These dogs are harlequin pinschers.
They are a strain of pinscher that was developed in Germany but became defunct because of real health problems that were popping up in the various litters.
The problem with this breed is that it was entirely made up of merle individuals. Although one can breed merle to merle and produce healthy puppies, it is also possible to produce double merles that have either deaf or blind or are born with no anuses, ear canals, or eyes. However, it is possible to breed merle to merle and have no problems.
Not all double merles are so afflicted, and it does not seem to appear in all breeds in exactly the same numbers.
But it still isn’t wise to have an entire breed made up of merles.
The breed was recognized by the FCI in 1958, but as far as I know, there are no “true” harlequin pinschers left.
The coloration most likely came from crossing with dachshunds, which are famous for their dapple or “tiger” markings. (Dapple dachshunds are called “tiger dachshunds” in Germany.)
Both the standard and miniature pinscher breeds do not come in merles.
However, there are people who are breeding merle pinschers. They are crossing small merle rat terriers with minpins, and then breed the rat terrier features out.
My understanding is the preferred coloration for the harlequin pinscher was the peculiar merling we see in the harlequin Great Dane. That is probably the trickiest coat color to breed for, and one really must have a good understanding of the genetics to produce a healthy one.
The mistake was to breed for the merle coloration alone in the harlequin pinscher. There was a poor understanding of the need for outcross colors, and the potential for producing double merles with defects was simply too great.
That’s why the harlequin pinscher followed the English white terrier into extinction.
There was simply a poor understanding of coat color and health issues.
Maybe the recreated harlequin pinscher breeders will pay more attention to this issue.
Let’s hope so, because the fad in minpins, as it is in so many breeds, is to get an unusual color.
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I believe that the merle color (called Harlequin) was once an accepted color in both miniature and standard German (not Dobermann) pinschers. I know I have seen a reference to that somewhere but I don’t recall where. Some book of breeds I think.
Beaucerons, which are related to pinschers, can ocur in a harlequin color; some use the nickname “Red Stokings” for the harlequins, because they have the iron-gray & black merle color with the mahogany bicolor markings common to Dobes, Rotts, etc.
I don’t think it’s too much of a stretch to imagine that the merle/harlequin coloration may have been more common in pinscher breeds in the past, and possibly just fell out of favor and disappeared as the “fancy” overtook the breeds.