The name of the breed is translated from German as "muzzle". It is the muzzle with a rectangular beard that is a characteristic feature of this breed.
The origin of the Schnauzer breed
Today there are three varieties of the breed: giant, standard (medium) and dwarf schnauzers.
The Giant Schnauzer is a mestizo of the herd Belgian dog and Great Dane, although it is hypothesized that it is simply a species of the medium schnauzer. These dogs in the past exterminated rodents and guarded harvest carts from them.
The ancestors of the average (standard) schnauzer are unknown, because it is a fairly ancient breed. Standard Schnauzers were most commonly used as rodent exterminators and farm helpers. The pygmy schnauzer appeared at the end of the nineteenth century as a result of selective selection.
The most popular in the United States is the dwarf variety of the breed; in Europe, the giant schnauzer is most often found.
Schnauzer - breed characteristics
Giant schnauzers are proud animals. They are inclined towards leadership, hardy, energetic and very cheerful. The dwarf and medium schnauzers are a little fussy and flighty, but these shortcomings are covered by their all-consuming love for children.
Schnauzers are often used as guard dogs. Also, the schnauzer is used as a companion dog, a sports and service dog.
Description of the breed
Elongated, tightly sculpted head. Muzzle in the form of a wedge, shaggy. Rectangular nasal bridge, black lips, oval-shaped eyes. Cropped ears are erect, uncropped - small, set straight. Square body, arched neck, blending smoothly into the withers. The chest is of medium depth. The back is short, the belly is slightly tucked up. Paws arched, feline, small. The tail is set high, docked at the level of the third vertebra. The hairline includes a dense, short undercoat and straight, long, thick and coarse hair. From the bottom of the neck and on the head, as well as on the inner side of the thighs, the wool is trimmed with a clipper. Longer and softer hair on the muzzle is cut in the form of a bang, beard and mustache, and on the paws - in the form of pillars. Eyebrows, mustache and beard are softer than body hair. The height at the withers of a dwarf schnauzer reaches 35 cm, an average schnauzer - 50 cm, a giant schnauzer - 70 cm. The weight of a dwarf schnauzer is 4-7 kg, an average schnauzer is 15 kg, a giant schnauzer is 30-40 kg.
Maintenance and care
Schnauzers need long walks, you cannot keep these dogs locked up. Once every three months, the schnauzer must be cut by the hairdresser.
