Page 254 - Showsight December 2020

Judging the
Miniature Schnauzer
BY WYOMA CLOUSS
TUPDATED MAY 2018
he Miniature Schnauzer is one of just a few Terriers that did not originate from the Brit- ish Isles. Developed in the Bavarian region of Germany in the late 1800s, the Miniature
Schnauzer appears to be a cross between smaller Standard Schnauzers and the “Monkey Pinschers” (today’s Affen- pinscher) common in that area. As with the British Ter- riers, the multi-purpose Miniature Schnauzer was bred to be a ratter, with the bonus of being a watchdog and a great family companion.
The statement of General Appearance describes both his function and his general appearance: “The Miniature Schnauzer is a robust, active dog of terrier type, resembling his larger cousin, the Standard Schnauzer, in general appearance, and of an alert, active disposition.” Note that our breed stan- dard describes a general resemblance, not a miniature copy of the Standard Schnauzer. The three Schnauzers are three distinct breeds with three distinct breed standards.
Watching Miniature Schnauzers walk into your ring, you should see distinctive dogs with hard wiry coats in one of three accepted colors. Look for the square, sturdy outline, rectangular head with clean cheeks, ears cropped or uncropped, strong well-arched neck, short deep body, straight backline that declines slightly to a flat croup with a docked erect tail, and a hard wiry coat. Get a first impres- sion of size; whether each dog is within the size range of 12” to 14” regardless of age or sex.
Let the dogs move around the ring to loosen up, and start your examinations on the table. A quick word to the dog will make sure that he is paying attention, then a hand under his chin. You are looking for the head to be strong and rectangular with flat, clean cheeks. With the short- faced Affenpinscher in our history, our standard carefully states that the muzzle is “at least as long as the topskull” which is “flat and fairly long” and “ends in a moderately blunt manner.” In practice, this means the muzzle should be approximately the same length as the topskull—neither shorter nor exaggerated and too long; balanced. Overall impression is rectangular, strong but not blocky, nor too narrow; parallel planes.
Lift the eyebrows to make sure eyes are small, dark, oval, and deep-set. Think of dark walnut for color. Nose color
252 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2020
must be solid black, any other color is a DQ. Teeth; scis- sors bite only, look for six upper and lower incisors. To check bite, hold down the center of the beard below the teeth with your left hand and, with your right, use your forefinger and thumb on each side of the incisors to slide up the upper lip. Please do not go picking through the beard looking for side teeth. Ears; cropped or uncropped is optional in our breed standard. If cropped, the ears should be balanced and set high, with the inside edges carried perpendicularly. When uncropped, the ears are small and V-shaped, folding close to the skull, the tip pointing to the outside corner of the eye. Look for the “use of ears” on the ground, not on the table. The Schnau- zer’s characteristic “down the nose” expression is empha- sized by trimming the eyebrows into a sharp triangle. The beard will be trimmed and shaped to emphasize the rect- angular shape of the head.
Overall body outline is square, measured from the forechest to buttocks and withers to the ground. Look for robust and sturdy. The brisket extends at least to the elbows, ribs well-sprung and deep, loin short.
Forequarters should be straight and parallel; strong pas- terns; good bone. Neck strong and well-arched, blending into the shoulders. Sloping shoulders, well-laid back. Look for a smooth transition from the neck into the shoulders and topline; neck should not be short and stuffy. Viewed from the side, the forelegs should be set back slightly, but not so much that the sternum (or chest bone) protrudes obviously.