Page 260 - Showsight December 2020
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                and placement of the black banding on the hairs. Wider bands of black on a coat give a dog a darker overall shade of color, and vice versa. The overall shade does not matter, so long as the topcoat has black and white banded hairs, is wiry in texture, and is straight. Pepper and salt Schnauzers, ideally, have a grey-colored undercoat, but tan should not be faulted. Maintenance on a show coat requires hand strip- ping, which can be a time-consuming process. Pets are often machine clipped, which alters texture and color over time. Whether black or pepper and salt, Schnauzers do not shed copious amounts of hair and they are often easier on those with allergies.
Part of the unique Schnauzer type can be attributed to the head and expression. “Alert” and “businesslike” are adjectives often used to describe it. The head is shaped like a blunt wedge. Add eyebrows, whiskers, and moustache, and it gives the appearance of a rectangle when viewed from above. The top of the skull and muzzle are approximately the same length. Eyes are oval in shape and dark brown in color. Nose
DEFINING THE STANDARD SCHNAUZER
pictured below, top: Black Standard Schnauzer—Agility; below: Black Standard Schnauzer Puppies
   is black, and overall expression is lively and alert. A strong, scis- sors bite is considered important. Cropped ears stand up straight, uncropped ears fold forward in a line with the skull. Tails in the US are usually docked to about two inches, but a dog with an undocked tail should not be faulted, provided it has the correct sickle or saber carriage.
The Standard Schnauzer is a medium-sized dog and, to empha- size the importance, show dogs are disqualified if they miss the mark. Males must be 18-20 inches in height, females 17-19 inches when measured from the top of the withers to the ground. The inch in the middle is considered ideal.
Few Schnauzers of today do the jobs they were originally bred to do, like herding livestock or ridding a stable of vermin. How- ever, I can attest to the fact that they still have the instinct and ability to do both. We have no gophers in our yard. (Sometimes we have holes, but no gophers.) Some are also excellent herding dogs and most still retain the instinct to do so, even if they approach it with a bit more Schnauzer enthusiasm than is necessary. An early German breed standard referred to them as child-minders. I have found my Schnauzers to be remarkably gentle with the little ones, and eager to join in the fun with older children. With their energy and intelligence, they do require training, but I have found them to be remarkable companion dogs.
  pictured above, top: Pepper and Salt Coat; neck blends cleanly into shoulders; above: Correct Shoulder layback.
258 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, DECEMBER 2020


























































































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