All About
Standard Schnauzer

For people who aren't prepared to walk several times a day, the Schnauzer is not the right choice. For active people, he makes an excellent companion, as his daily activity requirements are moderate to high. Walking, or jogging are good ways to keep Schnauzers physically fit, and enrolling them in agility training can keep their minds sharp. Proper exercise not only keeps Standard Schnauzers physically fit, but it also helps maintain a steady temperament. High-strung Schnauzers are probably not getting enough exercise.

It is important to keep your Schnauzer's mind active, as well. They are intelligent dogs who bore easily, and when bored, they can become destructive. Agility or advanced obedience creates “thinking time” as well as extra bonding time with family.

The Standard Schnauzer should do well on a high-quality dog food, whether commercially manufactured or home-prepared with your veterinarian’s supervision and approval. Any diet should be appropriate to the dog’s age (puppy, adult, or senior). Some dogs are prone to getting overweight, so watch your dog’s calorie consumption and weight level. Treats can be an important aid in training, but giving too many can cause obesity. Learn about which human foods are safe for dogs, and which are not. Check with your vet if you have any concerns about your dog’s weight or diet. Clean, fresh water should be available at all times.

Standard Schnauzers require regular grooming. Washing beards and leg furnishings, dental care, keeping foreign materials from between foot pads, and nail trims are weekly tasks. SS have a double coat; if the harsh, wiry outer coat is clippered instead of hand-stripped, it loses its dirt-, bramble-, and water resistance, which results in more dirt and shedding of hair in the house. Clippering the coat also makes the coat soft, and each clippering lightens the coat color. Once a coat has been hand-stripped, it can be maintained over a long period of time simply by regular brushing and plucking out long hairs.

The Standard Schnauzer is an adaptable dog and can live as comfortably in a city apartment as on a country farm, provided he gets enough exercise each day. Whatever his environment, he should live in the home with his people. A fenced yard is highly recommended for these dogs, who has been known to jump a six-foot fence.The Standard Schnauzer needs at least an hour of vigorous activity every day. He's a high-energy dog, and should be walked briskly a minimum of three times a day, about 20 minutes each time. Or you could take him for two half-hour walks. Other good forms of exercise for this breed include swimming, playing fetch or Frisbee, and hiking.Begin training when your Standard Schnauzer is young, and continue to reinforce lessons throughout his life. He requires a trainer who's patient, firm, and consistent and he responds best to positive reinforcement techniques such as food rewards, praise, and play.Although he's intelligent and wants you to be happy, his idea of how things should be may outweigh any desire to please.

Major concerns: none
Minor concerns: CHD, follicular dermatitis
Occasionally seen: none
Suggested tests: hip
Life span: 12-14 years

The Standard Schnauzer has a long history in his homeland of Germany. Based on paintings by Renaissance artists Rembrandt and Albrecht Durer, as well as a tapestry created in 1501 by Lucas Cranach the Elder, it's evident dogs of this type have existed for several centuries.Schnauzers were used to guard farm families and livestock, herd cattle and sheep, get rid of vermin, and protect their owners as they traveled to market.German breeders took an interest in standardizing this breed in the mid-1800s. At that time, crosses were made with the gray Wolfspitz and black German Poodles to produce the distinctive texture and color of the breed's hair. At around the same time, Standard Schnauzers were crossed with other breeds to develop first the Miniature Schnauzer and later, the Giant Schnauzer.In their early years and until the late 1800s, Standard Schnauzers were called Wirehaired Pinschers. They were first exhibited at the Third German International Show in Hanover in 1879, and the first-prize winner was a dog named Schnauzer. A breed standard was written in 1880 and the first specialty show was held at Stuttgart in 1890 with an entry of 93 dogs.By 1900, the breed was becoming known as the Schnauzer, thought to be both a reference to the breed's unique muzzle (for which the German word is schnauze), which sports a beard and mustache, and to the name of the first winner in the show ring. The Bavarian Schnauzer Klub was formed in Munich in 1907.During World War I, the dogs were used to carry dispatches and aid Red Cross workers. They were also used in Germany for police work.Records indicate that some Standard Schnauzers were brought to the U.S. in the early 1900s by families who immigrated here, and by world travelers who fell in love with the breed in Germany. The breed wasn't imported in great numbers, however, until after World War I.The Schnauzer Club of America was formed in 1925. In 1933, the club split to form the Standard Schnauzer Club of America (SSCA) and the American Miniature Schnauzer Club.At first, the breed was classified as a terrier in the U.S., which is how the Miniature Schnauzer continues to be organized. But Germans always regarded the Schnauzer as a working dog. So in 1945, the AKC reclassified the Standard Schnauzer and placed it in the Working group. Today, the Standard Schnauzer ranks 99th among the 155 breeds and varieties recognized by the AKC.