Description of the breed
Miniatures are a very beautiful and compact breed. They are quite strong and stocky, boasting good endurance. They have no pronounced physical defects and have excellent hearing and sense of smell. The gender characteristics are clearly expressed; males are slightly larger than females. The average height is 30–35 cm, and the weight is no more than 8 kg.
The body is square in shape, has good bones and muscles. The back is elastic, moderately wide and somewhat sloping (its front part is slightly higher than the back). The chest is wide, voluminous and oval in cross-section. The ribs are rounded, but not barrel-shaped, and extend down to the elbows of the forelegs. The belly is slightly tucked, connecting to the chest in the form of an almost straight line. The loin is wide and short, slightly convex. The neck is medium long, very muscular and has a beautiful scruff.
The head is quite large and massive, but proportional to the overall size of the animal. The skull is square in structure, and the forehead is flat and oblong. The skin is elastic, the cheeks are emphasized, but not sagging. The space under the eyes is filled perfectly. The transition from the forehead to the muzzle is clearly visible, but the occipital protuberance is weakly visible. The muzzle itself is not elongated, but rather blunted.
It ends in a black nose with open nostrils. The eyes are medium sized, oval and black. Planted shallowly and not too far apart. The ears are erect, located high on the head and are most often cropped. However, their natural state is also permitted. The teeth are strong and white, complete. The incisors are smooth and line up. Scissor bite.
The forelimbs are straight and parallel, strong and muscular. The elbows are bent straight back, pressed to the chest during movement. The forearms are straight and short, and the shoulders themselves should not be sharp or steep. The hind limbs are prominent and covered with a network of developed muscles. They are set slightly wider than the front ones.
The thighs are large and powerful, the angles of the knee and hock joints are excellently developed. The metatarsals are very strong and grow almost vertical. The paws are short, the toes are gathered into a ball and resemble a cat's. The tail is located quite high, often docked immediately after the 3rd vertebra.
The coat is short, but very thick, and when touched it resembles a wire. The undercoat, on the contrary, is soft and pleasant. On the head, all schnauzers have the characteristic distinctive features of this breed, thanks to which it is easily recognizable. We are talking about their mustache, beard and long eyebrows. They create the impression of high birth and aristocracy .
As for color, it can be pure black or white, black with silver tan and the so-called “pepper and salt”. In the latter case, the wool is colored in a zonal color with various shades of silver and black.
Miniature Schnauzers
The Miniature Schnauzer is a medium-sized breed. Its height is from 45 to 50 cm, and its weight is 14-20 kg. This species is the ancestor of the breed.
Today, miniature schnauzers are bred according to the established international standard (FSA No. 182). In terms of external characteristics, all types of schnauzers are very similar to each other. Photos of such dogs are provided in our article.
Representatives of this breed are smart, easy to train, and energetic. In order to raise a dog from a puppy to the level of established standards, attention should be paid to the development of obedience and perseverance of the animal. A cheerful disposition and activity encourage long walks in the fresh air and regular games with the Miniature Schnauzer.
A representative of this type of breed will become not only a devoted pet, but also a worthy defender of its owners. The Miniature Schnauzer is used in cynology - they are used in military service, the Ministry of Emergency Situations and the police. Such dogs are capable of detecting narcotic and explosive substances, weapons, taking part in detaining lawbreakers, as well as in various kinds of rescue operations.
A miniature schnauzer named George became famous all over the world. He showed extraordinary abilities in medicine - this dog is able to detect the presence of malignant cells in the human body by smell.
It should also be noted that it is this type of Schnauzer breed that is most often immortalized in monuments, sculptures and paintings.
Character and content
The temperament and living conditions of the animal play a big role when choosing your own pet. Some people don’t want to spend a lot of time on training, others don’t want to spend money on large amounts of food. However, miniatures in almost all cases have only positive qualities.
- These are very smart dogs. They quickly remember commands and understand you literally at a glance. However, sometimes they are extremely capricious and capricious. For this reason, they need a confident owner who, without the use of painful punishment, can show his pet who is boss in the house,
- Miniature Schnauzers are very playful and physically active; it is advisable to devote a sufficient amount of time to walks. In this case, their claws will also wear off on their own,
- These dogs get along surprisingly well with children. They can tolerate almost all of their pranks. But strangers and strange animals are treated with suspicion,
- Coat care involves frequent trimming procedures . But on the contrary, you shouldn’t bathe these pets too often,
- Specialized premium food is ideal for feeding. If you plan to prepare food yourself, then make sure that your four-legged friend’s diet is dominated by vegetables, cereals and boiled meat.
What types of Schnauzers are there?
As already mentioned, the Schnauzer breed is represented by three types of dogs - from the largest to the smallest. And if all the purposes cannot be concentrated in one animal, then they can be successfully divided. The Giant Schnauzer, with its 70-centimeter height and 47-kilogram weight, can easily cope with guarding and protecting a cattle farm from rats, predators and two-legged criminals. By the way, the female is not inferior to the male in overall parameters.
