Standard Schnauzer Dog Breed Information

Standard Schnauzer is an intelligent, loyal friend with a healthy dose of pride and leadership. Energetic and sociable, the Standard Schnauzer will never let its owner get bored or even just relax, therefore, bringing such a dog into the house, you automatically sign up for maximum interaction with it and regular walks in any weather. At the same time, if you come up with some “important mission” for a four-footed companion, such as protecting the territory, the schnauzer will easily curb his own emotionality, because work and service to a person for this breed is almost the meaning of all life.

Brief Information

• Breed name: Standard Schnauzer
• Country of origin: German Empire
• Breed origin: 1879
• Weight: 17-25 kg
• Height (height at the withers): 45-50 cm
• Life span: 13-15 years

Key Facts

• Standard Schnauzers are typical leaders who want to dominate everything that moves, therefore, when starting such a dog, prepare to periodically remind it who is the boss.
• Despite the innate suspicion and distrust of strangers, animals behave very emotionally in the family circle, violently expressing their own affection for the owner and the rest of the household.
• The Standard Schnauzer is an active breed, “hooked” on regular physical activity and long walks, so before buying a puppy, really evaluate your own capabilities. If you realize that the sofa and TV are still closer to you than daily jogging in park areas, there is no point in starting a Schnauzer.
• All Standard Schnauzers are very smart and quick-witted, which sometimes hinders their training. During training, the dog can be cunning or lose interest in the process, so it will have to be constantly stimulated with something.
• The Schnauzer is able to get along with cats and other dogs, provided that he grew up with them. But at the sight of small animals, including rodents, the four-legged “bearded man” may not hold back – the hereditary rat-catcher’s instinct turns out to be stronger.
• With proper training, Standard Schnauzers make wonderful service dogs that can participate in search operations. In particular, the sharp nose of Standard Schnauzers allows them to quickly take the trail and not lose it even in not the most favorable conditions.

History

Although images of dogs that outwardly resemble today’s Standard Schnauzers can be found on the canvases of Albrecht Durer and Lucas Cranach the Elder, the true roots of the breed should be sought in 3-4 millennia BC. It was during this period that the territory of modern Germany was inhabited by the so-called peat dogs, which endowed the ancestors of Standard Schnauzers with an oblong, massive skull. If we talk about modern representatives of the family of Standard Schnauzers, then they are a “product” of interbreeding. Thus, according to one of the versions, the gray wolf spitz, wire-haired pinscher, and German poodle took part in creating the look of the “bearded guards”. At the same time, some experts attribute to standard schnauzers a relationship with terriers, griffons, and even pugs.

Standard Schnauzers developed into an independent breed rather late. At first, due to the coarse, wiry hair, animals were classified as wire-haired pinschers. At the same time, among the people, the Standard Schnauzers continued to be called stable pinschers, assigning them the role of rat-catchers and keeping them in the stables. The starting point in the formation of the breed was in 1879 when one of the representatives of the Standard Schnauzer family managed to grab the main prize at an exhibition in Hanover. Despite the fact that the champion was presented to the jury as a wire-haired pinscher, this did not affect the breeders’ interest in him. By 1880, the Standard Schnauzers had their first standard of appearance, and in 1921 the animals acquired their own club, which they, however, had to share with the same pinschers.

Standard Schnauzers emigrated to the United States at the beginning of the 20th century and made a good show career there, although initially, American specialists enrolled them in the terrier group. But already in the mid-40s, justice prevailed and, at the numerous requests of overseas breeders, the breed was transferred to a working group.

Appearance

Figuratively speaking, the Standard Schnauzer is an intermediate link between the Giant Schnauzers and the Miniature Schnauzers, and the main distinguishing feature of all three breeds is size. An adult Standard Schnauzer is 20 cm below the average risen and almost 15 cm above the zwerg. Among other things, the Standard Schnauzer has a more stocky build, which gives it pleasant compactness and solidity.

Coat and Color

 

The coat of the Standard Schnauzer is hard and coarse with a thick undercoat and awn of normal length, well-fitting to the body of the animal. In the area of ​​the forehead and ears, the hair is very short, while the muzzle and browbones of the dog are decorated with long strands of decorating hair – the so-called “eyebrows”, “beard” and “mustache”.

