Also known as the Harlekinpinscher, this rare breed is now thought to be nearly extinct. It was developed primarily as a companion dog.
This is essentially an odd-coloured Pinscher with a blotched coat. Traditional Pinscher supporters scorned it and refused to recognize it, but some fanciers liked its unusual `merle’ (blue-grey flecked with black) markings and tried to develop it as a separate breed. They succeeded for a while, but by the 1930s new registrations had largely dried up and few examples of the breed managed to survive World War II.
It is not known precisely which breeds were crossed with the typical Pinschers to obtain the Harlequin’s ‘merle’ colouring, but the chances are that they were not terriers because the Harlequin has a gentler personality. This is why it is more suitable as a companion dog than as a working terrier, and also why working-terrier men look upon it as a useless reject.
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