History Standard Schnauzer Like so many breeds, the exact
origins of the Schnauzer is lost in time. While the histories of the
Miniatures and the Giants are probably better understood, the history of
the Schnauzer is not so clear. The book, the The World of Schnauzers
by Johan Gallant (Alpine) contains a very detailed dicussion which I
commend to you. But, in summary, the most widely held belief is that the
Schnauzer was once called the Wire Haired Pinscher. The tale of the Wire
Haired Pinscher and, ulitmately, the Schnauzer starts in or about the
fourteenth century and in or around that part of Europe we now know as
the Austrian Tyrol. Dogs were used in this mountainous region by local
folk, mainly shepherds, who brought together several breeds to help them
with their flocks anf for other general purposes associated with that
agrarian lifestyle. These dogs were used to tend flocks and herds, guard
the flocks, herds and homes from predators of all kinds, watch over
property and control vermin. The dogs of that time and that region
spread out as movement between isolated settlements increased.
Ulitmately the dogs of the Tyrol found there way to Wurttemberg and
Southern Bavaria in the fifteenth century: again working cattle and
guarding farmer and merchant’s property. The Schnauzer grew in
popularity in the fifteenth and sixteenth century as tradesmen and
merchants used the breed to protect their wagons as they travelled the
countryside laden with wares. These hardy, reliable guard dogs were of a
size not to take up too much space in the wagon, but were fierce enough
to scare away robbers. It is also said that many a wagon was parked
safely outside a tavern with a Schnauzer watching over its contents.
Many books and histories record that the name "Schnauzer"
first appeared in 1842 as a synonym for the Wire Haired Pinscher which
was accepted as a pure breed around 1850. Records show that, at the 3rd
International Show in Hanover in 1879, Wire Haired Pinschers were
exhibited for the first time. The first Prize winner was none-other than
a Wire Haired Pinscher entered by the name: "Schnauzer". It is
also well accepted that Schnauzer-like dogs appear in several art works
of this period. In Mecklenborg, Germany, a fourteenth century statue of
a hunter incorporates a Schnauzer crouching at the hunter's feet. A dog
accepted as an early Schnauzer also appears in "The Night Watchman",
a statue that is dated 1620 and which stands in Stuttgardt, Germany.
Well known painters of the period included Schnauzer like dogs in their
works, Albrecht Durer, for example, owned one that appears in paintings
from 1490 to the early 1500’s. Well known examples are "Madonnna
with Animals" (1492) and "Bearing of the Cross" (1504)
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GENERAL APPEARANCE *** The Standard Schnauzer is a robust, heavy-set dog, sturdily built with good muscle and plenty of bone; square-built in proportion of body-length to height. His nature combines high spirited temperament with extreme reliability. His rugged build and dense harsh coat are accentuated by the hallmark of the breed, the arched eyebrows, bristly mustache, and luxuriant whiskers.
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HEAD *** Strong, rectangular, and elongated; narrowing slightly from the ears to the eyes and again to the tip of the nose. The total length of the head is about one-half the length of the back measured from the withers to the set-on of the tail. The head-matches the sex and substance of the dog. The top line of the muzzle is parallel with the top line of the skull. There is a slight stop which is accentuated by the wiry brows.
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SKULL (OCCIPUT TO STOP) *** Moderately broad between the ears with the width of the skull not exceeding two thirds the length of the skull. The skull must be flat; neither domed nor bumpy; skin unwrinkled.CHEEKS *** Well-developed chewing muscles, but not so much that "cheekiness" disturbs the rectangular head form.
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MUZZLE *** Strong, and both parallel and equal in length to the topskull; it ends in a moderately blunt wedge with wiry whiskers accenting the rectangular shape of the head. Nose is large, black, and full. The lips should be black, tight, and not overlapping.EYES *** Medium size, dark brown, oval in shape and turned forward; neither round nor protruding. The brow is arched and wiry, but vision is not impaired nor eyes hidden by too long an eyebrow.
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BITE *** A full complement of white teeth, with a strong scissors bite. The canine teeth are strong and well developed with the upper incisors slightly overlapping and engaging the lower. The upper and lower jaws are powerful and neither overshot nor undershot.FAULTS *** A level bite is considered undesirable but a lesser fault than an overshot or undershot mouth.EARS *** Evenly shaped, set high and carried erect when cropped. If uncropped, they are small, V-shaped button ears of moderate thickness and carried rather high and close to the head.
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NECK *** Strong, of moderate thickness and length, elegantly arched and blending cleanly into the shoulders. The skin is tight, fitting closely to the dry throat with no wrinkles or dewlaps.SHOULDERS *** The sloping shoulder blades are strongly muscled, yet flat and well laid back so that the rounded upper ends are in a nearly vertical line above the elbows. They slope well forward to the point where they join the upper arm, forming as nearly as possible a right angle when seen from the side. Such an angulation permits the maximum forward extension of the forelegs without binding or effort.
