The Pineranian is a small pooch with a fierce personality, but if trained on time, it will be the sweetest lapdog.
Pineranian Basics
The friendly, intelligent, and affectionate Pineranian combines the best traits of its parental breeds, the fierce and spirited Miniature Pinscher and the cute and smart Pomeranian. As a hybrid designer dog breed that has its origin in two toy breeds, these dogs are expected to keep the petite stature of their parents, so you’re looking at a pooch that won’t weigh more than 5 to 10 pounds even when fully grown. But don’t let their small size fool you, though! Pineranians are dogs with a big personality, and they thrive on attention- in fact, some would say that these mixed breed dogs like their owner’s attention a bit too much, as they do best in an environment with no other pets or little kids they’d have to compete with to be in the spotlight. Additionally, the close bond they develop with their pawrent might lead to issues with separation anxiety, especially if they weren’t properly socialized when young or trained on time.
Origin
Same as it is the case with all designer dog breeds, the Pineranian came to be only recently. That is, if you don’t count cases where the combination between the Min Pin and the Pom were unplanned and accidental, of course. As a breed, the Pineranian became increasingly popular in the last decade, with more litters being produced every day. When it comes to its lineage, though, the Pineranian has a history much richer and older than its beginnings in the 2000s. Its parental breeds have been popular and treasured, first as working dogs than as pets, for hundreds of years. The Miniature Pinscher was first bred to hunt rats in 17th century Germany before it became a popular lap dog. The Pomeranian was originally created in the 1800s, also in Germany, where they were used as sheepdogs. With time, they were bred to be smaller and become the lapdog we all know and love today.
Pedigree
Pineranian is a designer dog breed, and, as such, it is not recognized by the prestigious American Kennel Club (AKC), which only gives out pedigrees to purebred dogs that are bred according to set standards. This doesn’t mean that there are no canine clubs and organizations that recognize hybrid dog breeds. While it might not get the acknowledgment it deserves from the largest and most prestigious organizations, the Pineranian is recognized by many smaller clubs that are advocating for crossbreed dogs to be awarded the same status as purebred ones.
Food/Diet
Choosing a well-balanced diet for your Pineranian puppy will set a solid foundation for their good health as the years go by. Thankfully, picking out the best food for Pineranians is nothing overly hard: as a rule of thumb, these hybrid toy breed dogs will do well with any pet food that’s designed for small-sized canines. Additionally, if your dog took after one of the parental breeds more than the other, you can consider giving them a high-quality kibble blend made especially for Min Pins or Pomeranian.
When it comes to determining the right serving size for your pet, a lot will depend on their individual case. For instance, it won’t be the same amount of food you need to give to a Pineranian that weighs 5.5 lbs or one that’s closer to 10 lbs. To get the right dosage, check the feeding guide offered by the pet food manufacturer (usually found near the ingredients list on the kibble bag) or consult your vet for advice. Either way, it’s recommended to split your pooch’s daily dose of food into two or three meals per day, and not to go overboard with treats. Even though you might want to reward your puppy, it’s better for them to keep the optimal weight- as small as they are, Pineranians can quickly become obese if you’re not careful, which leads to a myriad of health issues.
As a hybrid toy breed dog, Pineranians will do well with any pet food that’s designed for small-sized canines.
Training
The unique combination of their traits makes Pineranians easy to train. They are quite smart, active and playful, and yet love nothing more than to please their owners and get as much attention from them as possible. Play your cards right, and you’ll have the most well-behaved pooch on the block that will know a few charming tricks to boot! Granted, it might take some patience and a bit of effort to train a lively and strong-headed dog, but getting them housebroken and socialized on time is an absolute must. If you succumb to the cuteness of the tiny Pineranian and forgo all rules in your household, it won’t be long before you regret it. Unless properly socialized, these designer dogs can turn out to be snippy, aggressive towards other dogs and, in a nutshell, completely disobedient.
Weight
As the Pineranian was created by mating a Miniature Pinscher to a Pomeranian, it’s safe to assume that it won’t grow bigger than any of the two parental breeds. Both the Min Pin and the Pom are toy breeds, and their hybrid is the same. Although there are no set standards or rules for designer dog breeds, a Pineranian will grow to be between 5 and 10 lbs when fully grown. Whether your puppy turns out to be closer to the lower value on the scale or the higher one will entirely depend on which parent they take up after. In one litter, you could have a mix of bigger and smaller puppies, some looking more like Pins and other like Pomeranians- there are no set rules when it comes to mixed breed dogs!
Temperament/Behavior
While its designer dog breed status makes it hard for anybody to claim there’s a set of standard personality traits typical for the Pineranian breed, as the breed itself hasn’t been around for long, you can still have a pretty good idea how your puppy will turn out to be, thanks to well-documented behavior and personality traits of its parental breeds. Miniature Pinscher is known as an excellent watchdog and it seems that a good deal of Pineranians inherits this trait, too. Moreover, you can expect your puppy to be inclined to investigate everything (even if it’s something they shouldn’t be sniffing around). Their insatiable curiosity often gets them into trouble- another typical Min Pin trait that’s often observed in this new hybrid breed.
