Standard schnauzer

A medium-sized Standard schnauzer is a very spontaneous and “kidish” dog until late in life. It has a rough coat that requires salt or black pepper and requires trimming or cutting. Very smart, active, inquisitive, distrustful of strangers.

Nature

All schnauzer varieties have a strong personality, inexhaustible energy, intelligence and loyalty. It is believed that medium-sized people have a greater temperament than giants, but are less excitable than miniatures.

Medium Schnauzer is an excellent family dog, easy to contact and strongly attached to the owner. Ill tolerates loneliness and requires human closeness. It feels best at home with a garden, but it can not be insulated in a pen. He adapts to life in the apartment, if he is provided with regular movement and occupation – he can be devastating and bored.

He loves to retrieve, run by bike (trainings can be started only with a one-year-old dog) and swim. If he discharges energy on walks, he is usually calm and easy at home.

Dogs of this breed have excellent contact with children. They are understanding, spontaneous and always willing to mischief – but joint games should take place under the watchful eye of adults.

Medium-sized dogs are generally tolerant of other dogs and do not start brawls; sometimes there can only be quarrels between foreign males. They also get along well with other four-legged household members. Sometimes they run after a foreign cat or birds, so you have to be careful of them and do not allow them to travel alone.

Schnauzers are good guards. Alert and courageous by nature, they will react to any suspicious situation or murmur behind the door. Although they are distrustful of strangers, they do not behave aggressively and deter them only with loud barking.

Skills

Today, these are primarily family and guard dogs. Their wonderful sense of smell is also used to detect drugs, explosives and even skin cancers. They are great at obedience (PT – companion dog), tracking (PTT – companion and tracking dog) courses and in dog sports – obedience, agility or flyball.

Standard schnauzer. Training and education

Medium Schnauzer is an intelligent dog, but at the same time stubborn and quite independent. Learning is easy for him if he has fun at the same time. Training him requires consistency, varied exercises and positive stimuli. Strength methods will not work – he will refuse to cooperate.

The temperament and independent character of schnauzers can sometimes be difficult to control, especially for males. You can’t let them rule at home, that’s why they require a firm but cordial treatment and socialization from a puppy. Dog nursery school classes give good results, especially if the owners are less experienced. Poorly raised mediums can be a nuisance to the environment.

Who is this race for?

Medium schnauzer is suitable both for families with children and for lonely people. It is a suitable companion for an active, resolute owner, ready to devote a lot of time to the dog.

Standard schnauzer. Advantages and disadvantages

Disadvantages

• sometimes stubborn
• a puppy left alone can grow into a wayward dog

Advantages

• attached to owner
• cheerful and spontaneous
• likes to work with people
• enjoys good health
• watchful watchman
• suitable for dog sports
• due to the type of coat, it works as an allergic dog

Standard schnauzer. Health

Dogs of this breed are very hardy and generally enjoy good health. Occasionally eye diseases such as progressive retinal atrophy (PRA) and cataracts may occur. Cancer occurs in old age. You should regularly check their ears and take care of dental hygiene.

Feeding

Schnauzer is not picky. Satisfy yourself with good dry food for medium breeds. You can also eat it in a traditional way, preparing meals consisting of meat, rice and vegetables. Of course, they must be supplemented with calcium and vitamin preparations.

Care

Schnauzer hair requires trimming (plucking of dead hair) every 3-4 months.

It takes a bath if necessary in shampoo for dogs with hard hair, e.g. for terriers; on the chin, stomach and limbs, a conditioner must be applied to prevent the formation of tangles.

A properly groomed dog can be combed once a week, moistening the coat with water or a special conditioner beforehand, which prevents hair breakage.

History

The medium schnauzer – like his brothers: giant schnauzer and miniature schnauzer – is probably derived from rural dogs that have lived in what is now Germany and Switzerland for centuries. Their likenesses appeared in paintings from the 16th and 17th centuries.

These small quadrupeds belonged mainly to stables and coachmen, which is why they often accompanied carriages and stagecoaches. Their task was to stimulate horses to run, warn against robbers and exterminate rodents in stables – due to this last occupation they were called pinscher grooms.

Initially, these four-legged dogs differed in coat color and structure, but in 1836 it was decided to systematize them and were divided into short-haired pinschers (including Doberman) and rough-haired ones.

In the 1840s, rough-haired pinschers began to be called schnauzers (from the German die Schnauze – snout, beard). The first organization of breed lovers and breeders – Pinscher Schnauzer Verband – was founded in 1895; in 1921 it was renamed the Pinscher Schnauzer Club.

Probably the modern medium schnauzer arose from the intersection of the aforementioned rural dogs with the wolfdog and the rough-haired terrier. While you can almost be sure that the first breed has its share in the creation of the medium schnauzer (due to the color of pepper and salt), they are divided as to the second sentence – but this is indicated by the great hunting passion and temperament of the medium-sized.

The black ointment was probably obtained as a result of a cross with a black and tan toy terrier, but it could also have arisen as a result of selection. In the 1870s, Georg Gallen and Leonard Kohn contributed to the solidification of pepper and salt.

Standard schnauzer. Template

Medium Schnauzer – II group FCI, section 1.1, reference number 182

• Country of origin:  Germany
• Primary use:  country dog ​​for rodent control and guarding
• Character:  dog of high temperament, cheerful, smart, inquisitive, energetic and confident; sensitive, strongly attached to the owner, tolerates loneliness and lack of interest; vigilant watchman, distrustful of strangers, but showing no unjustified aggression; active and very durable, it is difficult to get tired
• Size:  withers height 45-50 cm (+/- 2 cm); dog growth closer to the upper limit, bitches lower
• Coat: The  coat is rough, hard and thick all over the body, it cannot be raised or wavy; on the muzzle creates a typical long, hard beard, and bushy eyebrows above the eyes; soft and thick undercoat
• Color:  pepper and salt and black
• Reaching puberty:  1.5-2 years
• Lifespan:  13-15 years
• Molting:  Does not molt if trimmed regularly
• Activity:  medium; I need regular walks and fun
• Training: dog kindergarten recommended; you can train in basic obedience (PT) and tracking (PTT); suitable for dog sports – obedience, agility, flyball
• Vulnerability to training:  high; intelligent dog, willingly works with people; it requires positive stimuli and a gentle approach – it does not tolerate strength methods well
• Attitude towards children:  very friendly
• Attitude towards other dogs:  friendly, likes to play together and does not start fights; males tend to dominate
• Weather  resistance: resistant
• Apartment:  can live anywhere, but is not suitable for a playpen
• Preparation for exhibitions:  requires proper preparation of clothing (trimming and cutting), which must be started a few weeks before the exhibition
• First in Poland: the second half of the 1960s.
• Possibility of buying a puppy:  there is probably no problem buying

Interesting facts

Of the three sizes of schnauzers (miniature, medium and giant), it is the medium schnauzer that is the prototype of the others, the miniature and giant are derived from it.

Medium-sized schnauzers were used by the German army as messengers during the war.