hair can be found in the best of coats. Pepper/salt coloring is unique to the breed and comes from the hairs of the topcoat being banded black and white. Shade var- ies depending on the amount of black banding on the white hairs. Faults in the pepper/salt dogs are lack of black and white banding or rust and brown color in the guard hairs.
Alert, Highly Reliable Temperament
Today’s Standard lists the following breed traits as desirable: highly developed senses, intelligence, aptitude for training, fearlessness, endurance and resistance against weather and illness. “His nature combines high-spirited temperament with extreme reliability.” In judging, it admon- ishes that, “In weighing the seriousness of a fault, greatest consideration should be given to deviation from the desired alert, highly intelligent, spirited, reliable charac- ter of the Standard Schnauzer.” As owners are quick to tell you, they love that Schnauzer temperament. Th ough judges can’t thoroughly evaluate this intangible, they should seriously fault an obvious deviation. BIO Arden and her husband Earl have owned and bred Standard Schnauzers for forty years. Th eir Pepper Tree line has produced sixty plus champions that include three AKC ranked #1 in the breed, multiple specialty winners and titlists in obedience and agility. Arden has served the Standard Schnauzer Club of America in various positions includ- ing six terms as President, fourteen years as breed columnist for the AKC Gazette and editor of the SSCA’s Source Book III . Arden currently chairs the SSCA Judges Education Committee. Thanks go to members of the SSCA Judges Edu- cation Committee for their insights and com- ments that contributed to this article. --AH
well muscled. An oval chest extends to the elbow, allowing for good heart and lung room. Th ere is a prominent proster- num (forechest) and the brisket extends back, well past the elbows. Tuck up is moderate and the loin is short and well developed. Th e body is strong and ath- letic without being coarse. Stance is four square. Viewed from the side, the front legs appear straight, in a line with the rounded end of the shoul- der. In the rear, thighs are broad and sti- fles are well bent. Rear pasterns are per- pendicular to the ground and hocks well let down. A compact cat’s foot, which favors endurance, is preferred.
ment, which in turn increases e ffi ciency of movement. Viewed from the side, movement should appear smooth and e ff ortless with good reach in front and propulsion from behind. Th e topline should remain firm and there should be no bounce nor roll from side to side. Th e croup should not appear higher than the shoulders. A Wiry, Weather-Resistent Coat Th e wire topcoat is a hallmark of the breed. Either black or pepper and salt in color, the wiry outer coat gives excellent protection from the weather. Schnauzers are double coated so they also have a soft, insulating undercoat. Grey undercoat is preferred in pepper and salt dogs, but a tan undercoat should not be faulted. Black dogs must have a black undercoat. Furnishings on the legs are somewhat longer than the coat on the body; however, they should be wiry and never so long or profuse as to detract from the working capability of the dog. Only two colors are allowed in Stan- dard Schnauzers: black and pepper and salt. Black dogs should be a deep, rich black all over, though an occasional white
Long-Strided, Efficient & Ground Covering Gait
Viewed from the front and from the rear, when the dog stands naturally, the legs should appear to form a straight col- umn of support from point of shoulder to the feet in front and from the buttocks to feet behind. At a trot, a straight visual line remains, but rather than the legs remaining parallel, the feet converge to the center of gravity, close to forming a “V.” Tracking in reduces lateral displace-
“THE WIRE TOPCOAT IS A HALLMARK OF THE BREED.”
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