AKC Breed Standards:
Official Standard of the Miniature Schnauzer General Appearance: The Miniature Schnauzer is a robust, active dog of terrier type, resembling his larger cousin, the Standard Schnauzer, in general appearance, and of an alert, active disposition. Faults - Type - Toyishness, ranginess or coarseness. Size, Proportion, Substance: 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. Disqualifications - Dogs or bitches under 12 inches or over 14 inches. Head: Eyes - Small, dark brown and deep-set. They are oval in appearance and keen in expression. Faults - Eyes light and/or large and prominent in appearance. 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. When uncropped, the ears are small and V-shaped, folding close to the skull. 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. The foreface is parallel to the topskull, with a slight stop, and it is at least as long as the topskull. The muzzle is strong in proportion to the skull; it ends in a moderately blunt manner, with thick whiskers which accentuate the rectangular shape of the head. Faults - Head coarse and cheeky. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. That is, the upper front teeth overlap the lower front teeth in such a manner that the inner surface of the upper incisors barely touches the outer surface of the lower incisors when the mouth is closed. Faults - Bite - Undershot or overshot jaw. Level bite. Neck, Topline, Body: Neck - Strong and well arched, blending into the shoulders, and with the skin fitting tightly at the throat. 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 underbody does not present a tucked up appearance at the flank. 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 buttock appears to equal the height at the withers. Faults - Chest too broad or shallow in brisket. Hollow or roach back. 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. A properly presented Miniature Schnauzer will have a docked tail as described; all others should be severely penalized. Fault - Tail set too low. Forequarters: Forelegs are straight and parallel when viewed from all sides. They have strong pasterns and good bone. They are separated by a fairly deep brisket which precludes a pinched front. The elbows are close, and the ribs spread gradually from the first rib so as to allow space for the elbows to move close to the body. Fault - Loose elbows. The sloping shoulders are muscled, yet flat and clean. They are well laid back, so that from the side the tips of the shoulder blades are in a nearly vertical line above the elbow. The tips of the blades are placed closely together. They slope forward and downward at an angulation which permits the maximum forward extension of the forelegs without binding or effort. Both the shoulder blades and upper Page 2 of 3 arms are long, permitting depth of chest at the brisket. Feet short and round (cat feet) with thick, black pads. The toes are arched and compact. Hindquarters: The hindquarters have strong-muscled, slanting thighs. They are well bent at the stifles. There is sufficient angulation so that, in stance, the hocks extend beyond the tail. The hindquarters never appear overbuilt or higher than the shoulders. The rear pasterns are short and, in stance, perpendicular to the ground and, when viewed from the rear, are parallel to each other. Faults - Sickle hocks, cow hocks, open hocks or bowed hindquarters. 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. Faults - Coat too soft or too smooth and slick in appearance. Color: Allowed colors: salt and pepper, black and silver and solid black. All colors have uniform skin pigmentation, i.e. no white or pink skin patches shall appear anywhere on the dog and the nose must be solid black. Salt and Pepper - The typical salt and pepper color of the topcoat results from the combination of black and white banded hairs and solid black and white unbanded hairs, with the banded hairs predominating. Acceptable are all shades of salt and pepper, from the light to dark mixtures with tan shadings permissible in the banded or unbanded hair of the topcoat. In salt and pepper dogs, the salt and pepper mixture fades out to light gray or silver white in the eyebrows, whiskers, cheeks, under throat, inside ears, across chest, under tail, leg furnishings, and inside hind legs. It may or may not also fade out on the underbody. However, if so, the lighter underbody hair is not to rise higher on the sides of the body than the front elbows. Black and Silver - The black and silver generally follows the same pattern as the salt and pepper. The entire salt and pepper section must be black. The black color in the topcoat of the black and silver is a true rich color with black undercoat. The stripped portion is free from any fading or brown tinge and the underbody should be dark. Black - Black is the only solid color allowed. Ideally, the black color in the topcoat is a true rich glossy color with the undercoat being less intense, a soft matting shade of black. This is natural and should not be penalized in any way. The