Austrian Pinscher Information & Dog Breed Facts

The Austrian Pinscher, or also known as Österreichischer Pinscher, is a medium-sized dog, which was originally kept as a farm dog, controlling vermin levels and patrolling the land. The breed is native to Austria and a member of a group of dog breeds known as the Pinscher/Schnauzer family. 

According to experts, the breed was derived from the German Pinscher and local Austrian breeds. Pinscher type dogs are thought to have been in existence for many centuries and are believed to be truly ancient dogs. It is unclear how or when the breed was first developed but it is widely thought that such dogs are likely accompanied the Germanic tribes when they first invaded the Roman Empire in the 5^th century A.D. However, when it comes to the Austrian Pinscher, records are lacking and the breed was only officially recognized in 1928.

Furthermore, the breed was developed to be a multi-purpose and useful dog, helping farmers in their lands. The actual physical appearance of the breed was never a priority, and in the past, breeders would have varied quite a lot in their looks. Austrian farmers required a loyal dog that was willing to protect the land and the livestock. The Austrian Pinscher was also bred to be sociable with people and tolerant with other animals.

Moreover, a notable figure in the history of the breed was the Austrian Earl Hauck, who became interested in an ancient dog breed known from historical records archaeological digs as the Marsh Dog or Canis Palustris, which have been identified in 1843 by H. von Meyer. Hauck believed that the Austrian Pinscher was the closest living relative of the Canis Palustris. In the early 1920s, he started to create a breeding program to include those that most closely resembled the ancient breed. Hauck quickly found others interested in the development of a new pure bred dog from the traditional farm Pinschers of Austria, and more breeders began working with him. In 1928, both the Austrian Kennel Club and the Federation Cynologique Internationale (FCI) recognized the Austrian Pinscher as a unique breed. The population of the breed continued to grow throughout the 1920s, but the 1930s saw major economic difficulties, which had affected breeding efforts as well. The Second World War was also challenging for the Austrian Pinscher, though they were ultimately saved from extinction, likely because of their versatility and the fact that they lived in more rural areas. However, those farmyard dogs that survived were not the same purebred animals participating in Hauck’s breeding program. Although the nation of Austria would eventually make a recovery in the post-war years, the breeding of the Austrian Pinscher did not. By the 1970s, the situation for the purebred breed was extremely dire. Only one fertile registered dog remained, a female. Another issue was that the breed lacked awareness. Many Austrians did not even know that the breed existed. However, a few dedicated breeders began collecting working line Pinschers without pedigrees from farms across Austria, focusing on those that most closely matched breed standards. These dogs were then mated with the above-mentioned fertile female dog. Moreover, Austrian Pinscher fanciers discovered that a few traditional type of the breed had managed to survive in neighboring countries and those dogs were just as influential, if not more so, in restoring the breed than the ones found in Austria.

In 2000, the FCI officially changed the breed’s name to Austrian Pinscher. In 2002, a group of Austrian Pinscher lovers decided to form the Klub fur Osterreichishe Pinscher (KOP). The club’s primary purpose was protecting and promoting the breed, as well as finding as many new examples to enter into the breeding pool as possible. Despite their efforts, the Austrian Pinscher remains a very rare breed. There are approximately 200 breed members in Austria with 20 to 40 additional registrations every year. About the same number of breed members are found outside of Austria, in at least 8 different countries. It is unclear if any Austrian Pinschers have made their way to America, but the breed is currently recognized by the American rare Breed Association, and a few other breed clubs.