Standard Schnauzers – The Breed That Does it All

This article was originally published in Showsight Magazine, June 2014 issue.

Standard Schnauzers – The Breed That Does it All

Standard Schnauzers were developed in Germany over 400 years ago as all-purpose farm and guard dogs. The rough-and-tumble breed of those days, portrayed in Rembrandt’s 1642 painting, bears little resemblance to modern groomed dogs. Still rough-coated with the breed’s hallmark bristling eyebrows and whiskers, today’s Standard Schnauzer approaches all endeavors with enthusiasm. Standard Schnauzers enjoy good health with few genetic problems, living well into their teens. As the oldest of the three Schnauzer breeds (not terriers!), they are robust, square, medium-sized dogs with solid bone, powerful driving rears, deep chests, good rib spring, compact feet, well-arched necks, and reaching, working-dog fronts.

Their soft undercoat is topped with a harsh, wiry, weather-resistant outer coat in either pepper-and-salt with white whiskers and furnishings or solid black. In the U.S., tails are docked, and ears can be either cropped or uncropped. They rarely shed and have little skin dander, making them easy housemates for people with allergies. Successful in well-known, long-established conformation, obedience, rally, agility, flyball, and nose-work competitions, Standard Schnauzers are “dogs with a human brain.” Their great intelligence, coupled with their mischievous sense of humor, makes training an adventure—easy because they quickly learn, remember, and comprehend tasks, but difficult because repetition bores them. They prefer mind-intense jobs, and woe betide the person who doesn’t understand Standard Schnauzers display amazing versatility.

Developed in Germany over 400 years ago as all-purpose farm and guard dogs, they were portrayed in Rembrandt’s 1642 painting, though today’s Standard Schnauzers are much more refined. They are still rough-coated with hallmark bristling eyebrows and whiskers, and approach all endeavors with enthusiasm. These dogs enjoy good health with few genetic problems and live well into their teens. As the oldest of three Schnauzer breeds, they are robust, square, medium-sized dogs with solid bone, powerful driving rears, deep chests, good rib spring, compact feet, well-arched necks, and reaching, working-dog fronts. Their soft undercoat is topped with a harsh, wiry, weather-resistant outer coat in either pepper-and-salt with white whiskers and furnishings or solid black. In the U.S., tails are docked, and ears can be either cropped or uncropped.

They rarely shed and have little skin dander, making them suitable for people with allergies. Successful in conformation, obedience, rally, agility, flyball, and nose-work competitions, Standard Schnauzers are known for their great intelligence and mischievous humor. They quickly learn and remember tasks but can become bored with repetition. They prefer mind-intense jobs, and their brains are highly active when unchallenged. Standard Schnauzers have amazing versatility and are among the first breeds outside the Herding Group to qualify for AKC Herding titles. They herd various animals, guard homes and property, and serve as therapy and service dogs. If they had human speech and opposable thumbs, they might be masters with us as pets.

They have 39 chromosome pairs compared to humans’ 23 and around 200 million odor receptors compared to humans’ 5 million, enabling them to detect faint odors that humans cannot. Trained by Karen Naughton and Bonnie Rudy (who is deaf), Standard Schnauzers Domino and Shadow alert Bonnie to various sounds. Their mouths can be nearly as soft as those of bird dogs. They hunt both small and large game and participate in newer sports like lure coursing, which tests prey drive. The AKC’s Coursing Ability Test (CAT) allows any dog to participate, with titles for successful completions. Standard Schnauzers excel in vermin hunting and Barn Hunt, demonstrating their prey drive. They also engage in carting and treibball, a herding ball sport from Germany. With their intelligence, adaptability, and energy, Standard Schnauzers truly are “the breed that does it all.