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The American Miniature Schnauzer Club - Home

he Official Standard for the Miniature Schnauzer



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.

Faults: Type - toyishness, ranginess or coarseness.

SIZE, PROPORTION, SUBSTANCE
Size - From 12 to 14 inches. He is sturdily built, nearly square in proportion of body length to height with plenty of bone, and without any suggestion of toyishness.

Disqualifications: dogs or bitches under 12 inches or over 14 inches.

HEAD
Eyes - Small, dark brown and deepset. They are oval in appearance and keen in expression.

Faults: Eyes light and/or large and prominent in appearance.

Ears - When cropped, the ears are identical in shape and length with pointed tips. They are in balance with the head and not exaggerated in length. They are set high on the skull and carried perpendicularly at the inner edges, with as little bell as possible along the outer edges. When uncropped, the ears are small and V-shaped, folding close to the skull.

Head - Strong and rectangular, its width diminishing slightly from ears to eyes, and again to the tip of the nose. The forehead is unwrinkled. The topskull is flat and fairly long. The foreface is parallel to the topskull, with a slight stop, and it is at least as long as the topskull. The muzzle is strong in proportion to the skull; it ends in a moderately blunt manner, with thick whiskers which accentuate the rectangular shape of the head.

Faults: Head coarse and cheeky.

The teeth meet in a scissors bite. That is, the upper front teeth overlap the lower front teeth in such a manner that the inner surface of the upper incisors barely touch the outer surface of the lower incisors when the mouth is closed.

Faults: Bite - Undershot or overshot jaw. Level bite.

NECK, TOPLINE, BODY
Neck - Strong and well arched, blending into the shoulders, and with the skin fitting tightly at the throat.

Body - Short and deep, with the brisket extending at least to the elbows. Ribs are well sprung and deep, extending well back to a short loin. The underbody does not present a tucked up appearance at the flank. The backline is straight; it declines slightly from the withers to the base of the tail. The withers form the highest point of the body. The overall length from chest to buttock appears to equal the height at the withers.

Faults: Chest too broad or shallow in brisket. Hollow or roach back.

Tail - Set high and carried erect. It is docked only long enough to be clearly visible over the backline of the body when the dog is in proper length of coat.

Fault: Tail set too low.

FOREQUARTERS
Forelegs are straight and parallel when viewed from all sides. They have strong pasterns and good bone. They are separated by a fairly deep brisket which precludes a pinched front. The elbows are close, and the ribs spread gradually from the first rib so as to allow space for the elbows to move close to the body.

Fault: Loose elbows.

The sloping shoulders are muscled, yet flat and clean. They are well laid back, so that from the side the tips of the shoulder blades are in a nearly vertical line above the elbow. The tips of the blades are placed closely together. They slope forward and downward at an angulation which permits the maximum forward extension of the forelegs without binding or effort. Both the shoulder blades and upper arms are long, permitting depth of chest at the brisket.

Feet - Short and round (cat feet) with thick, black pads. The toes are arched and compact.

HINDQUARTERS
The hindquarters have strong-muscled, slanting thighs. They are well bent at the stifles. There is sufficient angulation so that, in stance, the hocks extend beyond the tail. The hindquarters never appear overbuilt or higher than the shoulders. The rear pasterns are short and, in stance, perpendicular to the ground and, when viewed from the rear, are parallel to each other.

Faults: Sickle hocks, cow hocks, open hocks or bowed hindquarters.

COAT
Double, with hard, wiry, outer coat and close undercoat. The head, neck, ears, chest, tail, and body coat must be plucked. When in show condition, the body coat should be of sufficient length to determine texture. Close covering on neck, ears, and skull. Furnishings are fairly thick but not silky.

Faults: Coat too soft or too smooth and slick in appearance.

COLOR
The recognized colors are salt and pepper, black and silver and solid black. All colors have uniform skin pigmentation, i.e. no white or pink skin patches shall appear anywhere on the dog.

