A small German dog bred for indoor pest control accounts for the Miniature Schnauzer鈥檚 earliest days. With long, bushy eyebrows, a thick-fringed silver beard, and an impressive mustache, the Miniature Schnauzer resembles a distinguished gentleman with a human-like expression. No wonder 鈥渟chnauzer鈥� comes from a German word meaning 鈥渕ustached.鈥�
The only Terrier without a British heritage, the Miniature Schnauzer originated in Germany and is the smallest of the three Schnauzers: the Standard and the Giant. The trio shares the same bushy facial features and color patterns: salt and pepper, black and silver, and solid black.
Delighting Schnauzer owners for almost 200 years, the Miniature Schnauzer began with small Standard Schnauzers, Affenpinschers, and Miniature Poodles. Today, this Terrier Group member is a loving and outgoing family protector and an energetic performance dog.
The Miniature Schnauzer On the Farm
The Schnauzer鈥檚 lineage dates back to at least the 15th century with artworks depicting farm dogs. German Renaissance artist Albrecht Durer included a bushy-haired dog in his 1503 pen-and-ink-on-paper religious painting, Madonna With The Many Animals.
Originally bred in Germany as medium-sized farm dogs, Standard Schnauzers performed as herders, guard dogs, and ratters. These were the ancestors of all pinscher types. By 1876, these dogs developed into distinct breeds, with the first written standard established for Schnauzers and Pinschers in 1884.
Realizing the need for a small, more compact dog to chase rats, voles, and other small rodents in the house and barn, farmers developed the Miniature Schnauzer. Using small Standard Schnauzers, Miniature Pinschers, Affenpinschers, and Miniature Poodles, the farmers created an energetic, agile, and athletic house dog.
The first Miniature Schnauzer registered in Germany was a black female named 鈥淔indel,鈥� born in 1888 and owned by Herr Max Hartenstein of the Plavia Kennels. Around the same time, seven other females joined the registry, but few resembled the appearance of current Miniature Schnauzers.
In 1895, Germany formed a Pinscher Club and registered Standard Schnauzers, Miniature Schnauzers, German Pinschers, and Miniature Pinschers. The club held its first show in 1899.
Mini Schnauzers in the United States
W. Goff imported the first two Miniature Schnauzers into the United States in 1923, but they couldn鈥檛 produce enough puppies to establish the breed fully in America.
The next importer, Mrs. Marie E. Slattery, had better luck in 1924 after receiving four Miniature Schnauzers from German breeder Herr R. Krappatsch. Slattery鈥檚 Marienhof Kennels produced the first American-bred Miniature Schnauzer puppies a year later. Between 1926 and 1936, 108 Mini Schnauzers came to the United States.
In 1924, Miniature and Standard Schnauzers were considered the same breed as the Miniature known as the 鈥淲irehaired Pinscher.鈥� 蜜桃视频 recognized the Miniature Schnauzer in 1926 and renamed the breed 鈥淪chnauzer.鈥�
In 1933, the parent club split into the and the . Two distinct breeds of Schnauzers, Miniature and Standard, emerged. Both breeds competed in the Terrier Group until 1945 when the Standard Schnauzer transferred to the Working Group.
One of the most significant Miniature Schnauzers, 鈥淐hampion Dorem Display,鈥� born in 1945, is credited as a significant sire of many Miniature Schnauzers. Elegant, with a refined outline, Display was the first all-breed Best in Show winner. Many Miniature Schnauzers from show lines trace their lineage back to Display.
Looks Like a Gentleman
The Miniature Schnauzer鈥檚 square body measuring 12 to 14 inches tall, a double coat with a wiry exterior and a soft undercoat, and signature facial furnishings appeal to many fanciers.
鈥淲hen deciding on a breed, I chose the Miniature Schnauzer because I liked its appearance,鈥� says John Constantine-Amodei, Judges鈥� Education Chair of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club and a licensed AKC judge. After speaking with a few nearby breeders, he bought his first Miniature Schnauzer in 1979.
Other breed features such as the thick, harsh hair on the chest and legs, cropped ears, and a docked tail characterize this small Schnauzer. But more than dressing a pretty face and body, the wiry coat, short ears, and tail exist for a reason.
The Miniature Schnauzer鈥檚 coat relates to the breed鈥檚 original purpose. 鈥淲hen the Miniature Schnauzer hunted vermin, the thick beard, eyebrows, wiry coat, and longer leg hair protected the dog from rodent bites,鈥� Constantine-Amodei says. 鈥淭he cropped ears and docked tail didn鈥檛 give rats anything to grab.鈥�
Color Changes in the Breed
The first German breed standard, written in 1884, allowed for various colors in Schnauzers. As the breed became more established, the 1907 German breed standard added more clarification and definition to color. All shades of salt-and-pepper or similar bristly equal color mixtures and solid black were permissible, while all white, speckled, brindled, red, or bran colors were 鈥渇aults.鈥�
The American breed standard in 1934 required light or dark pepper and salt or similar equal mixtures, including red pepper or tan shading, pure black, and black and tan. The black and tan later became today鈥檚 black and silver. Any solid color other than black has always been unacceptable in the American standard.
Although the Miniature Schnauzer doesn鈥檛 fit the definition of a terrier because it isn鈥檛 British, the breed exhibits in the Terrier Group in the United States. 鈥淭hey are the German version of a terrier,鈥� Constantine-Amodei says. 鈥淭hey have the same functions as many British Terriers as working farm dogs and ratters and have the typical wire coat.鈥�
Today鈥檚 Miniature Schnauzers no longer need to hunt for vermin in their families鈥� households. Instead, they鈥檙e prized for their playful, loyal, and friendly personalities.
True to their Terrier nature, Mini Schnauzers participate in Earthdog trials. With courage and cunning, persistence and independence, they pursue small game in their underground den. They also participate in conformation, AKC Scent Work, AKC Rally, agility, obedience, Fast CAT, lure coursing, and Farm Dog.
鈥淢iniature Schnauzers are affectionate and enjoy following you around all the time,鈥� Constantine-Amodei says. 鈥淚鈥檓 attracted to that temperament.鈥� Who wouldn鈥檛 be?