Austrian Pinscher

The Austrian Pinscher is known to form a very close bond with its family members. While it’s not necessarily the cuddliest of breed, they’ll definitely give affection to those they trust.

With endless energy to use, the Austrian Pinscher loves playing games and joining in with sports. If you’re bored, grab a ball and get outside with them - they’ll always be up for it!

This breed can be highly strung and hard to handle if they don’t get enough exercise or feel bored.

This is a super intelligent dog breed which learns new things with ease. While this is a great trait, it does mean the dog needs plenty of mental stimulation to prevent boredom.

The Austrian Pinscher was bred to hunt and exterminate rats and other vermin. This means they have an extremely high prey drive and shouldn’t be trusted around small animals.

This breed is extremely wary of strangers. This is definitely something to bear in mind if adopting an Australian Pinscher - truthfully, they can be rather intimidating towards new (and likely innocent!) people. With consistent socialisation, they may be tolerant of them - but never friendly.

Strong-willed, stubborn and independent, the Austrian Pinscher can be a lot to handle. This breed needs to be paired with an experienced dog handler who knows how to handle a dominant pooch.

Ideally, no dog should be left alone for too long. However, as dog breeds go, the Austrian Pinscher tolerates a few hours alone well. However, it’s important to provide toys and room to roam to prevent boredom.

Due to the Austrian Pinscher’s natural dominance and independence, they can be difficult to train. They need a confident, experienced trainer and consistent training sessions from a young age. If this breed thinks it can get its own way, it could become bossy and impossible to handle.

If you’re thinking of adopting an Austrian Pinscher, be aware that you might annoy your neighbours. This breed truly likes the sound of its own voice - and while training may help, it’s unlikely to eliminate the problem completely.

Due to their high prey drive, the Austrian Pinscher may run off without warning upon the sight of a small animal.

The Austrian Pinscher could become destructive, hyperactive, overly vocal and possible even aggressive if they’re cooped up or under-exercised.

The Austrian Pinscher isn’t known as a greedy breed.

If you’re after a top quality watchdog, this breed might be a good match for you. Their natural suspicion of strangers means they’ll bark endlessly at any unfamiliar face which enters their territory. However, it’s important to note that the Austrian Pinscher does have it in them to become aggressive if provoked.

To thrive into an obedient, well-behaved dog, the Austrian Pinscher needs an experienced dog owner who knows how to handle a dominant breed. With a novice owner, they will try to push the boundaries and could become extremely hard to handle.

With so much energy, the Austrian Pinscher needs plenty of space to roam freely. They may be frustrated and, therefore, destructive, in a flat.

This breed has a high exercise requirement - they need lots of activity to thrive. Ideally, they should get around 2 hours of walking or running, as well as plenty of roaming and playtime in the garden, every single day. If their energy is left unspent, they will quickly develop destructive habits and, more worryingly, be a very unhappy pooch.

The Austrian Pinscher is a medium-sized dog who can easily fit in the car boot. However, they may feel frustrated on long journeys as they’re prone to boredom.

Considering this dog was bred to hunt vermin, there’s no surprise their prey drive can sometimes be taken out on felines. You simply can’t keep an Austrian Pinscher and a cat together - the kitty would be at risk.

Although well-socialised Austrian Pinschers may tolerate other dogs, they are prone to dog aggression and can be extremely territorial.

This breed is actually quite sweet with children, but only those who they know well. However, they can be a little aggressive if aggravated - an accidental hit or squeeze by a child could be dangerous. Therefore, they should only live with children of a certain age who know how to act around dogs.

Due to extremely high exercise requirements paired with strength and dominance, the Austrian Pinscher isn’t a good match for an elderly person.