Miniature Pinscher vs Manchester Terrier

With their larger-than-life personalities, Miniature Pinschers are very playful and eager to learn—and show off—new tricks. They’re motivated to explore uncharted territory, whether a hidden corner at home or a path you haven’t walked yet. Extremely loyal to their families, they can be headstrong and a bit demanding if they don’t get the attention they yearn for.

When you don’t have their attention, Min Pins are strong-willed and have a mind of their own. More often than not, they’re comfortable being independent and prefer to play with their own breed. They do tend to be friendly and make great companions, but they can be standoffish with other breeds unless they have a closely matching personality. Watch your Min Pin carefully around younger children, who may play rough—as puppies, this dog’s thin limbs can be easily injured.

Since these small dogs were bred to kill small rodents in the home, it should come as no surprise that they love to work and have a penchant for chasing and capturing small critters. They’re known to pinch prey aggressively when they catch them.

Despite their small size, this toy breed tends to be highly protective of their pet parents, especially when other dogs are in the mix. They also try to one-up other dogs to make themselves look bigger. Without proper socialization, Min Pins can be feisty, nippy and possessive of resources like food and toys. They may take some time to adjust to households with multiple animals, including cats. Kids shouldn’t snatch food or toys away from Min Pins as your pup may interpret that as a threat. Early socialization from puppyhood is important and will help them be well-behaved members of the family.

Manchester Terriers are high-energy dogs who are constantly checking out their surroundings. Naturally curious by nature, these pups are known for their devotion and ability to entertain their families—they love chasing toys and zooming around when they have an audience.

Manchester Terriers are not generally aggressive (unless you’re a rodent), and the pups aren’t known to be biters. However, these highly intelligent and observant watchdogs are known to be barkers, so you’ll always know what’s coming down your street.

Manchesters do fine with kids as long as they’re properly socialized, but they may need considerable training to live with with other dogs or cats unless they’ve been raised with them since they were puppies. And you can forget about “pocket” pets like gerbils or rabbits. These pups were born for hunting rats, and they are likely to chase these types of pets.

They can be wary around strangers, but with socialization from puppyhood, they can learn to be OK when new people come around. But they will always let you know when someone’s at your door!

This playful pup enjoys games and will attack squeaky toys and chase balls with abandon. But Manchesters also enjoy physical closeness and companionship, so they’re always ready for snuggles. Therefore, they may not like being left alone all day. If you’re not able to be with them for most of the day, check them into doggie daycare or arrange for a pet sitter or neighbor to come by for a play date.