Miniature Pinscher Colours

Miniature Pinschers come in a variety of different colours:

Red - solid red of various shades
Stag Red - red with intermingling black hairs (not in the breed standard)

Black and Tan - black with tan points
Chocolate and Tan - chocolate with tan points
Blue and Tan - blue with tan points
Isabella Fawn - fawn with tan points (not in the breed standard)
The Harlequin - spotted variety / sometimes brindled (not in the breed standard)

Years ago the Miniature Pinscher also came in the Harlequin colour, these Minpins should not be confused with the Harlequin Pinscher which was actually a breed in its own right and not just another colour of Minpin.  There are no longer any living AKC registered Miniature Pinschers of the harlequin colour as the American Kennel Club no longer recognise the colour harlequin within this breed, therefore none can be registered as being harlequin in colour. 

Here in the UK The Miniature Pinscher is not a colour restricted breed, therefore the policy on the initial registration of dogs is to record the colour description as given to the Kennel Club by the breeder. As a result of this policy in the UK we are permitted to register a Miniature Pinscher in any of the following colours: Black & Tan, Chocolate & Tan, Blue & Tan, Stag Red, Red, Isabella Fawn and Harlequin.

Copyright The Kennel Club

Reproduced with their permission.

Today some Miniature Pinschers have a white spot of varying size on their chest and although this white spot is allowed under the Kennel Club breed standard, it is considered undesirable.

" It will be of interest to the novice to appreciate that at one time there were Harlequin Reh Pinschers (Black and White), and as late as 1940 a single breeder in the U.S. was known to have produced them. While Harlequin is not an acceptable color for our breed today, to know that there were once dogs of this color combination in Germany provides us with the origin of white being introduced into the breed. In the broadest sense, any white found on Miniature Pinschers today is traceable to the original harlequins ". Reference page 13 The Miniature Pinscher That You May Know by Chip Jones, copyright 1969 by Thomas M. Jones 

It should be noted that the Harlequin coloration and pattern is dominant to all other colours and all other patterns. Therefore it’s highly likely that the Harlequin came in a variety of colours and patterns and not just in black and white, as the above quote seems to suggest.

The last AKC Miniature Pinscher registered as Harlequin in colour was Cinderella's Elma vd Kammer (B), Born 6th June 1960 registration number T834159.

" They are also of one colour, blond or dirty grey-white or white with black spots. Faults are: Muzzles, which are like that of the Great Dane in shape, too edgeless, or to pointed. " Reference page 11 The Complete Miniature Pinscher By Viva Leone Ricketts, copyright 1957 Wm. W Denlinger Middleburg, Va. 

" At the time the colour was mostly black with red markings and the completely red dogs were not in favour. Besides the black and red, another colour began to be shown. This was the harlequin, usually a little taller than the black with red or tan, but undoubtedly of the same breed. The harlequin or spotted variety, sometimes brindled, was bred mostly in and around Karlsbad, Austria. A few of them were being bred in Hannover, North Germany and some in Wurttemberg, south Germany." Reference page 15 The Complete Miniature Pinscher By Viva Leone Ricketts, copyright 1957 Wm. W Denlinger Middleburg, Va.

"The red colour was then finding much favour; the reds were of high quality both in type and colour and they bid fair to equal the numbers of the blacks. There were also many of the chocolate-brown colour, and blues with red markings. It is said of the blues that they were of clear colour, not muddy, and that they were very beautiful and exotic, while many of the brown ones were of too light a colour, and were dull and uninteresting. The dogs of good chocolate-brown colour made a fine impression, and if one had to choose between the two colours, the chocolate colour was to be preferred, it was said." Reference page 15 &16 The Complete Miniature Pinscher By Viva Leone Ricketts, copyright 1957 Wm. W Denlinger Middleburg, Va.

In the past both the blues and Isabella fawns were thought to have suffered from colour dilution alopecia (hair loss) however at this moment in time the inheritance is unproven.  It was once thought that that breeding blue to blue or Isabella fawn to Isabella fawn would only increase the affected gene and that it would make more sense to breed blue to black and tan or Isabella fawn to red there by reducing the affected gene and increasing the chances of producing puppies with far healthier coats, however colour dilution alopecia does not appear to affect all colour dilution dogs, therefore the condition might well be caused by the interaction of different factors at the gene position colour rather than the genes at that locus.

HealthGene Laboratory is proud to announce a new DNA test for canine coat and nose colour determination. Using the latest DNA testing procedures, their laboratory is able to determine the genetic basis of coat and nose colour, as well as hidden colour (brown, black or red), for an array of breeds. What does this mean for breeders? Knowing the hidden colour of the sire and the dam is essential for choosing the best partners for your breeding stock, as well as determining the future colour of puppies. 

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Red	Black and Tan	Isabella Fawn	Chocolate and Tan
Blue and Tan	Blue and Tan	Harlequin	Harlequin

Colour Inheritance

 The gene that causes Blue Dilution is the “D” Locus (Blue Dilution locus)

Dominant genes are represented by capital letters .
 Recessive genes are represented by lower case letters.  
Genes are in pairs DD (dominant), Dd (dominant carrying a recessive gene) 
dd is a recessive pair of genes that results in a non dominant colour.
The sire and the dam both contribute one of their own genes to their offspring.
Which gene the offspring receives from the sire and the dam determines the colour of the offspring.

