Miniature pinscher sweater and coat sizes

A miniature pinscher is a toy dog with a working dog's body: square, muscled, deep through the chest for its size, and covered in a coat so short it is closer to paint than fur. It is also a dog that moves constantly and climbs on things. Dress it for warmth, in something that stretches.

The numbers

AKC standard: 10 to 12.5 in at the shoulder, 8 to 10 lb. The TARIGS breed chart gives a chest of 38 to 48 cm (15 to 19 in), neck 25 to 33 cm (10 to 13 in), back 32 to 40 cm (12.5 to 15.7 in). The high ends are a big male; a typical pet min pin tapes 15 to 17 in around, 10 to 11 at the neck, 12 to 13 along the back. A coat maker's chart from measured dogs, not a standard; the breed is not on most other charts, so the tape matters.

Our sizes

Piece	Fits	Size for a 14 to 18 in chest	Notes
All-Weather Jacket	Yes	S to M	Size by chest; between sizes go up. Back length is short for the chest on purpose.
Heritage Turtleneck	Yes	S to L	It pulls on over the head: read the neck column too, and go up if the neck is close.
Fireside Cable-Knit	Some	L to XL, up to a 16.5 in chest	Only the smaller dogs of the breed: the XL stops at 16.5 in around the chest.
Quilted Vest	Some	S	The S starts at a 16 in chest; below that the belly strap cannot pull tight.
Trench Coat	Some	M and up	Only the smaller dogs: it is cut for up to 16 lb with a neck to 11.4 in.

Worked out from the size charts on the product pages for the measurement range above. Your dog's own tape measurement is what decides it.

The deep chest is the point to notice: a 9 lb min pin can tape 17 in, which is a Heritage Turtleneck M, a jacket M, and past the Fireside Cable-Knit's XL (16.5 in). A lighter female at 15 in is a Fireside XL, a Heritage S, a jacket S. The trench fits the whole breed by weight; check the neck against the chart's 9.8 to 11.4 in for M to XL.

No coat to speak of

The min pin's coat is short, smooth and single, with no undercoat, over a body that carries little fat. It is one of the breeds that shivers in a cool room, and a knit is a normal part of its winter rather than a costume. Vets and breed clubs routinely advise a sweater for min pins below about 50°F, and a coat in rain or wind.

For dry cold, the Heritage Turtleneck is the knit to own: it stretches over the deep chest, the ribbed cuffs on the front legs keep it in place on a dog that never stops moving, and the fold-down neck can be worn up. The Fireside Cable-Knit is the warmer-looking of the two and fits the smaller half of the breed; sleeveless, so nothing to climb out of at the front.

For cold rain, the All-Weather Jacket: lined, rain-shedding, zipped up the chest, with the harness built in so the leash pulls on the chest. On a toy breed with a narrow neck that matters; a min pin should not be walked on a collar in any case, and the jacket's harness is the right leash point for a dog that walks nicely. For one that launches at pigeons, the usual harness under the jacket.

The trench for spring

The Trench Coat is sized by neck and weight and the whole chart is toy breeds. A 9 lb min pin with a 10.5 in neck is an L (up to 13 lb, 10.6 in neck). Washed cotton, storm collar, drapes rather than wraps. Not a rain coat, not a winter one; a coat for a dog that likes to look sharp in March.

Shipping and returns

Free US shipping; ships in 1 to 2 business days and usually arrives 4 to 9 business days after that; 60 days to return a size that is wrong (Shipping & Returns). Measure the chest at its deepest point behind the front legs: how to measure your dog for a coat. On this breed, that number is bigger than you expect.

Questions

Fireside or Heritage for a min pin?

Measure the chest. Under 16.5 in, either; the Fireside is the one with no sleeves. Over 16.5, the Heritage.

Will a sweater stay on a dog this active?

The Heritage's cuffs and ribbed hem hold it. The Fireside has no sleeves to slip, but a very leggy min pin can work the armholes back; size it snug by chest.