Schnauzer: description of the breed and the nuances of the content

There are a large number of dog breeds. Among the hundreds of species, the schnauzer stands out with very good qualities. As in many other species, the past of the schnauzer is very instructive.

Similar in appearance to the dogs are found in the paintings of Albrecht Dürer and Cranach the Elder. But experts believe that the most ancient ancestors of this breed lived already 5-6 thousand years ago. The Schnauzer, a so-called peat dog, inhabited the space of modern Germany even earlier than the construction of most Egyptian pyramids. From peat dogs mitteli took an elongated and massive skull. But, of course, on the way to the modern species, the breed has changed significantly.

When this happened a lot of interbreeding hybridization. The prevailing version says that the schnauzer turned out when crossing:

• hard haired pinschers;
• gray wolfspitz;
• German poodles.

But not all experts agree with this hypothesis. There are assumptions according to which schnauzers crossed with:

• griffon;
• terrier;
• pug dog

In any case, there is no doubt that mittelschnauzer as an independent species of dogs appeared quite late. Initially, they were classified as hard-haired Pinschers, because the dogs were covered with coarse wire-like fur. The name “stable pinchers” was widely spread, since these animals were considered rat catchers suitable for stables.

The year 1879 is important in this story, marked by the victory of one of the individuals at the Hannover exhibition. The very next year, the official appearance standard was introduced. The club of breeding schnauzers appears in 1921, however, ordinary pinschers were also bred in the same club. In the United States, mittels were seen in the early twentieth century. What is curious, the American experts at first considered these dogs terriers. And only by the mid-1940s the situation changed dramatically. In our country mittelshnautsery began to be used on a large scale since the late 1970s.

Initially, the animals had pepper color, and only in the next decade did black dogs appear.

The most important thing in the breed is that the schnauzer is that it occupies an intermediate place: the Giant Schnauzer is larger, and the Miniature Schnauzer, respectively, smaller. Actually, “mittel” translated from German just means “average” size of a dog. Adults "average" at 0.2 m below rizenov and about 0.15 m above the tsvergov. However, all this strongly depends on the specifics of specific individuals.

The skull box of mittelschnauzer is large and elongated. Occiput is relatively small, and forehead flattened. The muzzle is close in shape to the wedge. It ends in a blunt part and has a well-marked stop. A feature of all mittelshnautserov is the large size of the teeth. The jaws look impressive and close, forming a scissor bite. Clean breeds have a nose with a massive lobe and nostrils wide open.

Because of these anatomical nuances, the sense of smell in an animal is significantly improved.The lobes can be colored only black - any other color is considered a deviation from the standard. Oval-shaped dark eyes are straight. He looks at the pet openly and with obvious curiosity about everything, and is interested in the affairs around him.

The mittschnauzer ears have a triangular configuration. They hang on cartilage. But in Russia, the practice of cupping and artificial ear formation prevails. Because they often stand up straight and resemble a pointed triangle. The dog's neck contains relatively few muscles and is relatively small in thickness. The nape of the mittel puppies is clearly visible.

The skin on the neck and throat is stretched very tightly, it should not be normal folds and wrinkled areas. The body is rectangular on top slightly sloping. The back part is short, but strong. The lumbar structure is folded firmly and deep. The chest part of the body of the middle schnauzers is deep and wide, it is clearly visible that it protrudes forward.

The legs of the animal are straight, their position is of moderate width. Located behind the limbs of the mittels, they are pulled to the side of the tail, the shoulder blades are tightly pressed against the sternum, and the elbows against the body. The femoral parts of the limbs of dogs are elongated, muscular. The legs extended in length are sated with veins, hock joints have connections with optimum corners.

In standard characteristics mittelshnautserov note that they have short arched paws. The tail resembles a crescent or a sickle. Its length does not make any impression of unnaturalness. Recent requirements in European countries imply the refusal of tail docking. Practitioners who practice such a measure are deprived of the opportunity to send their pets to exhibitions.

In our country, arresting is still allowed. Because most breeders continue to resort to it. The mittschnauzer coat is hard and coarse. Under it lies a dense undercoat, spine has a normal length. Fit spine to the skin is quite tight.

The hair on the forehead and near the ears is extremely short. The muzzle and eyebrows are decorated with long strands.

