Table of Contents
Head: Strong and rectangular, its width diminishing slightly from ears to eyes, and again to the tip of the nose. The forehead is unwrinkled. The topskull is flat and fairly long.
Eyes: Small, dark brown and deep-set. They are oval in appearance and keen in expression.
Muzzle: Strong in proportion to the skull; it ends in a moderately blunt manner, with thick whiskers which accentuate the rectangular shape of the head.
Ears: When cropped, the ears are identical in shape and length, with pointed tips. They are in balance with the head and not exaggerated in length. They are set high on the skull and carried perpendicularly at the inner edges, with as little bell as possible along the outer edges.
Neck: Strong and well arched, blending into the shoulders, and with the skin fitting tightly at the throat.
Forequarters: Forelegs are straight and parallel when viewed from all sides. They have strong pasterns and good bone. The elbows are close. The sloping shoulders are muscled, yet flat and clean. Both the shoulder blades and upper arms are long, permitting depth of chest at the brisket.
Physical Characteristics of the Miniature Schnauzer
(from the American Kennel Club breed standard)
Size: From 12 to 14 inches. He is sturdily built, nearly square in proportion of body length to height with plenty of bone, and without any suggestion of toyishness.
Tail: Set high and carried erect. It is docked only long enough to be clearly visible over the backline of the body when the dog is in proper length of coat.
Hindquarters: Strong-muscled, slanting thighs. They are well bent at the stifles. The rear pasterns are short and, in stance, perpendicular to the ground and, when viewed from the rear, are parallel to each other.
Body: Short and deep, with the brisket extending at least to the elbows. Ribs are well sprung and deep, extending well back to a short loin. The backline is straight; it declines slightly from the withers to the base of the tail. The withers form the highest point of the body. The overall length from chest to buttocks appears to equal the height at the withers.
Coat: Double, with hard, wiry, outer coat and close undercoat. The head, neck, ears, chest, tail, and body coat must be plucked. When in show condition, the body coat should be of sufficient length to determine texture. Close covering on neck, ears and skull. Furnishings are fairly thick but not silky.
Color: The recog- nized colors are salt and pepper, black and silver and solid black. All colors have uniform skin pigmentation.
Feet: Short and round (cat feet) with thick, black pads. The toes are arched and compact.
There are some distinctions between American and European Miniature Schnauzers. The European type is shown at left; the American type is shown below.
History of the MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
MEET THE MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
The Miniature Schnauzer! His name says much...hes a miniature, thus a diminutive of a larger breed, and a Schnauzer, German for Snout, therefore a German breed with a predominant muzzle. Indeed, he is a miniature of the Standard Schnauzer, a rugged German working dog, and both breeds are quickly recognized by their smart attitude, classy looks and the profuse whiskers on their muzzles.
The Miniature Schnauzer is classified as a Terrier in the United States but he falls under the Pinscher and Schnauzer classes in his homeland, Germany. Whichever classification he falls under, he is a first-class companion dog and beloved throughout the world.
This may not be the dog for everyone as there is grooming involved to keep the dog looking like a Schnauzer. However, if you like a lively dog, one that will be a devoted family member and a true companion to you and your family, this may be the dog for you. And, as true with most other breeds, once you give your heart and home to a Miniature Schnauzer, you will remain a devotee to the breed for a lifetime.
ORIGIN OF THE BREED
In the history of dogs, the Miniature Schnauzer is not an ancient breed; however, his origins trace back to the 1880s, which makes the breed a good century old. In Germany two Schnauzers developed from the Standard Schnauzerthe Giant and the Miniature.
The Standard Schnauzer, a sturdy working dog, was a common sight on the German farm. As early as 1492, Albrecht Durer portrayed a Schnauzer in his painting Madonna with theMany Animals. In the 1600s the great Dutch Master, Rembrandt, included a Schnauzer in one of his paintings. Serious breeding of the Standard Schnauzer started in the 1880s, and the first show for the breed was not held until 1890, after a move had begun to produce a breed standard. It is thought that the Standard Schnauzer was a cross between the black Poodle and the gray Wolf Spitz, possibly with some German Pinscher also in the background. The smaller sized Standard Schnauzer was eventually crossed with the Affenpinscher to reduce the size to create the Miniature. Some writers also credit the Brussels Griffon and the Toy Spitz (Pomeranian) with playing a small part in the Miniatures heritage as several crosses were used to improve certain characteristics that the breeders desired in their little dog.
TERRIER OR NOT?
Tom Horner wrote in his book Terriers of the World, In America the Miniature Schnauzer is included in the Terrier Groupin fact it is the most numerous breed thereinbut I have not included the breed here because I myself firmly believe it is not a terrier. They do not have terrier instincts...they are charming little dogs with quite different qualities from true sporting terriers.
INFLUENTIAL EARLY DOGS IN THE US
In 1898 the first Miniature Schnauzer to be registered was whelped, Jocco Fulda Liliput. An early etching shows that Jocco looked very much like an Affenpinscher. In the early days, there were instances where puppies from the same litter were registered as Miniature Pinschers, Miniature Schnauzers and Affenpinschers.
Prins v. Rheinstein, whelped in 1903, to which most American Schnauzers can trace their pedigrees, was the sire of three champions. One of these champions was the bitch, Ch. Perle v.d. Goldbach. Perle was bred back to her sire to produce Ch. Gift Chemnitz-Plauen, a black and tan. Gift, the foundation for the Chemnitz-Plauen Kennels, sired eight champions. He was described as a very typey dog with strong bone, good coat and a very good head. He had an excellent carriage and temperament. Gifts son, Ch. Trumpf Chemnitz-Plauen, was the sire of Linus, whelped in 1915; his full-brother Heinerle, whelped in 1919; and Kalle Chemnitz-Plauen, a Swiss champion. If a pedigree could be traced back far enough, nearly all American Schnauzers can be traced back to these dogs.
