Standard Schnauzer

Standard Schnauzer

Standard Schnauzer with pepper-and-salt coat, natural ears and tail
Other names	Mittelschnauzer Schnauzer Wirehair Pinscher (obsolete)
Origin	Germany
Traits Weight Male 35 to 58 lb (16 to 26 kg) Female 30 to 45 lb (14 to 20 kg) Height Male 18 to 20 in (46 to 51 cm) Female 17 to 19 in (43 to 48 cm) Coat Harsh and wiry when hand stripped, soft when clippered/scissored Color Pepper-and-salt, black Litter size 4 to 8 pups (2 or 13 is not uncommon) Life span Average 13 to 16 years
Classification / standards FCI Group 2, Section 1.2 Schnauzer #182 standard AKC Working standard ANKC Group 6 (Utility) standard CKC Group 3 - Working Dogs standard KC (UK) Utility standard NZKC Utility standard UKC Guardian Dog standard
Domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris)

The Standard Schnauzer is a dog breed that originated in Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries. The literal translation is "snouter" from the German word for "snout" and means colloquially "moustache", because of the dog's distinctively bearded snout. Although the schnauzer is considered a terrier-type dog, they do not have the typical terrier temperament.

Generally classified as a working or utility dog, this versatile breed is a robust, squarely built, medium-sized dog with aristocratic bearing. It has been claimed that it was a popular subject of painters Sir Joshua Reynolds, Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt, but actual proof remains elusive.

Standard Schnauzers are either salt-and-pepper or black in color, and are known for exhibiting many of the "ideal" traits of any breed. These include high intelligence, agility, alertness, reliability, strength and endurance. This breed of dog has been very popular in Europe, specifically Germany, where it originated. The breed was first exhibited at a show in Hanover in 1879, and since then have taken top honors in many shows including the prestigious "Best in Show at Westminster Kennel Club" in the United States in 1997.

In the Middle Ages, schnauzer-type dogs of medium size were developed from herding, ratting and guardian breeds in Western Europe. A dog of the peasant farmer for centuries, with the advent of dog showing in the 19th century they finally captured the interest of German dog fanciers, who began to standardize their look and temperament for the show ring.

Standard Schnauzers were mixed with the German Black Standard Poodle, giving the Standard Schnauzer a "regal" look. In the earliest days of the show schnauzer, puppies from a single litter could be classified as either German Pinschers (short-haired puppies) or schnauzers (long-coated wire-haired puppies), dependent only on coat length. Some original coat types of the German Pinscher may have been lost during World War I, having since been brought back from different stock. The pepper-and-salt coat, that is the trademark of the Standard Schnauzer breed in North America, could be seen in the German Pincher (called the silberpinsch), attesting to the close relationship between the two breeds in modern times. It was also in the late 19th century that the medium-sized schnauzer was developed into three different breeds/sizes: the Miniature, the Standard (the original), and the Giant.