There are only two corresponding medium-sized Schnauzer standards for canine standards - black and salt with pepper. The second option is a multiton formed by a set of silver, gray and steel colors. In our country and in most other countries of the world, black and pepper varieties of mittels are bred and set apart from each other. At the same time, in England and the USA the practice is completely opposite.

White individuals are not officially exhibited anywhere. Violations that lead to the removal of the animal from the exhibition or to the deprivation of prizes are:

• too short or elongated limbs;
• elbow reversal;
• wide bone;
• cow feet;
• atypical growth (deviation from the limits of the permissible norm to a greater or lesser side of more than 0.03 m).

Disqualification during the competition may also be due to:

• misbehavior;
• inappropriate color;
• non-standard bite;
• other deviations from the breed format.

The two-month Schnauzer “boy” has a height at the withers of at least 0.28 m. Its weight should be at least 4 kg. In the "girls", these figures are less. Adult animals weigh between 12 and 20 kg.

Any mittelshnautser is a real "universal". He will be able to fulfill the role:

• energetic companion (accompanying);
• snoopers;
• bold lifeguard.

This combination of qualities, especially given the innate distrust of strangers, allows the use of mittels as guards. They have an almost absolute memory for faces, which helps to distinguish those who have come into the house or simply approaching on the street. Even clever disguise and makeup often do not help attackers.But it is important to understand something else - the pet is smart and cunning, also in communication with the owners. During training, and sometimes after its completion, the animal uses every opportunity to conduct its interest.

Impressive intellectual achievements of the breed, for which it is so praised, do not manifest themselves from nature - they will have to be developed. The schnauzer builds up his mental abilities throughout his life, and the frequency and quality of communication with the hosts plays a big role in this process. The breed is also characterized by a tendency to hobbies, heightened emotionality. Any business in which the dog is engaged absorbs its attention without a trace. Having won the love and adoration of the beast, you need to be prepared for the fact that these feelings will manifest violently.

Sometimes it happens unexpectedly or at the most inappropriate moment. But you should not be angry about it. Animals are unobtrusive and understand perfectly what the owners need, what they require of them. If the owner makes it clear that he is not ready to show affection at this moment, he will be left alone. However, such hints should not be abused.

Vain using your dissatisfaction, you can only push away from your pet and set him against himself. Paradoxically, the adoration of the owners does not block the desire of the dog to take a leading position and dominate people. Mittels are able to verify the authority of family members and even their heads by any means you like. High intelligence only makes attempts of this kind more sophisticated. Sometimes the only slack, momentary weakness of the average schnauzer is enough for him to consistently push the owners farther and farther away.

Special attention deserves such a topic as mitteli and children. Dogs don't value babies too much. They are willing to loyally and condescendingly, from the position of the patron, to treat weaker creatures. Mere leprosy will be forgiven, but lack of respect or pain will quickly bring about “punishment.” It is better for small children to explain in advance that they should not grab an animal by the “beard” or climb their hands in a bowl with food.

The average schnauzer is rated by dog ​​handlers very highly. This is a universal working breed that easily adapted to life in a large city. Of the positive features of these animals, they note:

• fidelity;
• external beauty;
• high intelligence;
• unique style in appearance and behavior;
• ability to protect home from all sorts of dangers.

Average schnauzers are complex in nature. Those traits that are often referred to as positive can actually have negative consequences. Animals rarely get sick and live long (an average of 14 years). However, the owners must prepare themselves to provide their pets with active leisure. The usual slow walk on a leash will not allow them to lose excess energy. Be sure to load the dog exercise.

If you are going to use pets for exhibitions at exhibitions, people should clearly understand that then you cannot do without professional grooming. It is impossible to bring animals in order and maintain their pleasant appearance. But if the exhibition activity is not fundamental, then this requirement can be safely ignored. In addition, mittels fit very well into the dimensions of an ordinary city apartment, without losing compliance with the service standard. Balanced and generally friendly, without excessive aggressiveness, the character can only be welcomed.

The German Bearded Man is pragmatic and knows how to show a sense of humor. In any family, he quickly becomes an equal member, while taking a clearly defined position. Good health (provided proper care and vaccination) allows almost no fear of problems. Wool at mittels does not shed and the breed is recommended for allergy sufferers.

Lovers of the breed indicate that mittelschnauzer has no characteristic smell of dogs. Since the hard spine and dense undercoat do not absorb moisture, the dog can walk in relatively bad weather. Owners also note the patience and diligence of their pets. If the educational process is adjusted correctly, you can achieve almost any level in training. The excitement of animals makes things a little more difficult, but the regularity of training and the composure of trainers help to cope with it.

