Page 160 - Showsight April 2013

well muscled. An oval chest extends to
the elbow, allowing for good heart and
lung room. There is a prominent proster-
num (forechest) and the brisket extends
back, well past the elbows. Tuck up is
moderate and the loin is short and well
developed. The body is strong and ath-
letic without being coarse.
Stance is four square. Viewed from
the side, the front legs appear straight, in
a line with the rounded end of the shoul-
der. In the rear, thighs are broad and sti-
fles are well bent. Rear pasterns are per-
pendicular to the ground and hocks well
let down. A compact cat’s foot, which
favors endurance, is preferred.
Long-Strided, Efficient &
Ground Covering Gait
Viewed from the front and from the
rear, when the dog stands naturally, the
legs should appear to form a straight col-
umn of support from point of shoulder
to the feet in front and from the buttocks
to feet behind. At a trot, a straight visual
line remains, but rather than the legs
remaining parallel, the feet converge to
the center of gravity, close to forming a
“V.” Tracking in reduces lateral displace-
ment, which in turn increases efficiency of
movement.
Viewed from the side, movement
should appear smooth and effortless with
good reach in front and propulsion from
behind. The topline should remain firm
and there should be no bounce nor roll
from side to side. The croup should not
appear higher than the shoulders.
A Wiry, Weather-Resistent Coat
The wire topcoat is a hallmark of the
breed. Either black or pepper and salt in
color, the wiry outer coat gives excellent
protection from the weather. Schnauzers
are double coated so they also have a soft,
insulating undercoat. Grey undercoat is
preferred in pepper and salt dogs, but a
tan undercoat should not be faulted. Black
dogs must have a black undercoat.
Furnishings on the legs are somewhat
longer than the coat on the body; however,
they should be wiry and never so long or
profuse as to detract from the working
capability of the dog.
Only two colors are allowed in Stan-
dard Schnauzers: black and pepper and
salt. Black dogs should be a deep, rich
black all over, though an occasional white
hair can be found in the best of coats.
Pepper/salt coloring is unique to the breed
and comes from the hairs of the topcoat
being banded black and white. Shade var-
ies depending on the amount of black
banding on the white hairs. Faults in the
pepper/salt dogs are lack of black and
white banding or rust and brown color in
the guard hairs.
Alert, Highly Reliable
Temperament
Today’s Standard lists the following
breed traits as desirable: highly developed
senses, intelligence, aptitude for training,
fearlessness, endurance and resistance
against weather and illness. “His nature
combines high-spirited temperament with
extreme reliability.” In judging, it admon-
ishes that, “In weighing the seriousness of
a fault, greatest consideration should be
given to deviation from the desired alert,
highly intelligent, spirited, reliable charac-
ter of the Standard Schnauzer.”
As owners are quick to tell you, they
love that Schnauzer temperament. Though
judges can’t thoroughly evaluate this
intangible, they should seriously fault an
obvious deviation.
BIO
Arden and her husband Earl have
owned and bred Standard Schnauzers
for forty years. Their Pepper Tree line
has produced sixty plus champions that
include three AKC ranked #1 in the
breed, multiple specialty winners and
titlists in obedience and agility. Arden
has served the Standard Schnauzer Club
of America in various positions includ-
ing six terms as President, fourteen years
as breed columnist for the AKC Gazette
and editor of the SSCA’s Source Book III.
Arden currently chairs the SSCA Judges
Education Committee.
Thanks go to members of the SSCA Judges Edu-
cation Committee for their insights and com-
ments that contributed to this article. --AH
“THE wIRE TopCoAT IS A HAllmARk of THE bREED.”
160 • ShowSight Magazine, April 2013