Unfortunately, 'fad' breeding has compromised the conformation of this beautiful colour. Because most show breeders have very little interest in this colour it has been labeled a "rare" or "exotic" colour along with the dilute minpin (blue and Fawn). Unethical breeders who have no interest of improving on the breed have been cashing in on this so called 'rare or exotic' colour and compromising this colours future in the CKC show ring.

The funny thing is, they are not rare at all! Chocolate miniature pinschers are everywhere for sale on the Internet. It is so unfortunate as most of these breeders are breeding fault upon fault until dog you see is nothing more than a mongrel with papers. We have lost Harlequin minpins to extinction..... That’s right, gone FOREVER!!  The last AKC Miniature Pinscher registered as Harlequin in colour was Cinderella's Elma vd Kammer (B), Born 6th June 1960 registration number T834159. What a complete tragedy to this breed. A few decades ago we lost blue from the conformation the ring. In my opinion, the trend to reduce the allowable CKC and AKC colours has put the chocolate at risk.  FCI has already taken chocolate colour off the standard.  How many more colours are we going to lose? These colours are original, natural colours to the miniature pinscher since the very beginning.

Chocolate is no more 'rare' than the blk/rst or red. What is rare is finding a reputable breeder working on actually improving the conformation of this colour. If you look around to other Miniature Pinscher exibitors, there are hardly any Chocolate coloured Minpins anywhere actually being shown. WHY?  There are a variety of factors: 
1.  It is VERY hard to find quality as there are not many working on the conformation of this colour.  Those that are actively showing chocolates are VERY unlikely to place a show quality chocolate to a pet home OR even another show home.  The ones that are show quality are just too far and few between to let go of.      
2.  It is very hard to find a Chocolate minpin that doesn't carry the gene for dilution which is DQ'd in the ring today.  Dilution also carries the added risk for Colour Dilution Alopecia and most figure why take that risk for a dogs they can't show anyways?  (I have personally met 3 dilute dogs and they have all had CDA-NOT very good statistics in my book that is why it is VERY important to go to a breeder that guarantees against CDA for at least 5-6yrs). 
3.  With coat colour inheritance, Chocolates are hard to breed in with the ever Popular red for various reasons... And right now red WINS.  If you had a red dog, a blk/rst dog and a chocolate dog all of the same quality in the ring, red would be first, blk/rst 2nd and chocolate 3rd.  Be prepared to do ALOT of losing in the ring with your chocolate pin. 

There are a few that are commited to the chocolate minpin, but too many stay completely away from them.  I'm sorry, in my opinion, winning isn't always everything (even though its fun) and in my opinion "IF WE DON'T USE IT, WE ARE GOING TO LOSE IT!"  It has happend before, it will happen again!
 
Many would argue "quality before colour" ...I argue work on quality in ALL the colours this wonderful little dog comes dressed in.  Always improve on ALL the colours, not just the ones that are popular in the ring right now.  Years down the road we are going to regret it.    

I have made it my goal NOT to stand by and let the chocolate minpin be lost on ringside.