The Miniature Pinscher is not a miniature Doberman Pinscher at all. Although they share the same homeland of Germany, the relationship stops there. The Miniature Pinscher is a unique breed that is more than the sum of its parts, probably resulting from crosses between a small, Short-haired Terrier, Dachshund, and Italian Greyhound.
Dogs resembling them were depicted in art as early as the 1600s, but it was not until the 1800s that they were definitely developed into a distinct breed, the reh pinscher (reh because they resembled the German reh deer, and pinscher meaning terrier).
During the early days of dog shows, breeders almost ruined the Miniature Pinscher by breeding for small size at the expense of all other criteria. By 1900, breeders had corrected their direction and the Miniature Pinscher has never looked back.
The breed's elegance and showmanship propelled it to heights as a show dog in pre-World War I Germany and, although its numbers there were decimated by the war, it has flourished as a show dog and companion throughout the world since.