The Standard Schnauzer has only two standard colors – black and pepper and salt. The latter is a multitone, consisting of harmoniously combined gray, silver and steel shades. By the way, black and pepper individuals are bred separately from each other and displayed in different rings. Exceptions are exhibitions in the UK and the USA, where black and pepper Schnauzers are exhibited on the same site.

Personality

 

All Standard Schnauzers are broad-based specialists who can equally successfully get used to the role of an energetic companion, a stern bloodhound, or even a rescuer. Such an innate character trait as suspicion of strangers makes dogs excellent guards: a Standard Schnauzer schnauzer with an almost photographic memory will instantly determine who exactly is on the threshold of his house – a guest invited by the owners or an intruder. Among other things, the breed is characterized by ingenuity, turning into a fox’s cunning, which Standard Schnauzers use with pleasure not only in relation to their own kind but also in communication with the owner. Yes, yes, get ready for the fact that you will have to measure wit and intelligence with your pet quite often, and especially during training.

The outstanding mental abilities of the breed, about which mitt lovers talk so much, do not manifest themselves – they need to be constantly developed. Intellectually, the standard schnauzer grows its entire adult life, so it is very important to communicate with it as much and often as possible. As for the emotional component, the Standard Schnauzers can without exaggeration be called addicted natures. Whatever these bearded clever girls do, they always give themselves up to the cause completely and without a trace. If you managed to win the love of your pet, get ready for the fact that he will express it violently and often at a time when you do not expect it at all. At the same time, Standard Schnauzers are absolutely unobtrusive and quickly understand the intentions of the owner, who wants to get rid of the dog’s tenderness as quickly as possible.

The desire for leadership in the breed is very pronounced, therefore, throughout its life, the Standard Schnauzer will test your authority for strength in the most incredible ways. By the way, having received one single indulgence, the animals are inspired even more and try from the heart, so it’s more dear to the Standard Schnauzer schnauzer even in small things. Well, a little about love for children, more precisely, about the attitude towards them. In fact, Standard Schnauzers do not have too tender feelings for the younger generation. It’s just that they naturally have a habit of loyally and patronizingly treat weaker creatures, so that the harmless leprosy of the dog will certainly be forgiven for the little ones, but they will not tolerate outright disrespect for their own person. Accordingly, if your heir loves to drag the Standard Schnauzer schnauzer by the “beard” or take away a bowl of food from him, it is better to explain to him that such fun is fraught with aggression from the pet.

Training

Standard Schnauzers are very clever, snapping any educational tasks like seeds. Another thing is that representatives of this breed do not always want to solve them, therefore, pet training should be based on his enthusiasm for the process. If the Standard Schnauzer is bored with monotonous repetitions of commands, believe me, he will find a way to evade this uninteresting activity.

It is necessary to educate and socialize a standard schnauzer puppy from the first days of life. It is banal, hackneyed, but nevertheless: if you indulge the baby even in insignificant things, it will be impossible to retrain him later. So do not get fooled by the affectionate glances of your ward and immediately “turn on” a serious master in yourself. In addition, sharply extinguish all outbursts of aggression in your direction: today the bite of a tiny Standard Schnauzer schnauzer does not seem painful, and tomorrow, when the dog grows up, it will be a laughing matter. It is also important to understand that adolescent puppies often lose their minds and pose a threat to the owner as they become alpha males. The first sign that the Standard Schnauzer schnauzer has “forgotten” and fell into a rage is his glazed gaze. It will be difficult to stop such a dog, so just try to shift his attention to some object.

Schnauzer, who is too dispersed in his games and trashes the apartment, can be punished, but without fanaticism. The usual slap with a slipper and a formidable shout will have a sobering effect on a raging teenager. Seriously pounding a Standard Schnauzer schnauzer, who has gone into a rage, is useless. Firstly, because in the heat of anger it is easy for an animal to harm, and secondly because an angry schnauzer is insensitive to pain and can perceive physical violence as a signal to attack. Punishing a dog retroactively is one of the most pointless measures. No matter how clever the Standard Schnauzer is, he still will not guess to tie together the negative coming from the owner and the wallpaper stripped an hour ago.

