Page 172 - Showsight April 2013

STANDARD SCHNAUZERS:
The Relentless Pursuit of Life
By Diana M. Barber, Ph. D. T he Standard Schnauzer was
originally developed as an
all-purpose farm dog in Ger-
many centuries before orga-
nized dog showing. How-
ever, all-purpose should not
be confused with the cliché “jack-of-all-
trades, master of none.” Indeed they excel
at any task in which they believe. They are
incredibly intelligent (nicknamed the dog
with a human brain), but more than their
intelligence and creativity, what sets these
dogs apart from the rest of canine intel-
ligentsia is purpose. This is the joy and
terror of this breed in a nutshell. When
you look into a Standard’s eyes, the lights
are on, someone is home, and there are
plans for you. Standards are filled with
purpose and if you don’t assign them a
job, they will find one of their own and
you may not like it. Once given a job, the
Standard’s pursuit of perfection is relent-
less. World War II POWs feared Stan-
dard Schnauzers because they could not
be bribed. Standard Schnauzers are not
the dog for everyone and are completely
unsuitable for owners who are not will-
ing to be leaders. To truly be happy with
Standard Schnauzers, you must not just
live with them—you must work with
them. To do otherwise is to risk working
for them.
Well trained standards make patient teachers and devoted playmates for children.
© Alexis Hubbard
“To truly be happy with
Standard Schnauzers,
yoU mUST
NoT jUST LivE
wiTH THEm,
yoU mUST woRk
wiTH THEm.”
172 • ShowSight Magazine, April 2013