Judging the Standard Schnauzer

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, August 2015 issue.

Judging the Standard Schnauzer

Their wiry coat, compact body and ratting skills may suggest the Standard Schnauzer is a terrier, but that is not the case. Their ancestry, use and structure are quite different from the long-legged terriers of Great Britain. Recent DNA testing suggests they are instead most closely related to the early hunting and herding dogs of Continental Europe. Historically a common farm dog in Southern Germany, Schnauzers herded livestock, dispatched vermin in the stable, and guarded property. They followed and guarded peddler’s wagons across the back roads of Europe and during World War I served as dispatch carriers for the Red Cross and as guard dogs for the German Army.

They made their way from farmyard to show ring in 1879 and were later grouped with the six Pinscher-Schnauzer breeds of Germany and registered with the Pinscher-Schnauzer Klub (PSK) in 1895. The first Breed Standard published by the PSK provides a verbal snapshot of the ideal Standard Schnauzer of 1907. ‘The Schnauzer shows himself in every aspect as a real working dog (never a fashion or luxury dog).

His looks emphasize this statement: a sinewy, compact and square body of a working-oriented medium-sized dog, with firm legs and feet, a powerful jaw carrying a healthy bite, lively dark eyes and black nose, bush eyebrows and harsh whiskers, a water-resistant wiry coat… a perfect balance of power and nobility.’ Though published over 100 years ago, that description applies today. Schnauzers began arriving in numbers in the United States in the 1920s. They are now shown in the Working Group, one of the square-built working breeds that include the Doberman Pinscher, Boxer, Great Dane, Giant Schnauzer, and German Pinscher.

Though coats, size and head types vary, the Standard Schnauzer’s structural ideal is closest to these breeds. Specifics include: body that is well-boned and muscular without coarseness, arched neck that flows smoothly into a short back, shoulder and forearm of equal length forming a 90-degree angle, straight backline sloping slightly downward from the withers to the tail, pelvis set at 30 degrees, a moderately high tail set, well-angulated rear in balance with the front, compact cat feet. Proportionately, height equals length measured from forechest to rump, and depth of chest equals the distance from brisket to ground.

As a working dog, it’s important to cover the maximum distance with the least output of energy, the benefit of which is good endurance. A smooth, long-strided, ground-covering trot is the gold standard in judging and the ultimate measurement of structural soundness. Viewed in profile, there should be no prance in front or exaggerated high kick of the hocks in back. Instead, the feet stay relatively close to the ground, with maximum extension front and rear. The topline remains firm at the trot with no dip, roll, or roach. Viewed fore and aft, the legs maintain a straight column of support, and as the speed increases, the feet converge to the centerline of gravity. Though Standard Schnauzer movement and body structure are similar to other square-built working breeds, the Schnauzer has some unique qualities that make him distinct. Most important among these are coat, head, size, and temperament. The hallmark of the breed is the Schnauzer’s stiff, wiry coat and his signature eyebrows, beard, and mustache. The coat is tight, hard, wiry, and thick, composed of a close undercoat and harsh outer coat, which stands up slightly off the back. Furnishings on the legs should also have a harsh texture, and though a bit longer than the jacket should not be overly profuse; no cotton candy on a stick looks.

The jacket is hand plucked in show dogs with some trimming on the head, throat, and rear, and scissoring of the furnishings and brows. The two allowable colors are black with a black undercoat and pepper and salt with either a gray or tan undercoat. The unique aspect of the pepper and salt color is that most hairs of the topcoat are banded black and white. The resulting shade, dark to light, depends on the width and placement of those black color bands, and in judging, one shade is not considered superior to another. The overall shade of color does not matter so long as the coat texture is wiry and the majority of the hairs are banded black and white or as we say, pepper and salt. Serious coat faults are a lack of banded hairs, soft coat texture, and tan or rust color in the guard hairs. The head is another distinguishing feature of this breed. In size, it should be in balance with the body, with the length about one-half the length of the back from withers to tail. Looking down on the top of the head it appears rectangular in shape due to the mustache and whiskers on the muzzle.

Structurally it’s shaped like a blunt wedge that ends at the big black nose. The top skull is rectangular, flat and unwrinkled, and is both equal in length and parallel with the top of the muzzle. Eyes are dark brown and oval and hint at a bold, alert intelligence. Cheeks are muscular but flat, the muzzle has good fill, and there is a full complement of teeth that meet in a scissors bite. Ears are set high and carried erect when cropped, folded forward at skull level, and lying along the side of the cheek if not cropped. Size is important enough to rate a disqualification in this breed. The ideal height is 17½”–18½” for bitches and 18½”–19½” for males. Individuals measuring more than ½ inch under or over that range should be disqualified. When weighing faults, temperament also rates top billing: ‘Greatest consideration should be given to deviation from the desired alert, intelligent, spirited, reliable character of the Standard Schnauzer.’ Sound structure and breed type are important in judging this breed, but in the big picture, nothing trumps temperament.