As for the personality traits that the Pineranian inherits from its Pomeranian parent, you can count on their intellect and famed friendliness to be passed on to their crossbreed offspring. If properly socialized, these dogs are the sweetest pooches around, wagging their tail for anyone who passes by, be it a four-legged or a two-legged friend.
Not unlike both of the breeds in its lineage, the Pineranian will be a perfect lap dog, and an ideal pet for a single pawrent. This is mostly because this pint-sized pooch has a disproportionately huge attitude, which, more often than not, leads to these puppers being snippy when teased (definitely not a good combo with young kids) and bossy and even aggressive towards other dogs. Ideally, a Pineranian would be the only baby in your household- we’re talking both human and fur babies.
Common Health Problems
Most designer dog breeds are a mixed bag- you never know with certainty what your pooch will be like when they grow up. This is particularly true when it comes to health issues. Pineranian, same as other hybrid dog breeds, can inherit predispositions for health problems typical for one or both breeds, or turn out to be healthier and more robust than either of them. In general, getting a puppy from a reputable Pineranian breeder should set your mind at ease, as you’ll know that they were bred to eliminate health issues as much as possible, unlike backyard breeders who produce puppies for the profit only, with no regards for their health and well-being.
As for some breed-specific health issues, there is still not enough info on Pineranians to make conclusions, but looking at the breeds they originate from can give you a clearer picture. Min Pins and Pomeranians can be affected by diseases typical for toy breed dogs, and the same can be applied to the Pineranian. These issues include kneecap dislocation (also known as patellar luxation), unilateral or bilateral cryptorchidism (absence of one or both testes), a hip disorder known as Legg–Calvé–Perthes disease, and a congenital heart defect called patent ductus arteriosus.
Life Expectancy
Since Pineranians haven’t been around that long, no one can say for certainty how long these tiny pooches can live for. Miniature Pinschers can grow to be 10 to 14 years old, whereas Pomeranians have a life expectancy of 12 to 16 years. Having in mind that a Pineranian is a mix of these breeds and a hybrid toy breed to boot, it’s safe to assume that its lifespan wouldn’t be significantly shorter or longer than 13 to 15 years. To ensure your petite pooch lives to its golden years without any major issues, provide them with proper care and love- regular visits to the vet for routine checkups, well-balanced diet and plenty of exercise should keep your pup fit and healthy for years to come.
Exercise Requirements
Like any other dog, the petite Pineranian will need exercise to stay healthy and happy. However, due to their small size, these furballs have a moderate activity level. It doesn’t take much to tire out a dog that weighs under 10 lbs, no matter how energetic and active they are by nature. Both the Miniature Pinscher and the Pomeranian are known as breeds who are full of vigor, curious, and very smart, which means they will have energy to spend, and if you don’t provide a proper outlet, they won’t hesitate to choose one of their own- which you wouldn’t want. To ensure you have a well-behaved, happy dog, you need to take care of them and make sure they are socialized, and it’s no different when it comes to Pineranian.
Although they can get all the exercise they need indoors, going outside on a daily basis will do them well. Make sure your pooch gets at least 30 minutes of outdoors time, whether it’s a walk around the block or playtime in the doggie park.
Like any other dog, the petite Pineranian will need exercise to stay healthy and happy- they have moderate need for activity.
Recognized Clubs
While the American Kennel Club might not recognize designer dog breeds in general, Pineranian is recognized by a number of other organizations, including American Canine Hybrid Club, Designer Dogs Kennel Club, Designer Breed Registry, Dog Registry of America, as well as International Designer Canine Registry.
Coat
Due to the possibility for a Pineranian puppy to inherit more traits of one parent rather than be a real mix of the two, there is no “guaranteed” outcome when it comes to their appearance. However, most Pineranians have a medium-length coat with straight and dense hair. The usual color combinations include brown, fawn, brindle and black. They don’t have any high-maintenance or grooming needs, and unless they take up after the fluffy Pom too much (which would mean a bit more fur care and brushing), going through their coat with a pin brush or a comb once a day will suffice. They don’t have to be bathed often- the recommended frequency is circa once every few weeks.
Puppies
The Pineranian is a small pooch with a fierce personality- and they won’t hesitate to show it. Not unlike other toy breeds, they can get the so-called “small dog syndrome,” which can be equal parts cute and problematic, so make sure to steer their smarts toward training on time. When properly socialized at a young age, these designer breed dogs turn out to be sweet, cuddly, and friendly towards people and other pets alike. This is not a breed that does well with small kids- they dislike rough handling and teasing and won’t hesitate to nip if feeling threatened. Although energetic, these dogs have moderate exercise needs and will be perfectly happy to snuggle next to you on the sofa after a long walk or a game of fetch.
Photo credit: Sam Walsh/Shutterstock; opalledo/Shutterstock
