Standard Schnauzer
| Recognized By: |
ACR
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AKC
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ANKC
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APRI
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CKC
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CKC
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FCI
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KCGB
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NKC
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NZKC
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SSCA
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UKC
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| AKA: |
Mittelschnauzer |
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| Mispellings: |
Schaunzer, Schauzer, Schnauser, Schnauzure, Schnazer, Schneuzer, Schnozer, Shanuzer, Shanzer, Shnauzer, Shnouser, Shnozer, Shnuazer, Shounzer, Snauzer |
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Living with a Standard Schnauzer
Temperament: The Standard Schnauzer has extremely developed senses. They should be fearlessness making them a great guard or watch dog. They are lively, high-spirited, playful, affectionate dog with the personality of a terrier.
Shedding: The Standard Schnauzer sheds little to no hair.
Grooming: The outer coat of the Standard Schnauzer is plucked to accent the overall outline of the body. The dense undercoat should be brushed with a short wire brush daily to keep it free from mats. Any knots should be clipped out and then brushed first with the grain and then against lift the coat. The coat should be can be clipped in spring and fall. They should be trimmed around the eyes and ears with blunt-nosed scissors. They need to have their whiskers cleaned after meals. Standard Schnauzers have no doggie odor.
Training: The Standard Schnauzer is a very intelligence dog with a great aptitude for learning. The need firm and consistent rules or they may become demanding, protective and dominant causing them to guard toys and other objects along with people. They need to be socialized and well-trained.
Weather: The Standard Schnauzer has great endurance and resistance to the weather.
Exercise: The Standard Schnauzer is a very energetic dog that will take as much exercise as you will give them. They love to play and should be on a long daily walk. As puppies take care not to overdo it until their body is strong and mature.
Living Conditions: The Standard Schnauzer can make a good apartment dog. They are relatively active inside and do not require a large yard.
Standard Schnauzer Appearance
Appearance: The Standard Schnauzer sturdily built, muscular dog with a square overall proportion. The harsh, dense coat and characteristic arched eyebrows, mustache and whiskers make the Schnauzer one of the most recognizable breeds.
Size: The height of the Standard Schnauzer ranges from 18½ to 19½ inches for a male and 17½ to 18½ inches for a female. The overall weight is 30 to 45 pounds for a male and 30 to 40 pounds for a female.
Companionship: The Standard Schnauzer makes a very loyal dog that needs companionship.
Head: The Standard Schnauzer has a long, rectangular shaped head which narrows slightly from the ears toward the eyes and tapers in toward the tip of the nose. The overall length of the head should 1/2 of the length from the shoulders to the base of the tail. They should have the characteristic intelligent, alert expression. The skull should be moderately broad and flat between the ears. The width of the skull should never exceed 2/3 the overall length of the skull. The Standard Schnauzer's slight stop is accentuated by their wiry eyebrows.
Nose: The Standard Schnauzer should have a large, black nose.
Eyes: The Standard Schnauzer has medium, dark brown, oval eyes that face forward and should not appear protruding. The eyebrows should be wiry and arched but never hide the eyes.
Ears: The ears of the Standard Schnauzer are moderately thick and set high on the head. They should be carried erect if cropped and of moderate length, v-shaped and carried forward with the inner edge next to the cheek if left uncropped.
Muzzle: The muzzle of the Standard Schnauzer should be of equal length and parallel to the top of the head. The strong muzzle should have a blunt wedge appearance with wiry whiskers, tight black lips and well developed cheeks.
Teeth/Bite: The Standard Schnauzer should have a full set of strong white teeth that meet in a powerful scissors bite.
Neck: The Standard Schnauzer has a long, strong, thick, arched neck that blends nicely into the shoulders. The skin should be tightly fitting as to give no appearance of wrinkles or dewlaps.