As for negative behavioral traits, they are largely subjective, or even say so - situational. Mistrust of "strangers" and the desire for leadership at any cost can be both harmful and useful. To cope with the increased dominance of the presence of humor helps the owners. And increased suspicion and some wariness are very important when the dog is attracted to the guard duty. But there are undoubted shortcomings - long maturation and excessive excitement, zealous behavior, incompatibility with cats.

Thanks to the powerful intelligence, the average Schnauzer will solve the learning tasks very easily. The problem is the frequent lack of readiness (or rather, reluctance) of dogs to solve these problems. That is why the involvement of animals in the learning process is of great importance when building a training program. As soon as they get tired of monotonously performing monotonous commands, a way will be found immediately to evade this business. And the experience of many people shows that no intellectual superiority of man over his pet helps to overcome such tricks.

Education and socialization should go hand in hand from the first days when puppies begin to move independently. Any training lesson should be conducted consistently and brought to a logical end. Retraining, even with the assistance of experienced dog experts, is almost impossible.

No matter how much a pet looks, it is impossible to allow him to perform tasks incompletely or partially. The slightest manifestation of aggression towards the owner or other household should be immediately stopped.

When the dog gets stronger and becomes stronger, his powerful teeth will really torment the owners. And even at an early age a puppy can be quite a serious danger. Even the owner is at risk, to which dogs in their normal state show reverence. The earliest sign of such a “rage” would be a glassy look.

Excessive enthusiasm of the puppy, because of which he concentrates too much on the game and begins to smash the dwelling, should be suppressed. But while this punishment should not be excessively harsh. An excited little animal will stop a light slap with a sneaker, and sometimes there is enough of a loud shout. It does not make any sense to use more physical force in relation to an angry middle-class schnauzer. This could cause serious injury to the animal.

In addition, during a struggle or passionate game, the pain receptors are turned off or dramatically increase the threshold of sensitivity. Therefore, susceptibility to pain signals is almost or even completely absent. As “admonition”, such a measure will not work. But it can work as a provocation response aggression.

There is no point in punishment some time after the offense. With all his mind the mittelshnautser still remains an animal. Logical thinking, linking the act of the owner and what he himself did 30-40 minutes ago, the dog does not know how. When the little schnauzer has to be left unattended in the house, you need to give him more toys. They must be diverse, otherwise quickly bored pet.

Categorically it is impossible to acquire representatives of this breed for training children in elementary training skills.. Because of the genetically inherent desire for leadership, the dog will not obey the "lower creatures" (these include children). It is impossible to postpone a long time acquaintance with street conditions, with other dogs. At 7-8 months, the pet should already calmly react to its peers, to the noise of traffic or a thick crowd.

But we must remember that a schnauzer will not be able to perform guard duties if he has been introduced to a large number of people since childhood. It is also strictly forbidden to feed the dog with various delicacies (even if good friends do it).

In relation to completely unfamiliar people, there should be a clear balance between excessive gullibility and total suspicion. Preparing to represent your animal at the exhibition, you need to develop the ability to tolerate the touch of strangers. This is achieved by frequent massage and combing. It is very good if your acquaintances participate in such work.

The question is how many schnauzers have lived for how many years, interests all potential owners. On average, the life span of this breed is 14-16 years. But sometimes it grows to 18 years. To achieve this, you will have to take care of:

• about leaving;
• nutrition;
• maintaining the necessary activity of the dog.

Since the average schnauzers have a hard coat, it is impossible to do without regular plucking. Trimming is carried out twice or thrice a year, in the spring and autumn months. The first procedure of this kind should be carried out in 4 months. Wool maturation occurs in 4-6 months, for each animal, this indicator is individual. When there is a goal to participate in the exhibition, you need to have a haircut 6-8 weeks before it.

Grooming in dogs whose hair grows slowly can be carried out 10-12 weeks before the desired date. But at the same time and no need to hurry. When trimming is carried out more than 3 months before the show, the awn will over-develop. During the regrowth of the coat, it is necessary to pinch the undercoat repeatedly. Otherwise, it will grow faster than the awn, and the appearance will be ruined.

Trimming is best done by experienced craftsmen. Especially complicated haircut head. To work will require:

• special trimming knife;
• hairbrush;
• hairdresser's scisors;
• machine.

