Miniature Pinscher Lifespan: How Long Do These Dogs Live?

Miniature pinschers typically live around 12-16 years, according to the AKC. They’re generally healthy dogs. However, they can be affected by several health conditions, including dental problems. According to the New Horizon Animal Hospital, these issues can shorten your dog’s lifespan by one to three years.

Good breeding can help improve your miniature pinscher’s lifespan, as well. If a breeder carefully health tests all breeding dogs before producing puppies, it can help reduce the chance of genetic health issues. Of course, with fewer genetic issues, your puppy is more likely to live to 16 years or even longer.

How you care for your dog also matters. Obesity is a serious condition that can cause all sorts of health issues for your miniature pinschers, like back pain and heart disease. Luckily, it’s completely preventable by providing the correct amount of food, limiting treats, and avoiding feeding human leftovers.

The exact diet you provide your dog also plays a role. Commercial dog foods typically adhere to AAFCO standards that ensure it is nutritionally complete. However, you should always check for this label on any dog food you purchase. It’s also vital that you feed your miniature pinscher the correct food. For smaller dogs, this typically means a formula designed for smaller breeds.

Exercising your dog is also important. For instance, you should take your dog for walks regularly and encourage active play. A few sessions of fetch can help your canine keep the pounds off.

Vet care is also essential. You should ensure that you take your dog for regular checkups, which are usually around once a year. However, for older and younger dogs, you should consider getting them checked out more. Puppies need regular vaccinations, and older dogs benefit from catching any potential problems early.

Therefore, there is a lot you can do to help your miniature pinscher live a long time. However, these dogs still only live to around 16 years max. Even more well-cared-for dogs may only live to 12 years, though. Genetics (and other factors out of your control) can substantially affect your dog’s lifespan.

Can a Miniature Pinscher Live 20 Years?

Miniature pinschers can occasionally live to 20 years. However, we don’t recommend that you expect your dog to live this long. While some dogs may live this long, 20 years would be outside of the norm substantially. A lot has to come together for a dog to live this long, and most of it is outside of your control.

For instance, the dog has to have certain genetics, not get into any serious accidents, and be very well cared for. That’s a lot of considerations that you need to keep in mind and most of those you cannot control.

Do Miniature Pinschers Have Health Problems?

Because these dogs are smaller and not terribly unhealthy, many people mistakenly believe that they don’t have any health problems. However, this isn’t the case at all.

While they do tend to be healthier than other dogs, they are not completely healthy. They can get certain health problems, just like any other dog.

They’re prone to patellar luxation, like many smaller dogs. This is a fancy way of saying the dog has a dislocated kneecap. Often, this dislocation occurs suddenly. A dog with a dislocated kneecap may walk like a bunny or hobble around with the affected leg up.

This condition seems to be hereditary to some extent. However, it is more common in smaller dogs for one reason or another. Often, treatment can include only medications or restricted exercise. However, surgery is sometimes recommended to put the kneecap back in the right spot.

They’re also prone to Legg-Calve-Perthes disease, which causes blood to stop flowing to the top of the femur. Due to a lack of blood flow, the hip joint starts to break down. No one knows exactly why this condition occurs. However, it is more common in small dogs (like miniature pinschers).

The only treatment is to remove the affected portion and replace the hip. Luckily, many dogs recover easily from this surgery and live pain-free for the rest of their lives.

These canines may also develop epilepsy. This condition occurs when your dog has several seizures for no underlying reason. Canine seizures can last a few seconds to several minutes. You should always consult your vet for repeated seizures or seizures that last for more than five minutes.

If your dog acts strange after a seizure for more than an hour or so, you should also contact your vet.

Epilepsy is treatable, but it usually requires life-long medication. Getting the correct dosage of medication can also be a challenge.