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CHEST ***
Of medium width with well-sprung ribs, and if it could be seen in
cross-section would be oval. The breastbone is plainly discernible. The
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BACK *** Strong, stiff, straight and short with a well-developed loin section; the distance from the last rib to the hips as short as possible. The top line of the back should not be absolutely horizontal, but should have a slightly descending slope from the first vertebra of the withers to the faintly curved croup and set-on of the tail.FORELEGS *** Straight, vertical, and without any curvature when seen from all sides; set moderately far apart, with heavy bone; elbows set close to the body and pointing directly to the rear.
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HINDQUARTERS *** Strongly muscled, in balance with the forequarters, never appearing higher than the shoulders. Croup full and slightly rounded. Thighs broad with well-bent stifles. The second thigh, from knee to hock, is approximately parallel with an extension of the upper-neck line.FEET *** Small and compact, round with thick pads and strong black nails. The toes are well closed and arched (cat's paws) and pointing straight ahead. Dewclaws on the forelegs may be removed.TAIL *** Set moderately high and carried erect. It is docked to not less than 1 inch or more than 2 inches.FAULTS *** Squirrel tail.
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HEIGHT *** Ideal height at the highest point of the shoulder blade is 18 ½ to 19 ½ inches for males and 17 ½ to 18 ½ inches for females. Dogs measuring over or under these limits must be faulted in proportion to the extent of the deviation. Dogs measuring more than one-half inch over or under these limits must be disqualified.COAT *** Tight, hard, wiry and as thick as possible, composed of a soft, close undercoat and a harsh outer coat which, when seen against the grain, stands up off the back, lying neither smooth or flat. The outer coat (body coat) is trimmed (by plucking) only to accent the body outline. When in show condition, the outer coat's proper length is approximately 1 ½ inches, except on the ears, head, neck, chest, belly and under the tail where it may be closely trimmed to give the desired typical appearance of the breed. On the muzzle and over the eyes, the coat lengthens to form luxuriant beard and eyebrows; the hair on the legs is longer then that on the body. These "furnishings" should be of harsh texture and should not be so profuse as to detract from the neat appearance or working capabilities of the dog.FAULTS *** Soft, smooth, curly, wavy or shaggy; too long or too short; too sparse or lacking undercoat; excessive furnishings; lack of furnishings.
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COLOR *** Pepper and salt, or pure black.PEPPER AND SALT *** The typical pepper and salt color of the topcoat results from the combination of black and white hairs, and white hairs banded with black. Acceptable are all shades of pepper and salt from dark iron-gray to silver gray. Ideally, pepper and salt Standard Schnauzers have a gray undercoat, but a tan or fawn undercoat is not to be penalized. It is desirable to have a darker facial mask that harmonizes with the particular shade of coat color. Also, in pepper and salt dogs, the pepper and salt mixture may fade out to light gray or silver white in the eyebrows, whiskers, cheeks, under throat, across chest, under tail, leg furnishings, under body and inside legs.BLACK *** Ideally the black Standard Schnauzer should be a true rich color, free from any fading or discoloration or any mixture of gray or tan hairs. The undercoat should also be solid black. However, increased age or continued exposure to the sun may cause a certain amount of fading and burning. A small white smudge on the chest is not a fault. Loss of color as a result of scars from cuts and bites is not a fault.
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COLOR FAULTS *** Any colors other than specified, and any shadings or mixtures thereof in the topcoat such as rust, brown, red, yellow or tan; absence of peppering; spotting or striping; a black streak down the back; or a black saddle without typical salt and pepper coloring-and gray hairs in the coat of a black; in blacks, any undercoat color other than black.GAIT *** Sound, strong, quick, free, true, and level gait with powerful, well-angulated hindquarters that reach out and cover ground. The forelegs reach out in a stride balancing that of the hindquarters. At a trot, the back remains firm and level, without swaying, rolling or roaching. When viewed from the rear, the feet, though they may appear to travel close when trotting, must not cross or strike. Increased speed causes feet to converge toward the center line of gravity.FAULTS *** crabbing or weaving, padding, rolling, swaying, short choppy, stiff, stilted rear action; front legs that throw out or in (East and West movers), hackney gait, crossing over, striking in front or rear.
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FAULTS *** Any deviation from the specifications in the Standard is to be considered a fault and should be penalized in proportion to the extent of the deviation. In weighing the seriousness of a fault, greatest consideration should be given to deviation from the desired alert, highly intelligent, spirited, reliable character of the Standard Schnauzer, and secondly to any deviation that detracts from the Standard Schnauzer's desired general appearance of a robust, active, square-built, wire-coated dog. Dogs that are shy or appear to be highly nervous should be seriously faulted and dismissed from the ring. Vicious dogs shall be disqualified.
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DISQUALIFICATIONS ***
Vicious Dogs
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Schnauzer 