Salt and Pepper - The typical salt and pepper color of the topcoat results from the combination of black and white banded hairs and solid black and white unbanded hairs, with the banded hairs predominating. Acceptable are all shades of salt and pepper, from the light to dark mixtures with tan shadings permissible in the banded or unbanded hair of the topcoat. In salt and pepper dogs, the salt and pepper mixture fades out to light gray or silver white in the eyebrows, whiskers, cheeks, under throat, inside ears, across chest, under tail, leg furnishings, and inside hind legs. It may or may not also fade out on the underbody. However, if so, the lighter underbody hair is not to rise higher on the sides of the body than the front elbows.

Black and Silver - The black and silver generally follows the same pattern as the salt and pepper. The entire salt and pepper section must be black. The black color in the topcoat of the black and silver is a true rich color with black undercoat. The stripped portion is free from any fading or brown tinge and the underbody should be dark.

Black - Black is the only solid color allowed. Ideally, the black color in the topcoat is a true rich glossy color with the undercoat being less intense, a soft matting shade of black. This is natural and should not be penalized in any way. The stripped portion is free from any fading or brown tinge. The scissored and clippered areas have lighter shades of black. A small white spot on the chest is permitted, as is an occasional single white hair elsewhere on the body.

Disqualifications: Color solid white or white striping, patching, or spotting on the colored areas of the dog, except for the small white spot permitted on the chest of the black. The body coat color in salt and pepper and black and silver dogs fades out to light gray or silver white under the throat and across the chest. Between them there exists a natural body coat color. Any irregular or connecting blaze or white mark in this section is considered a white patch on the body, which is also a disqualification.

GAIT
The trot is the gait at which movement is judged. When approaching, the forelegs, with elbows close to the body, move straight forward, neither too close nor too far apart. Going away, the hind legs are straight and travel in the same planes as the forelegs.

Note - It is generally accepted that when a full trot is achieved, the rear legs continue to move in the same planes as the forelegs, but a very slight inward inclination will occur. It begins at the point of the shoulder in front and at the hip joint in the rear. Viewed from the front or rear, the legs are straight from these points to the pads. The degree of inward inclination is almost imperceptible in a Miniature Schnauzer that has correct movement. It does not justify moving close, toeing in, crossing, or moving out at the elbows.

Viewed from the side, the forelegs have good reach, while the hind legs have strong drive, with good pickup of hocks. The feet turn neither inward nor outward.

Faults: Single tracking, sidegaiting, paddling in front, or hackney action. Weak rear action.

TEMPERAMENT
The typical Miniature Schnauzer is alert and spirited, yet obedient to command. He is friendly, intelligent and willing to please. He should never be overaggressive or timid.

DISQUALIFICATIONS
Dogs or bitches under 12 inches or over 14 inches. Color solid white or white striping, patching, or spotting on the colored areas of the dog, except for the small white spot permitted on the chest of the black. The body coat color in salt and pepper and black and silver fades out to light gray or silver white under the throat and across the chest. Between them there exists a natural body coat color. Any irregular or connecting blaze or white mark in this section is considered a white patch on the body, which is also a disqualification.

Approved January 25, 1991 - Effective February 27, 1991

note ther are only 3 colors of miniture schnauzer . salt and pepper, black and silver and black


any other color is a fault in the US and that dog should not be bred ,

dilutes , partis and US whites are all cross breeds or impure bloodline..

whites in Euruope ARE acceptable IF they have a clear pedigree or a White US dog traces it's partatagew back to europe.


there is no such thing as a toy schnauzer.
any undersized schnauzer are unscrupulous mutts mixes or poor geentic repersentaions of ther breed . they may be fine pets but breeding and giving money to a breeder that has purposfully bred them is highly discourages.
this grave miss judgment has a hand in destroying this nobel breed by destroying everything that makes it what it is.

see the MS code of ethics for breeders :

PREAMBLE

This Code of Ethics is intended to serve as a guide that members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club follow, recognizing their role as guardians of the breed, and having a common interest in the protection and well-being of the breed and of the individual dogs that members own and produce in their breeding programs. Implicit in membership in the American Miniature Schnauzer Club is the understanding and full acceptance of the Code of Ethics.