It’s not necessary to take a knife ready - they often make it with their own hands. To do this, use a piece of blade hacksaw, wrapped with electrical tape, or the blade from a dull table knife. But the need for a typewriter is not always. Many masters successfully cost one hand scissors.

Use very sharp scissors should only professionals. Without sufficient experience, it is easy to hurt the dog. The comb should be metal, with frequent teeth. Trimming lead from top to bottom, from head to tail. The removal of wool should be carried out only in small areas.

After finishing trimming, the pet turns out to be completely naked, so in cold weather it will have to be carried in a carry. The remaining hair is removed by the machine. Wool must be trimmed again 10-14 days before the show.

Puppies need to stop ears only with the help of a surgeon. Only a skilled specialist can do everything beautifully and competently. A dog can only be sent for surgery when the vaccination quarantine ends. And one more thing: not always shortened auricles immediately rise as it should. Sometimes you have to hold a massage and even glue the ear.

Despite the seeming simplicity, this is quite a serious surgical intervention. Therefore it is necessary strictly follow the instructions of doctors. Once a day, the sutures are treated with disinfectants. You can not allow the appearance of crusts on the seams, because of them rotting, baldness begins. Pet may perceive the treatment of the wound surface with indignation, but all his yelps can be safely ignored.

For the most part, this is just an attempt to scare off enemies. Care of cropped ears does not provoke any unbearable pain. If the ears do not stop, they still have to take care of them. It will be necessary to more frequently evaluate their condition and carry out preventive cleaning. Lifting and laying the ears back eliminate with the help of massage and gluing.

The maintenance of a schnauzer should be as comfortable as possible for him. Animal needs in a large enough free space. There it will be able to show its physical activity without hindrance. Connoisseurs and professional dog experts say that washing their paws should be done after any walking. At the same time select small mote.

When the schnauzer eats, the hair on his face that decorates it inevitably gets dirty. Therefore, after each meal, this part of the wool will have to be wiped and cleaned. Bathing is carried out monthly, while necessarily using shampoos and balms for hard hair. To maximize the effect, the detergent compositions are diluted with water in the ratio of 1 to 1. The washed dog is soaked with a towel made of cotton fabric and dried with a hairdryer.

Walking average schnauzer will have twice a day. One time they are walking when there is a fenced plot near the house. The first exit to the street can occur 14 days after the first vaccination. For too long, the animals kept in the four walls are not socialized enough and are not very accustomed to the street.

Even long-term veterinary studies did not allow to unequivocally establish what is best for the schnauzer - homemade food or factory food. The final choice will have to do the owners themselves. Pets react equally well to any products, as long as they are of high quality. Natural food is selected in such a way as to saturate the dog's body with essential amino acids. In addition, you will need to spend more on supplements of vitamins and minerals.

The optimal diet of schnauzers contains:

• lean meats;
• offal;
• sea ​​fish;
• cereal cereals;
• greenery;
• vegetables;
• boiled eggs (once a week);
• dairy products.

Meat can only be given raw, pre-cut into pieces. For puppies cut it into smaller pieces. Categorically you can not grind it into minced meat. Birds bones are useless too. At the same time, the brain calf bones will definitely please the pets and will benefit them.

It is quite possible to feed the dog with one dry food. You can add food to it only after a certain time interval. After a meal before the issuance of an apple or carrot should be 2.5-3 hours. Excess plant food can affect the dog's body negatively. Daily produce the same fruit should not be categorically.

In evaluations of owners of schnauzers it is often noted that they look original. It is difficult to confuse this dog with other breeds. Other positive qualities that are commonly referenced are intelligence and extraordinary courage. But from the opinions of dog handlers and breeders, some negative points should be mentioned. Among them, especially pay attention to the waywardness and fastidiousness in food.

High activity of animals can cause inconvenience to those who are very limited in time, get tired at work or often go on business trips. However, there is also a positive side - there are mentions that such dogs can become the center of attraction in the company.

Often referred also to multifunctional breed. And to keep the middle schnauzers not too difficult compared to other dogs.

Picking up puppies, you can pay attention to the overall compliance of the appearance and the requirements of the standard. Any other details do not matter. The unpredictability of schnauzers is that even experienced professionals rarely guess the prospects for two-month puppies. Success is achieved by those owners who pay attention to the reactions of animals. The best are those individuals who immediately behave boldly and curiously, show a desire to make contact.

On the features of the breed mini-schnauzer, see the following video.