If due to circumstances the puppy has to be left alone in the apartment, throw more toys on it. It can be not only shop balls but also all kinds of fruits and vegetables that the baby will roll on the floor and gnaw. A typical mistake of owners who are not familiar with the breed is buying a puppy for a child so that he learns the basics of training. The innate leadership qualities of the Standard Schnauzer will not allow him to obey the one whom he considers deliberately stupider than himself, and the child in the eyes of the dog looks like a being of a lower order.

Don’t be too late to get to know the street and other dogs. By 8 months, the standard schnauzer should calmly perceive his four-legged fellows and not shy away from the sounds of public transport and crowds of people. If you are raising a future watchman, do not try to “make friends” with a large number of people. In particular, do not let your guests and acquaintances placate the Standard Schnauzer with treats and affection. However, raising a ferocious misanthropist from a pet is also not worth it.

The owners raising exhibition animals will have to train their pets not only to adequately respond to large crowds of people but also to endure the touch of strangers. Well, in order for the Standard Schnauzer to get used to tactile contact, he will have to be massaged and combed more often. It’s a good idea to involve outsiders in this case. For example, ask someone you know to check your pet’s teeth after fixing the dog’s head with a so-called stranglehold. By the way, it is better not to use treats at all when teaching the Standard Schnauzer to show stand and correct behavior in the ring.

Care and Maintenance

In size, Standard Schnauzer is significantly inferior to their relatives, Giant Schnauzers, which makes their keeping in an apartment more comfortable. But if you are interested in the opinion of the Standard Schnauzer himself, then there is no doubt that he will vote with all four paws for a house with a garden or a large plot where you can freely rush around for days on end.

Hygiene

With proper care, the shedding coat of the Standard Schnauzer does not fall like many other breeds and has almost no unpleasant canine smell. And yet, if you are not indifferent to the pet’s appearance, you will have to tinker with his “fur coat” often and a lot. It is better to start from the dirtiest areas – tufts of wool between the fingers, to which sand, small debris, and liquid mud adhere during walks. Breeders recommend that apartment schnauzers wash their paws after each walk, at the same time picking out specks entangled in the wool. Do not forget about the decorating hair on the face, which the animal constantly stains while eating, so after each feeding, we wipe the dog’s “mustache” and “beard” with a clean dry cloth.

You can bathe Standard Schnauzer once a month with shampoos and conditioners for coarse hair. By the way, in order to achieve the maximum effect, it is better to dilute detergents with water in a 1: 1 ratio. After the bath, the clean wool is blotted with a cotton towel and dried with a hairdryer. In order to brush your dog, stock up on a set of different-sized combs. For example, for “mustaches” and “beards”, metal combs with sparse teeth are suitable. It is better to handle the hair on the body of a Standard Schnauzer with a massage wire brush that penetrates deep into the undercoat. This process is quite laborious since you will have to thoroughly work out the tangled areas of the lower layer of the “fur coat”.

At least twice a year, Standard Schnauzers are trimmed, removing dead undercoat, thereby creating optimal conditions for a faster renewal of the coat. Hair plucking can be done manually (silicone fingertips are a help) or using a trimming knife. First of all, the neck and croup are treated, gradually going down to the body and hips of the animal. The head of the Standard Schnauzer is not trimmed, but cut short with a clipper, maintaining a uniform length of the coat of 2-3 mm. Frequent haircuts throughout the body, which some owners practice, are not at all good for the Standard Schnauzer. Hair that is constantly sheared will eventually change its structure, becoming softer. In addition, the undercoat of such Standard Schnauzers often falls off.

Take a few minutes to care for your Standard Schnauzer’s ears once a week. Examine your pet’s ear canals carefully for debris or excess sulfur discharge. If there are any, remove them with a cotton swab and veterinary lotion. It is better to examine the eyes of the Standard Schnauzer every day, removing the lumps that have accumulated in their corners with a napkin. If there are signs of mucosal acidification, you can wipe your eyes with a clean cloth soaked in chamomile infusion. For Standard Schnauzers who eat industrial food or regularly consume special hard treats from pet stores, brushing their teeth is not necessary. Dry croquettes and pressed bones will do a great job with bloom. In all other cases, the dog’s teeth will have to be brushed by hand or using a special brush.