If the sire is DD, he can give either the 1st D or the 2nd D to his offspring.
If the sire is Dd, he can give either the D or the d to his offspring.
If the sire is dd, he can give either the 1st d or the 2nd d to his offspring.

The gene that causes Chocolate mutation is the “B” Locus (Liver locus) 
 When the b of the Chocolate is combined with the d of the Blue the colour becomes a Dilute Chocolate or a Isabella Fawn & Tan.

BB =  A Black & Tan minpin that does not produce Chocolate offspring
Bb =  A Black & Tan minpin that can and does produce Chocolate offspring
bb =  A Chocolate & Tan minpin that can and does produce Chocolate offspring

	BBDD	BbDD	BBDd	BbDd	BBdd	Bbdd	bbDD	bbDd	bbdd
BBDD	BBDD	BBDD BbDD	BBDD BBDd	BBDD BbDD BBDd BbDd	BBDd	BBDd BbDd	BbDD	BbDD BbDd	BbDd
BbDD	BBDD BbDD	BBDD BbDD bbDD	BBDD BBDd BbDD BbDd	BBDD BbDD BBDd BbDd bbDD bbDd	BBDd BbDd	BBDd BbDd bbDd	BbDD bbDD	BbDD BbDd bbDD bbDd	BbDd bbDd
BBDd	BBDD BBDd	BBDD BBDd BbDD BbDd	BBDD BBDd BBdd	BBDD BbDD BBDd BbDd BBdd Bbdd	BBDd BBdd	BBDd BbDd Bbdd	BbDD BbDd	BbDD BbDd Bbdd	BbDd Bbdd
BbDd	BBDD BbDD BBDd BbDd	BBDD BbDD BBDd BbDd bbDD bbDd	BBDD BbDD BBDd BbDd BBdd Bbdd	BBDD BbDD BBDd BbDd BBdd Bbdd bbDd bbDD bbdd	BBDd BbDd Bbdd BBdd	BBDd BbDd Bbdd BBdd bbDd bbdd	BbDD BbDd bbDD bbDd	BbDD BbDd Bbdd bbDD bbdd	BbDd Bbdd bbDd bbdd
BBdd	BBDd	BBDd BbDd	BBDd BBdd	BBDd BbDd Bbdd BBdd	BBdd	BBdd Bbdd	BbDd	BbDd Bbdd	Bbdd
Bbdd	BBDd BbDd	BBDd BbDd bbDd	BBDd BbDd Bbdd	BBDd BbDd Bbdd BBdd bbDd bbdd	BBdd Bbdd	BBdd Bbdd bbdd	BbDd bbDd	BbDd Bbdd bbDd bbdd	Bbdd bbdd
bbDD	BbDD	BbDD bbDD	BbDD BbDd	BbDD BbDd bbDD bbDd	BbDd	BbDd bbDd	bbDD	bbDD bbDd	bbDd
bbDd	BbDD BbDd	BbDD BbDd bbDD bbDd	BbDD BbDd Bbdd	BbDD BbDd Bbdd bbDD bbdd	BbDd Bbdd	BbDd Bbdd bbDd bbdd	bbDD bbDd	bbDD bbDd bbdd	bbDd bbdd
bbdd	BbDd	BbDd bbDd	BbDd Bbdd	BbDd Bbdd bbDd bbdd	Bbdd	Bbdd bbdd	bbDd	bbDd bbdd	bbdd

	Ay Ay	Ay at	atat
Ay Ay	Ay Ay	Ay Ay Ay at	Ay at
Ay at	Ay Ay Ay at	Ay Ay Ay at atat	Ay at atat
atat	Ay at	Ay at atat	atat

The gene that causes Clear Tan / Fawn / Red is the“E” Locus (Extension)
The E locus produces clear tan / fawn / red.
E = Allows eumelanin and or phaeomelanin pigment to be produced.
e = recessive red - clear red.
ee = A recessive Red minpin that can produce Black and Tan if bred with a Black and Tan.  

	EE	Ee	ee
EE	EE	EE Ee	Ee
Ee	EE Ee	EE Ee ee	Ee ee
ee	Ee	Ee ee	ee

    The gene that causes Merle is the “M” Locus (Merle locus)   M = Merle
m = Non Merle   Merle is a pattern of white and coloured hairs blended together, along with patches of solid colour     Puppies carrying the MM gene do survive and unfortunately most are deaf, because of this Mm Merles should not be bred with other Mm Merles, instead Mm Merles should be bred to mm non-Merles, the resulting litter will be a mixture of Merles and non-Merles.
*Minpins may no longer be affected by the M mutation.    
Click here to visit Operation Blue Prints website     Reference material: The Inheritance of Coat Color in Dogs by Clarence Cook Little
For further information please visit: Genetics of Coat Color and Type in Dogs