GENERAL CONDUCT

Members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club strive to:

1. Comply with the Rules and Regulations of the American Kennel Club (AKC), the Constitution and By-laws of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club (AMSC) and the Code of Ethics.
2. Conduct themselves in a manner that reflects positively on themselves, the breed, and the AMSC.
3. Exhibit good sportsmanship and good will at all dog-related events.
4. Make no false or misleading statements concerning the Miniature Schnauzer breed or other breeds or breeders.
5. Be responsible dog owners, treating their dogs humanely and providing them with adequate food, water, shelter, veterinary care, exercise, grooming and the socialization and training necessary for them to be good family companions.
6. Make every effort to learn about the structure, anatomy, action, inherited traits and behavior of the dog, especially where such learning applies to the Miniature Schnauzer.
7. Use the official standard of the breed when evaluating and breeding their own stock, and encourage its application in judging.
8. Participate in efforts to assess and improve the health of the individual dog and of the Miniature Schnauzer breed, including, but not limited to, participation in valid, reliable and responsible testing for hereditary diseases, providing samples and information for development of hereditary disease tests, and sharing health information with other AMSC members. Be honest, factual and not misleading or fraudulent in any written or oral statement about dogs and breeding programs, whether about their own dogs or those of others.

BREEDING

Members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club, as guardians of the breed, strive to breed conscientiously, taking responsibility for the lives they produce, including responsible placement of all puppies produced by any breeding, to ensure the safety and well-being of the individual dogs and of the breed.

Accordingly, members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club will:

1. Educate themselves to recognize the correct conformation of the Miniature Schnauzer, familiarizing themselves with the AKC breed standard and representative dogs, prior to breeding a stud dog or a brood bitch.
2. At all times breed for the improvement of the breed as exemplified by the AKC standard.
3. Breed only animals that are in good health and who are physically and temperamentally sound.
4. Strive to produce puppies of such quality that they will serve to improve and complement the breed and avoid breeding individual Miniature Schnauzers known to have, or are strongly suspected of having, a serious inherited disease or defect that will likely be passed on to offspring and that, if inherited, would significantly affect the quality of life of any offspring that would be produced.
5. Represent each puppy sold as accurately as possible.
6. Share information gained through breeding with other Miniature Schnauzer owners.
7. Act as a mentor to persons with whom they place puppies and encourage an open dialog for the life of the dog.

REGISTRATION AND SALES OR TRANSFER OF OWNERSHIP

Members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club will:

1. Sell each puppy or adult with a written health guarantee, a three-generation pedigree, a record of immunizations, care and feeding instructions, and registration papers where applicable.
2. Inform the buyer of the characteristics of Miniature Schnauzers, and make available to the novice the benefit of his advice and experience.
3. Sell any puppy or adult having a known hereditary health defect or unsound temperament only with a Limited Registration and Spay/Neuter Contract.

If a puppy is sold as a companion animal, it may be sold one of two ways:

1. On a Limited Registration.
2. On a Spay/Neuter Contract whereby the breeder may withhold AKC registration papers until receipt of proof that the puppy has been altered.

The breeder shall remain responsible for the welfare of every dog he breeds, sells or places. This means making himself available to aid the new owner if and when the need presents itself. If in the future the owner is not able to keep the dog, the owner should be instructed to contact the seller and the seller will have the responsibility either to take the dog back or find it a new home.

The breeder will not sell or dispose of any dog through pet shops, wholesalers, commercial dealers or paid agents.

HERITABLE DISEASES/CONDITIONS

Members of the American Miniature Schnauzer Club will:

1. Make a determined effort to have all breeding animals tested for the presence of all heritable diseases or conditions known to afflict Miniature Schnauzers and not breed those discovered to be affected.
2. Send a report of the adverse test results to the AMSC Health Committee.

common genetic aliments of the miniture schnauzer are :

(inherited) eye problems: Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA), retinal dysplasia, cataracts, blindness
endocrine system: pancreatitis, diabetes, hypothyroidism, Cushings disease Addison's disease and liver problems, such as hepatic shunts. Kidney problems: bladder stones and UTIs.
Skin problems are also fairly common with this breed: schnauzer bumps (schnauzer comedo syndrome), skin allergies and hot spots (usually the result of poor diet and little exercise) Mini schnauzers are frequently allergic to corn, wheat and low grade meat products. So, again, diet is very important.






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