THE STANDARD’S STANDARD
The eyebrows, mustache, and beard are called the "hallmark of the breed." They are like the signpost out front, announcing that here comes a Schnauzer. The coat texture is also considered a hallmark, and coat tex- ture is very important. Ideally, the topcoat should be tight, hard, wiry, and as thick as possible. The hairs of the topcoat have a stiff, wire-like texture, and they “lift” slightly off the back. They are maintained by hand-plucking. Underneath that wiry exterior is a soft undercoat that acts as insu- lation. Pepper and salt dogs ideally have a gray undercoat, but a tan-colored under- coat is allowed. Black dogs have a black undercoat. Furnishings on the legs are usually longer than the coat on the body, in part, because they are scissor-trimmed rather than stripped. The breed standard states that although usually longer than the body coat, furnishings should not be so long that they detract from the working capability of the dog Pepper and Salt Color? To get an idea of this, just sprinkle a bit of coarsely ground salt and black peppercorns on a piece of grey paper and you'll get a sense of the look. The color you see in pepper and salt dogs comes from the hairs in the topcoat that are banded black and white. Nearly every hair has a band of both colors, and the overall shade of the coat is determined by the pro- portion of black to white and on the posi- tion of the bands on the hairs. To allow a closer look at the breed stan- dard, the Standard Schnauzer Club of America's approved Judges Study Guide is available on the AKC website. To locate it, Google “AKC Judges’ Study Guides.” (A blue banner with this heading will appear.) Scroll down past the Group listing and three other headings to the complete, alphabetical list of AKC recognized breeds. Under Stan- dard Schnauzers are several options. Click on Judges Education Seminar. A note to judges: In years past, the Standard Schnauzer was always examined on the floor or ground. A judge may now request that they be examined on a ramp.
Pepper and Salt Coat = Banded Hairs-Black and White
ABOUT ARDEN COE HOLST Arden Coe Holst, with her husband, Earl, has been an owner/breeder/exhibitor of Standard Schnauzers for over forty years. During that time, their home has never been without Schnauzers in residence. Though they have been relatively small volume breeders, their “Pepper Tree” line has produced numerous AKC Champions, plus Obedience, Agility, Herding, and Tracking titleists. Included among them are three AKC #1 Ranked Standard Schnauzers, National Specialty, Group, and Best in Show winners. As a member of the Standard Schnauzer Club of America, Arden has served in various positions, including six terms as President, 14 years as Columnist for the AKC Gazette, and Editor of The Standard Schnauzer, SSCA Source Book III . Arden currently chairs the SSCA Judges’ Education Committee.
252 | SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, FEBRUARY 2022
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