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Miniature Schnauzer: |
Giant Schnauzer:
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The Miniature Schnauzer is a breed of small dog of the Schnauzer type that originated in Germany in the mid-to-late 19th century. Miniature Schnauzers developed from crosses between the Standard Schnauzer and one or more smaller breeds such as the Poodle, Miniature Pinscher, or Affenpinscher.
Appearance
Miniature Schnauzers are quite distinctive in appearance. They should be compact, muscular, and be "square" in build (the height at the withers should be the same as the length of the body). They have long beards, eyebrows, and feathering on the legs. In the USA, ears are sometimes cropped to stand upright and the tail is often docked short. British schnauzers have uncropped ears, as ear cropping is illegal in the United Kingdom. Their coats are wiry (when hand-stripped,) and do not shed, which adds to their appeal as house pets. However, their coats have to be clipped every three months, as they do not shed. The AKC recognizes only three colours: black, salt and pepper, and black and silver. However, non-official colours of solid white and brown are rare but known.
Height is 12 to 15 inches (30.5 to 38 cm) at the withers (American standard) or 30-35cm (FCI, German standard) at the withers, and they generally weigh 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 7 kg).
Temperament
Miniature Schnauzers are known for their lively personality and mischievous sense of humour. They are also highly loyal to their owner and can be very energetic, but if not given proper exercise or a balanced diet, they will gain weight very quickly.
An excellent protector of his home, the Miniature Schnauzer is often guarded of strangers until the owners of the home welcome the guest. The breed is very good with children recognizing that they are needing gentle play.
Because a Miniature Schnauzer can take commands and learn quickly, they are easy to train. However, Miniature Schnauzers require a great deal of attention and affection from their owner, regardless if they are to be used as show dogs or home pets.
Miniature Schnauzers can be very independent and have been known to have a naughty streak in them. They are practical jokers, but it is all in fun. Keep in mind, that these dogs were bred as ratters so they are very intelligent and if not given the proper outlet for their energy, they can become little terrors.
History
The earliest records surrounding development of the Miniature Schnauzer in Germany come from the late 1800s. They were originally bred to be farm dogs in Germany, to keep the rats and other vermin out of the barn. In the breed's earliest stages, several small breeds were employed in crosses to bring down the size of the well-established Standard Schnauzer, with the goal of creating a duplicate in miniature.
Crossing to other breeds, such as the Affenpinscher and Miniature Pinscher, had the side effect of introducing colours that were not considered acceptable to the ultimate goal — and as breeders worked towards the stabilization of the gene pool, mismarked particolors and white puppies were removed from breeding programs.
The earliest recorded Miniature Schnauzer was in 1888, and the first exhibition was in 1899. With their bold courage, the Miniature Schnauzer was originally used for guarding herds, small farms, and families. As time passed, they were also used to hunt rats, because they appeared to have a knack for it, and its small size was perfect to get into tight places to catch them. The AKC accepted registration of the new breed in 1926, two years after they were introduced to the United States.
Standard Schnauzer:
The Standard Schnauzer is the original breed of the three breeds of Schnauzer, and despite its wiry coat and general appearance, is not related to the British terriers. Rather, its origins are in old herding and guard breeds of Europe. The breed is a handsome, robust, squarely built, medium-sized dog with aristocratic bearing, making it a popular subject of painters Albrecht Dürer and Rembrandt.
Appearance
The Standard Schnauzer has a harsh, wiry outer coat with minimal shedding that is salt and pepper or, less often, solid black in color. The hair on the face lengthens to form a beard and eyebrows. The breed is robust and sturdy, and should be "heavy" for its height with lots of muscle and bone. Ideal weight and height ranges vary considerably from one breed club's standard to the next. Males range between 18 and 20 inches (45cm–50cm) high at the withers and generally weigh between 35 and 50 pounds (15.5 kg–22.5 kg). Females are ideally between 17 and 19 inches (42.5 cm–47.5 cm) high at the withers and generally weigh between 30 and 45 pounds (13.5kg–20.2kg). Traditionally , ears were cropped and the tail docked. However, in many European countries and in Australia, ear-cropping and tail-docking are now prohibited and the dogs are shown with natural ears and tail (see illustration). In the United States, most dogs are cropped and almost all have docked tails.
