Miniature Schnauzer

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Miniature Schnauzer

Miniature Schnauzer with salt and pepper coat, un-cropped ears and docked tail.
Other names Zwergschnauzer (Dwarf Schnauzer)
Country of origin Germany
Traits
Weight Male 12 to 15 lb (5.5 to 6.8 kg)
Female 11 to 13 lb (4.9 to 5.8 kg)
Height Male 12 to 14 in (30 to 36 cm)
Female 12 to 14 in (30 to 36 cm)
Coat Soft and curly when unclipped, harsh and wiry when groomed
Color Black, salt-and-pepper, black-and-silver and white
Litter size 3 to 5 pups
Life span 12 to 15 years

The Miniature Schnauzer is a breed of small dog of the Schnauzer type that originated in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. Miniature Schnauzers developed from crosses between the Standard Schnauzer and one or more smaller breeds such as the Poodle, Miniature Pinscher, or Affenpinscher. The breed remains one of the most popular, and is currently the 11th most popular breed in the U.S.[1]

Contents

[edit] Characteristics

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Please improve this article if you can (May 2008).

[edit] Appearance

Miniature Schnauzer appearance
Build: Small, squarely proportioned
Weight: 13 - 19 (6-8kg)
Height: 12 - 14 inches
Coat: Harsh outer coat with a soft undercoat
Color: Salt & pepper, black & silver, black, or white but white is not classed as a proper miniature schnauzer colour
Head: Long, with bushy beard, mustache and eyebrows
Teeth: Meet in scissors bite
Eyes: Oval and dark colored
Ears: V-shaped, folding forward when left natural
Tail: Small and skinny, older dogs may have docked tails
Limbs: Front legs very straight
Feet: Short and round ("cat feet") with thick, black pads
Life span: Median 10 - 12 years

[edit] Temperament

A Miniature Schnauzer puppy
A Miniature Schnauzer puppy
Black Miniature Schnauzer Puppy
Black Miniature Schnauzer Puppy

The Official Standard of the Miniature Schnauzer describes temperament as "Alert and spirited, yet obedient to command. Friendly, intelligent and willing to please. They should never be overaggressive or timid." (American Kennel Club - Miniature Schnauzer: http://www.akc.org/breeds/miniature_schnauzer) As such they tend to be excellent watchdogs. They are often guarded of strangers until the owners of the home welcome the guest, upon which they are typically very friendly to them. "Miniature Schnauzers are not by nature aggressive, as are some of their Terrier cousins. They should be relatively fearless. Once mature, the Schnauzer has a strongly developed territorial instinct. He is an ideal guard dog as he defends vocally rather than physically. ... A good Schnauzer will bark at anyone who may appear a threat to his home....... Schnauzers are not random, incessant barkers. They are discriminating and intelligent guard dogs that assume this duty naturally." from the New Miniature Schnauzer, 2nd edition, pg 12, by Dan Kiedrowski, Howell Book House Publishers, 1997.

The breed is generally good with children, recognizing that they need gentle play. Miniature Schnauzers are generally highly intelligent and easy to train. They are highly playful dogs, and if not given the outlet required for their energy they can become bored and invent their own "fun".

[edit] History

A black-and-silver Miniature Schnauzer with an un-docked tail and natural ears
A black-and-silver Miniature Schnauzer with an un-docked tail and natural ears

The earliest records surrounding development of the Miniature Schnauzer in Germany come from the late 1800s. They were originally bred to be farm dogs in Germany, to keep the rats and other vermin out of the barn. In the breed's earliest stages, several small breeds were employed in crosses to bring down the size of the well-established Standard Schnauzer, with the goal of creating a duplicate in miniature. Crossing to other breeds, such as the Affenpinscher, Poodle and Miniature Pinscher, had the side effect of introducing colours that were not considered acceptable to the ultimate goal — and as breeders worked towards the stabilization of the gene pool, mismarked particolors and white puppies were removed from breeding programs.

The earliest recorded Miniature Schnauzer was in 1888, and the first exhibition was in 1899. With their bold courage, the Miniature Schnauzer was originally used for guarding herds, small farms, and families. As time passed, they were also used to hunt rats, because they appeared to have a knack for it, and its small size was perfect to get into tight places to catch them.

The AKC accepted registration of the new breed in 1926, two years after they were introduced to the United States. The American Kennel Club groups this breed with the Terriers as it was developed for a similar purpose and has a similar character to the terrier breeds of the Britain and Ireland. The Miniature Schnauzer was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1948. The United Kingdom Kennel club however, does not accept the Miniature Schnauzer as a true Terrier because it it not orginate from the terrier breeds of the British Isles. Like the Tebitan Terrier and Boston Terrier it lists the Miniature Schnauzer in the Utility group for shows run under the UK Kennel Club rules such as Crufts. The FCI accepts the Schnauzer breeds but, again, does not list the Miniature Schnauzer as a terrier.

[edit] Health

Miniature Schnauzers are prone to diabetes,[citation needed] bladder stones[citation needed] and pancreatitis.[citation needed] They are occasionally genetically disposed to idiopathic hyperlipidemia[citation needed] (high levels of triglycerides, i.e. fats, in their blood). Hyperlipidemia makes pancreatitis much more likely for the affected dog.[citation needed] With proper care, without feeding the dog sweet or fatty foods, it can usually be avoided.[citation needed] All Miniature Schnauzers but especially those with natural (uncropped) ears should have their ears checked regularly and dried out after swimming.[citation needed] They should not be overfed since they gain weight easily.[citation needed]

[edit] Images

Male (r) and female adult Miniature Schnauzers

Female 1.5 year old Miniature Schnauzer

Silver Miniature Schnauzer

Black Female Miniature Schnauzer 3 years old

[edit] References

  1. ^ http://www.akc.org/reg/dogreg_stats.cfm American Kennel Club: AKC Dog Registration Statistics. Retrieved May 25, 2007

[edit] External links

[edit] See also

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Terriers by FCI section
Large and medium-sized Terriers
Small-sized Terriers
Bull type Terriers
Toy Terriers
Not categorized by FCI