Walking

The Standard Schnauzer is an active dog, which for a happy and long life needs to be physically “unloaded” on a regular basis, so it will not be easy for an unsportsmanlike owner with the breed. You should walk your pet twice a day, but it should not be a spontaneous “cutting circles around the area.” It is highly desirable that the promenade takes place in a lively rhythm and is interspersed with physical exercises, tasks for ingenuity and endurance, as well as games. If the mittel schnauzer lives in a house where there is a large yard, or even better – a fenced plot of land, you can take him out for a walk less often. Just make some sports equipment for your ward, on which he could improve his physical form.

It is possible to take a Standard Schnauzer puppy outside two weeks after the first vaccination, although some owners are reinsured by not letting the animals go for a walk until they are 4 months old. The owners of Standard Schnauzers explain such actions by their desire to protect the puppy’s body from street infections. In fact, the bacteria and microorganisms that inhabit the environment are not so dangerous for the Standard Schnauzer. Worst of all, a puppy who has sat in four walls very badly gets used to the street and socializes even worse, so if you want to get a ferocious, suspicious beech, lock the Standard Schnauzer in your apartment and do not let him out until he is 6 months old.

Feeding

The owner of the Standard Schnauzer will have to choose between commercial food and natural food on his own since veterinarians have not yet decided on the ideal food for this breed. The Standard Schnauzer himself will consume both “drying” and meat products with equal pleasure. At the same time, it is important to remember that food from the store – if these are options not lower than the premium class – are balanced in composition and contain the entire range of trace elements necessary for a dog. As for the “natural”, then the owner of the Standard Schnauzer will have to tinker in order to include in the pet’s diet all those foods that will provide his body with vital amino acids. In addition, you will have to spend extra money on vitamin and mineral supplements.

Foods included in the diet of a Standard Schnauzer:

• lean meat or it’s waste;
• offal;
• cereals (oatmeal, rice, buckwheat);
• sea ​​fish;
• vegetables and herbs;
• boiled egg (no more than once a week);
• dairy products.

Meat for Standard Schnauzers is given raw, chopped into medium-sized pieces (puppies can be chopped smaller). In no case do not scrape or roll the meat into minced meat – only spoil the product, and deprive the pet of most of the calories. The bones of the bird will not bring any benefit either, but the young Standard Schnauzer will be sincerely happy with the marrow bone of the calf.

Health

The list of hereditary diseases in the breed is impressive, which, however, does not make Schnauzers regular customers of veterinary clinics. It is also important to understand that not all dogs have genetic ailments. Moreover, if a puppy was born from healthy parents, his chances of a long and happy life are quite high.

Typical diseases of Standard Schnauzers:

• pancreatitis;
• hypothyroidism;
• diabetes;
• bladder infections;
• dysplasia of the hip joints;
• allergy;
• melanoma;
• epilepsy;
• lipoma;
• cataract.

How to Choose a Puppy

Evaluate how the puppy’s appearance meets the requirements of the standard, but do not get too hung up on it. It is extremely difficult even for a specialist to guess the future champion in a two-month-old baby.
Measure the puppy’s height and weight. At two months old, a male Schnauzer must be at least 28 cm at the withers, and his weight must not be less than 4 kg. “Girls” are usually lower and lighter.
When you first meet the little Standard Schnauzer, carefully monitor his reaction. The preference is for bold, inquisitive hustlers who are willing to make contact.

It is great if the breeder shows you the father of the puppies, but this rarely happens. Do not miss the opportunity to look at least at the bitch, as well as evaluate her temperament and habits that the offspring are likely to inherit.
If you are offered puppies from the first litter of a young female who did not have time to acquire prestigious diplomas, do not hesitate to inquire about the show achievements of her ancestors.

It helps a lot in choosing a puppy A litter survey report, which is available in every self-respecting kennel. Request this document from the breeder and carefully read the results of the conclusions. If almost half of the newborn Standard Schnauzers were rejected by a club specialist, it is better to bypass such a nursery.
A correct little Schnauzer should not have any hernia marks on the abdomen. Dirty coat, bad breath from the puppy, swollen “belly” signal that the breeder does not strain himself too much to take care of the pets.