval and directed forward. Eye rims tight.FURTHER INFORMATION
EARS
Set high. V shaped, folded down close to head.FURTHER INFORMATION
Ears in picture above are close to the ideal size, shape and set on the head.
MOUTH
Jaws strong with a perfect, regular and complete scissor bite, i.e. upper teeth closely overlapping lower teeth and
FURTHER INFORMATION
The dentition of the German Pinscher is not mentioned in the standard, but it is generaly accepted that full dentition of 42 teeth is correct but judging this in accordance to the stadard would not peneilise the missing teeth if there are any.
NECK
Elegant and strong. Neither short nor stout. Nape well arched. Skin of throat tight without dewlap.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Length of neck is not extended reach. The neck is medium length and very well muscled. Too long is a weakness in this breed and is not meant to be the length to proportion as in the Dobermann.
FOREQUARTERS
Well laid shoulder with good but flat muscle. Forelegs straight viewed from all sides, parallel elbows are close to body.
FURTHER INFORMATION 
Angulation is of vital importance
The German Pinscher is not an exaggerated breed, but does require correct well laid shoulders and upper arms, with balanced rear and front angulation showing a correct lay of shoulder will allow for a correctly attached neck set on with out stove pipe necks. The well put together Pinscher will show all in good reach and strong, rotary drive of trotting movement with out any stilted gait.
Important
The GP has a 50 degree lay of shoulder (well laid back) to 95-100 degrees of upper arm stifle and overall angulation.
The German Pinscher is still in its original form.
Don't forget the Pinscher should look like a shaved Snauzcher in overall appearance, but not exactly e.g. measurement is different but angulation is similar and in type .
BODY
Chest moderately wide with flat ribs. Brisket extends below elbow. Forechest extends beyond point of shoulder. Compact and short coupled. Length of body approximately equal to height at withers. Back short and slightly sloping. Slightly rounded croup.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Measurement of length, chest and topline
The standard for length measurement does not say it is measured from prosternum to Ischium. It says what it means approximately equal to height at withers also allowing for the space of the head 1:2 in the length of back.
The dog is measured from withers to onset of tail and withers to ground. Closest to squareness is ideal. The head should fit ideally twice into the back of the Pinscher with correct proportions, never more than twice.
Chest
A deep chest to elbow or more that fits the oval (not round or oblong) shape into the front between the legs is one of the best ways to gauge width of chest correctness.
Depth of chest from withers to elbow should equal leg measured from elbow to ground for correct proportions. A dog with correct front proportions and is still rump high is either long in rear (first and/or second thigh) usually lower proportion of the leg or lacks correct angulation. Watch for the roaching topline as this will also give the optical illusion of short on front leg.
Topline.
No roaching, rump high or soft back--- a highly undesirable trait in the German Pinscher. A slightly (almost level) strong sloping topline from withers to tail set is the ideal.
HINDQUARTERS
Seen from behind parallel, with sufficient width. Upper thigh slanted and strongly muscled. Good length and bend of stifle, hocks turning neither in nor out.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Strong is the word needed to describe the German Pinschers rear structure. Hocks are slightly angled not perfectly parallel to the ground when viewed side on. The muscle is not invisible to the eye, only flatter, rather than of greyhound, bulging, type of muscle.
FEET
Well arched, compact and cat-like with dark nails. Turning neither in nor out. Tough, hard pads.
Smitar tail, acceptable. Curled over the back is not.
TAIL
Set and carried high. Preferably docked to 3 joints.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Tail preference
The preference is for the Sabre tail but, it is commonly seen to have the Scimitar tail or sickle tail. Niether should be faulted this early in the breeding programmes to introduce a correct tail. It is still set and carried high but not Gay or too low set giving the appearance of the tail coming from the Ischium end of too steep a croup. The standard will eventually say natural or sabre tail. The set will still be the same.
GAIT/MOVEMENT
Free, well balanced and vigorous with good reach in front and strong rotary driving action from rear. Front and hind legs should not be thrown outwards. Topline should remain strong and firm. Hackney movement undesirable.
FURTHER INFORMATION
Movement
The best description I can give for rotary action is to imagine watching a push bike rider's foot side view on the pedal of a bike going round and round and add strong drive and you have true rotary action, so unique it is obviously different from all other breeds: except the Dobermann in the Utility group.
Hackney movement is highly undesirable. Usually means very short and straight in upper arm with lay of shoulder. Strong and Firm Topline means well muscled around the waist no bouncing back on the move and not ascending towards the rump so that height is above the withers when at the natural stand.
COAT
Short and dense, smoothly fitting, glossy without bald spots.
FURTHER INFORMATION
The standard calls for a short and dense coat NOT short and fine coat. Problems have arisen with the short fine coat mentioned such as:- balding and patchy coats. A serious breed fault.
COLOUR
All solid colours from fawn (Isabella) to stag red in various shades. Black and blue with reddish/tan markings. In bi-coloured dogs sharply marked red/tan markings desirable. Markings distributed as follows: - at cheeks, lips, lower jaw, above eyes, at throat, at forechest as two triangles separated from each other, at metatarsus, forelegs, feet, inner side of hind legs and vent region.
FURTHER INFORMATION
