The Miniature Pinscher requires firm and consistent dog obedience training, but once trained, they are a great companion dog. From an early age, they must understand that you are the “alpha dog,” or they will be quite happy to run your household. Once they respect you as the alpha dog, they are very loyal and easy to please.

Miniature Pinschers like to amuse you. So, during the course of dog obedience training, do not ever laugh when he misbehaves, or the behavior will be set for life. You must be firm and serious when correcting him to avoid sending mixed signals. In addition, while your corrections must be firm and consistent, they should not be overly harsh, or he will become scared and skittish. Once your dog learns that training is no nonsense time, he will likely enjoy it, since he will be eager to learn.

Miniature Pinschers require socialization at an early age, to prevent them from being wary of human strangers and to prevent them from being aggressive with other dogs. Puppy classes, where the puppies are introduced to each other and learn to share toys and water bowls would be perfect for this breed.

Crate training works well for housebreaking the Min Pin. Because this breed can be stubborn and dominant, and because their accidents are easy to miss due to their size, it is important to be very persistent in house breaking them. If they have an accident that goes unnoticed, they will believe that going to the bathroom in the house is acceptable, and the habit will be nearly impossible to break.

Keeping your puppy in his dog crate unless you are actively interacting with him will help ensure that there are no accidents. Puppies should not be allowed to roam the house unsupervised until they are consistently house trained. It is wise to leave your Min Pin in his dog crate when you leave the house even after he’s house trained, to prevent him from getting into something that could be dangerous for him.

Some owners of the Miniature Pinscher choose to paper train their dogs. Since they are not good in extreme temperatures, paper training prevents the dog from having to go outdoors when it is very cold or hot.

This breed likes to bark, so part of your early dog obedience training should include teaching them when barking is appropriate and when it is not. They are also great escape artists, prone to digging under fences or jumping over them. Training in this area will be helpful, but your best bet is just to ensure that your fence is very secure and not to leave them outdoors unsupervised for long periods of time.