Body: The strong, compact body of the Standard Schnauzer should have a strong back that is not completely level. It should descend slightly in a gradual slope from the first vertebra of the shoulders to the base of the tail. The back should be strong, firm and straight. The chest should be of medium width with well sprung ribs. The brisket should extend below the elbow and gradually come up toward the rear giving moderate tuck up.
Forequarters: The Standard Schnauzer has strong, muscular, sloping shoulder blades that are well laid back with the rounded upper portion lying vertically in line with the elbows. The shoulder forms nearly a right angle with the upper arm when viewed from the side allowing maximum effortless forward extension of the front legs. The forelegs are straight when viewed from any angle, set moderately apart and heavy boned. The elbows are set close to the body and point toward the back.
Hindquarters: The strong, muscular hindquarters of the Standard Schnauzer should be in balance with the forequarters. They have broad thighs, well bent stifles and the second thigh is approximately parallel to the upper neck line. The rear legs are short and perpendicular to the ground. When seen from the back they appear parallel to each other.
Gait: The Standard Schnauzer has a strong, quick, level gait. The front legs extend forward balancing the stride of the hindquarters. At a trot, the back should remain level. The feet tend to converge toward a center line underneath the body as speed increases but they should never cross nor touch.
Feet: The Standard Schnauzer has small, compact, round feet with thick pads, black nails and closed, arched toes that point straight forward. The front dewclaws may be removed while the back ones are generally removed.
Tail: The Standard Schnauzer's tail should be docked between one to two inches in length. It should be set moderately high and carried erect.
Color: The coat of the Standard Schnauzer can be Pepper and salt or pure black in color. The Pepper and Salt coat consists of a combination of black and white hairs and white hairs banded with black throughout the outer coat. This coat color can consist of all shades of pepper and salt from dark iron gray to a lighter silver gray. The under coat of the Pepper and Salt variety should have a gray undercoat but tan or fawn is also acceptable. The facial furnishings are typically darker and can fade to lighter gray on the eyebrows, whiskers, cheeks, throat, chest, legs, belly and under the tail.
The Black coated Standard Schnauzer should have a dark rich black coat free from any fading, gray or tan hairs. The undercoat should be solid black. Age and sun exposure may lighten the coat slightly.
Coat: The coat of the Standard Schnauzer is thick, hard and wiry with a soft, close undercoat and harsh outer coat. When seen against the grain the coat will stand up the dog's back. A Standard Schnauzer's 'show coat' consists of hair measuring from 3/4 to 2 inches in length on the back with the coat on the head, neck, ears, chest, belly and underneath the tail being trimmed to give the correct appearance for the breed. The coat on the muzzle and above the eyes is longer forming the characteristic beard and eyebrows. The coat on the legs is left longer.
Standard Schnauzer Facts
Category: Terrier, AKC Working
Life Expectancy: The average life expectancy of the Standard Schnauzer is about 15 years or more.
Characteristics: The Standard Schnauzer is an intelligent and reliable dog with a very high spirit whose talents include: tracking, hunting, guarding, retrieving, agility and competitive obedience.
Standard Schnauzer Health
Health: The Standard Schnauzer is generally a very healthy breed.
Standard Schnauzer History
History: All three variations of the Schnauzer were developed in Wurttemburg and Bavaria in Germany where they were named after the named after the German word for muzzle, "Schnauze." The original size of the Schnauzer was the Standard Schnauzer which dates back as far as the 15th century. It was from the Standard Schnauzer that all of the other variations were created. It is believed that the original Schnauzer was created by crossing the German Pudel, the German variation of the Poodle, with the Wirehaired Pinscher and the German Wolfspitz.
Schnauzers were originally used to hunt vermin, guard stables and accompany coaches during World War I. They were originally part of the Terrier Group from 1899 to 1945 because of the similarities between the two. The Schnauzer was transferred to the Working Group after it was discovered that the Schnauzer had originally served as cattle tenders and guard dogs. This breed has been portrayed in artwork from many European artists including Rembrandt and Durer. Today the Standard Schnauzer is most notably kept as a loving and loyal pet and watch dog.