stripped portion is free from any fading or brown tinge. The scissored and clippered areas have lighter shades of black. A small white spot on the chest is permitted, as is an occasional single white hair elsewhere on the body. Disqualifications - Dogs not of an allowed color or white striping, patching, or spotting on the colored areas of the dog, except for the small white spot permitted on the chest of the black. The body coat color in salt and pepper and black and silver dogs fades out to light gray or silver white under the throat and across the chest. Between them there exists a natural body coat color. Any irregular or connecting blaze or white mark in this section is considered a white patch on the body, which is also a disqualification. Nose any color other than solid black. Page 3 of 3 Gait: The trot is the gait at which movement is judged. When approaching, the forelegs, with elbows close to the body, move straight forward, neither too close nor too far apart. Going away, the hind legs are straight and travel in the same planes as the forelegs. Note - It is generally accepted that when a full trot is achieved, the rear legs continue to move in the same planes as the forelegs, but a very slight inward inclination will occur. It begins at the point of the shoulder in front and at the hip joint in the rear. Viewed from the front or rear, the legs are straight from these points to the pads. The degree of inward inclination is almost imperceptible in a Miniature Schnauzer that has correct movement. It does not justify moving close, toeing in, crossing, or moving out at the elbows. Viewed from the side, the forelegs have good reach, while the hind legs have strong drive, with good pickup of hocks. The feet turn neither inward nor outward. Faults - Single tracking, sidegaiting, paddling in front, or hackney action. Weak rear action. Temperament: The typical Miniature Schnauzer is alert and spirited, yet obedient to command. He is friendly, intelligent and willing to please. He should never be overaggressive or timid. Disqualifications: Dogs or bitches under 12 inches or over 14 inches. Dogs not of an allowed color or white striping, patching, or spotting on the colored areas of the dog, except for the small white spot permitted on the chest of the black. The body coat color in salt and pepper and black and silver fades out to light gray or silver white under the throat and across the chest. Between them there exists a natural body coat color. Any irregular or connecting blaze or white mark in this section is considered a white patch on the body, which is also a disqualification. Nose any color other than solid black.
Approved July 10, 2012
Effective September 04, 2012
CKC Breed Standard:
Just as Terriers were a favorite farm dog of the English, the Schnauzers have been a favorite farm dog of Germany for hundreds of years. In fact, ancestors of today’s Schnauzers can be seen in history as far back as the 14th century. These dogs have always been multi-talented, herding cattle, serving as guard dogs, ratting, and even pulling carts filled with produce to market. The Schnauzer breeds are believed to be a culmination of early ancestors of German Poodles, German Spitzes, and other early hunting, Terrier, and Pinscher types. In fact, the Schnauzer was originally referred to as the Wirehaired Pinscher. The name “Schnauzer” comes from the German word for “muzzle,” or “schnauze,” a feature that—along with the characteristic facial furnishings of the mustache, beard, and brows—sets the dog apart from other wire-haired breeds. The Standard Schnauzer is the oldest of the Schnauzers, and it is the originator of both the Giant and Miniature varieties. All Schnauzer varieties possess the same excellent working abilities and amiable companion qualities that make them the ultimate all-purpose dogs.
It wasn’t until the 1880s that the Germans began to breed the Miniature Schnauzer, since a smaller version of the already popular medium-sized Schnauzer was desired. To achieve this miniaturization, it is believed that the Standard Schnauzer was bred with the Affenpinscher to create a smaller version of the breed. It is widely thought that at this time some Spitzes, Poodles, and Brussels Griffons were also bred in, in order to set the salt and pepper and solid black coat varieties. Before the time of professional pest control, a dog’s ratting abilities were essential to keeping people safe from pest-borne illnesses. It is largely believed that this was the motive behind the miniaturization of the Schnauzer into the Miniature Schnauzer, since they could access more spaces than their larger brethren.
Just as the mini variety of the breed was being developed in Germany, World War I broke out. The breed development had to be put on hold for the time being, but at the end of the war, the Miniature Schnauzer regained popularity and the development of the breed continued. Subsequently, the first Miniature Schnauzer litter was born in America in 1925, prompting the start of America’s love affair with this plucky breed.