The Miniature Schnauzer, its medium-sized, 20-kilogram brother, also cannot be denied the innate dexterity of exterminating rodents. However, with his 50-centimeter height, the dog’s work in the police and medicine is considered more important. The dog's keen sense of smell reveals hidden drugs. And finally, who can lift children’s spirits like a 4-kilogram miniature schnauzer frolicking in an apartment? He is slightly taller than a cat.
Origin story
Cocker Micro Schnauzer is the popular name for the famous German breed of Miniature Schauzer. These dogs first appeared in northern Germany in the 18th century. Their ancestors were other popular dogs - pinschers. In fact, the first schnauzers were called wire-haired pinschers, due to the coarser structure of their coat.
In terms of its purpose, this is a very versatile breed. It was used to exterminate small rodents, to protect homes, and even as shepherds. Due to their high level of intelligence and the lack of need for careful care, even ordinary villagers could easily handle them.
However, towards the middle of the 19th century, a period of industrialization began throughout Europe. Cities are growing and becoming increasingly important. For this reason, a huge number of rural residents begin to move to them in search of a better life. Many of them take their pets with them, including schnauzers. The latter are quickly noticed by the German elite and professional dog breeders.
From this moment on, they begin to be purposefully bred, improving their characteristics and appearance. During selection, 3 subtypes of the breed arose: Giant Schnauzer, Miniature Schnauzer and Miniature Schnauzer. They differ primarily in their size, and the miniatures the smallest of these (which is why they are often called dwarf or miniature schnauzers).
Varieties
The Schnauzer family includes three breeds:
- giant schnauzer (English Giant Schnauzer, German Riesenschnauzer), FCI standard No. 181 dated 03/06/2007;
- miniature schnauzer - standard (English and German Schnauzer), FCI standard No. 182 dated 03/06/2007;
- miniature schnauzer - miniature, dwarf (English: Miniature Schnauzer, German: Zwergschnauzer), FCI standard No. 183 dated 03/06/2007
Giant Schnauzer
Miniature Schnauzer
Miniature Schnauzer
Exterior
Each of the three breeds has its own official conformation standard. According to the FCI (Fédération Cynologique Internationale) classification, schnauzers of all types belong to Section 1, Group 2.
Their appearance is distinguished by high forwardness, pronounced withers, and an athletic, stocky build. The description of the Schnauzer breed contains a calling card - thick eyebrows and a long beard, which exclude any hint of frivolity.
All Schnauzer breeds have hard, elastic, bushy hair. The feathering on the legs is replaced by adjacent hair on the body. The head is relatively large, with a pronounced occipital protuberance. The muzzle is elongated, not pointed. Perhaps this is why undocked ears, hanging on cartilage, look more harmonious than truncated ones.
Giant Schnauzer
Giant Schnauzer
The weight of the largest representative of schnauzers reaches 47 kg. Despite the massiveness and stature of the animal, its posture and movements are full of elegance and grace.
When meeting a Risen, it may seem that he is extremely lazy, self-willed and completely untrainable. This is fundamentally wrong. High intelligence, hard work, activity, quick learning, sociability, perseverance, attentiveness and boundless devotion to the owner are the hallmarks of Risen. Even families with children own a Giant Schnauzer, since the pet has an easy-going disposition. In addition, he will become the best protector and friend for children. By the way, these traits are inherent in all schnauzers. Risen's photo leaves a double impression, but you shouldn't be afraid of such a dog.
Health and nutrition
As for feeding, breeders recommend adhering to a similar diet in order to raise a healthy and beautiful dog:
- Breakfast should be liquid.
- Meat and milk (dairy products) need to be alternated.
- One meal should consist of vegetables.
- Rusks made from rye flour are an integral part of the diet.
- Once your pet reaches 4 months of age, solid food should be removed from its diet.
Adult pets are fed twice a day. A week in the animal’s diet, meat dishes should be present 5 times, fish - 2 times, egg yolk - 2 times, vegetables - every day.
It is better to exclude fatty meat from the diet completely. In the warm season, meat and offal are doused with boiling water. Vegetables should be greased with vegetable oil (5 g). Among the dairy products allowed are fermented baked milk, kefir, cottage cheese, and hard cheese. These foods are essential for building a healthy skeletal system. Be sure to include boiled and deboned fish in your pet’s diet. It is desirable that these be marine fish species.
It is better to exclude smoked and sweet foods from the diet of animals. Otherwise, their use will lead to disruption of the pancreas.
A strong physique and excellent health virtually eliminate the incidence of colds. In addition, this breed is considered to be truly long-lived. An important advantage of the breed is the absence of dog smell.