Temperament
The Standard Schnauzer is sociable, highly intelligent and alert. Schnauzers can be comedians, formidable guards, and great family companions. Properly raised and trained, they are reliable companions with children. Schnauzers are a very enthusiastic breed and thrive on interaction with any family activities. Therefore they suit an active family with older children, but can be very gentle with young children if properly trained. If they are not kept involved in family activities, they may invent their own entertainment (which might not be a welcome one!). They are usually not unnecessary barkers but have a deep, intimidating bark which is useful as a watch dog. Schnauzers are noted for guarding the family home and for displaying devotion to their immediate family and their family's circle of friends. Consequently they may take time to warm up to strangers. They learn easily but can also become bored with repetition. They are often determined and may want to do things their own way, thus owners should be firm and consistent. However, schnauzers do not respond well to harsh treatment. Standards have good hunting instincts, and have been used as retrievers both on land and in the water. Standard schnauzers are also excellent herders of sheep and cattle, which reflects their origin as a general-purpose farm dog, and many have achieved AKC herding titles.
Origin
Schnauzers are originally a German breed and are descended from herding, ratting and guardian breeds during the Middle Ages. They may be most closely related to the spitz-type breeds. Dogs very similar to today's schnauzers existed in the Middle Ages, and they have appeared several times in paintings, statues and tapestries with Rembrandt, Dürer and Reynolds all portraying them. Initially a dog of the peasant farmer, in the 19th century this breed captured the interest of the German dog fancy and they began to be bred to a standard of perfection. The word "Schnauzer" (German name for 'small beard' ) appeared for the first time in 1842 when used as a synonym for the Wire-haired Pinscher (the name under which the breed first competed at dog shows). The Standard Schnauzer is the original Schnauzer from which the Miniature and Giant breeds were developed in the late 19th century. They have been showed from the 1870's onwards and first appeared in the United States about 1900. The Standard Schnauzer has also been used throughout modern history in various roles. For example it was used by the Red Cross for guard duty during World War I and at one point by both German and American police departments. Several Standards have been used in the USA for drug and bomb detection, and also as Search-and-Rescue dogs.
References
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Fogle, Bruce, DVM (2000). The New Encyclopedia of the Dog. Doring Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.
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The Standard Schnauzer, Publication of Standard Schnauzer club of America (brochure).
The Giant Schnauzer is a large, powerful, compact breed of dog. It is one of several Schnauzer breeds. Like most large breeds, the Giant Schnauzer needs a fair amount of exercise.
Appearance
When hand-stripped, the Giant Schnauzer has a harsh, wiry outer coat and dense, soft undercoat. Coat color is either black or salt and pepper (grey). It weighs between 70 and 99 lb (32 to 45 kg) and stands 23.5 to 27.5 in (59 to 70 cm) at the withers.
When moving at a fast trot, a properly built Giant Schnauzer will single-track. Back remains strong, firm, and flat.
Temperament
The Giant Schnauzer is a large, powerful, dominant dog which needs a firm, consistent but friendly handler. Unnecessary harshness will only do harm.
Early and consistent training is necessary as the Giant Schnauzer tends to be very willful. Its ability to understand a command does not always translate into obedience.
Giant Schnauzers are very loyal and intelligent dogs. They often become so attached to their owner that they follow them around the house.
Health
This breed used to be generally hardy; however, recently more auto-immune diseases have cropped up in this breed. Arthritis does occur in shoulders or hips, though usually resulting from a poor diet. Its life expectancy is about 11 or 12 years.
Other health problems in the breed include:
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Autoimmune diseases (hypothyroidism, Autoimmune hemolytic anemia (AIHA) (also called Immune Mediated Hemolytic Anemia (IMHA)), SLO, Crohn's disease, and so on)
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Toe cancer
History
The breed originated in the mid to late 19th century in the Bavarian and Württemberg regions of Germany. Cattlemen wanted a larger version of the Standard Schnauzer for herding and driving, creating it by selectively breeding the Standard Schnauzer with the Black Great Dane, the Bouvier des Flandres, and rough haired sheepdogs. It was a popular herding breed, but its need for more food than some breeds made it less popular for farmers on tight budgets or with limited resources. It was used as a guard dog in breweries and stockyards, a police dog, and during WWI as a military dog. It became scarce during WWII, but its popularity grew again after the war, when it was used as a drover and as a guard dog.
References
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Fogle, Bruce, DVM (2000). The new Encyclopedia of the Dog. Doring Kindersley (DK). ISBN 0-7894-6130-7.
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Mehus-Roe, Kristin (ed.) (2005). The original dog bible : the definitive source for all things dog. BowTie Press®. ISBN 1-931993-34-3.