During the 19th century, it is believed that the Standard Schnauzer was crossed with ancestors of today’s Bouviers des Flandres, Great Danes, Rottweilers, German Pinschers, as well as other droving and shepherd dogs. This resulted in the much larger and more powerful “Munich Schnauzer,” or “Munchener,” named for one of the areas in Germany where the dogs became well-known. At the turn of the 19th century, the Munich Schnauzer was renamed the Giant Schnauzer. Giant Schnauzers were renowned for their protective instincts, as well as their herding and droving capabilities. They were heavily utilized for their power and utility in World War I and World War II. Today, the Giant Schnauzer is prized as an excellent working dog, excelling in herding, police work, and protection sports in his home country of Germany.
Head: Somewhat mesaticephalic skull-type, elongated and rectangular, moderate in size and in proportion to the rest of the body. The skull may remain rectangular all the way to the end of the muzzle, or may narrow just slightly, almost imperceptibly. The topskull is relatively long and flat from front and in profile. Due in part to the characteristic beard, appears square from above and ax-head-shaped in profile. The head is never overly narrow or overly bulky, but a good balance of strength and substance. The head is clean-cut, without excess skin or wrinkle.
Eyes: Moderate in size, oval to almond in shape, may be obliquely set, and are medium to dark brown (preferable) in color. The eye rims are well-fitted and well-pigmented. The eyes are never rounded or bulging. There should be sufficient bone in the surrounding orbital sockets to protect the eyes.
Ears: Medium in size, set high on the skull and level with the plane of the skull, or breaking just above the plane of the skull, never low and dropping below the plane. Ears may be natural or surgically cropped. Natural ears should be V-shaped and dropped or buttoned (preferred), and the tips should hang close to the cheeks. Cropped ears may be cropped to any length.
Muzzle: The muzzle is strongly developed, long, full, deep, and broad. It ends bluntly and along with the beard and moustache furnishings, gives the head an ax-head-like appearance. Upper and lower jaws have good bone substance, appearing strong and equal in length. They are never snipy or weak.
Nose: The nose is well-pigmented and black, or self-colored according to the coat in non-standard color varieties. The nostrils are well-opened.
Neck: Moderate length to allow for proud head carriage and strongly muscled with a slight arch. The neck tapers smoothly from the deeper and broader body toward the head. The neck is clean-cut, without excess skin, throatiness, or dewlap.
Chest: Deep, broad, but never wider than deep. The brisket extends to the point of the elbows.
Body: Short, compact, solid, and good substance. The body is never racy or refined. Width at forequarters is approximately equal to the width at the hindquarters.
Feet: Oval to round, compact, with well-arched toes and tough pads.
Tail: Set somewhat high on the croup, thick at the base and tapering toward the tip. Carried in accordance with the dog’s mood and energy level, usually carried above the level of the topline, but never tucked. Tail may be left natural (preferred) or docked short. Natural tails are of a medium length, with the tip of the last vertebrae extending to the hock joints when held down. Natural tails are either straight or will form a hook, sabre, or sickle. The tail may be straight or gently curved. Docked tails are cut short, within two to three vertebrae in length.
Movement: Schnauzers move with effortless, efficient, agile, and powerful movement. The characteristics of healthy structure are evident: when moving away, the forelegs and rear pasterns should remain parallel to one another. When viewing movement from the front, the forelegs should remain parallel, with elbows and paws moving neither moving in nor out. From the rear, the back pads should be visible when the rear legs are extended. As speed increases, the forelimbs and hindlimbs will converge to the center line of gravity. From the side, the topline should remain firm and level. Good reach of movement in the front allows the forepaw to extend out in a line with the nose. The width between the forefeet when extended should be approximately equal to the width between the hindfeet when extended, indicating balance, good reach, and good drive. Dogs that exhibit any sign of breathing or locomotive difficulty shall be disqualified from the show ring.
Temperament: Schnauzers are renowned for their versatility and ability to be trained to do a number of jobs, from watchful family guardian to all-around farm dog. They are intelligent, eager to learn and work, responsive to their handlers, and courageous. They make for excellent family pets or working dogs. Any unprovoked aggressive or fearful behavior toward people is incorrect for this breed.