Page 46 - ShowSight Presents The Miniature Schnauzer

croup—no roller coasters. Read careful- ly the breed standard on Tail: “Set high and carried erect. It (tail) is docked only long enough to be clearly visible over the backline of the body when dog is in proper length of coat.” The American Miniature Schnauzer Club is not one that says ‘whatever’ when it comes to tails. The breed standard says the tail is docked and describes how long the tail should be. Period. This is breed type, this is recognizing our breed. As one long time breeder put it, “(a docked tail is) the most important underlying factor in the proper evaluation of our dogs.” AKC expects judges to move and exam- ine every entry—“This includes breeds that according to their breed standard traditionally have been cropped and/ or docked and dogs entered which may have deviations from the breed stan- dard.” So after moving and examining that dog with a deviation such as an undocked tail, we expect you to respect important attributes of breed type as written in our AKC breed standard. An undocked tail should be considered a serious enough fault as to effectively remove that dog from competition at an AKC show. We’re serious.
Disqualify: Dogs or bitches under 12 inches or over 14 inches. (any age), but also keep in mind, there is no pre- ferred size, anything within that range is correct as long as you don’t see toy- ishness, ranginess or coarseness. Please measure if you have any question. It can be very difficult to visually discern a critical 1/4". It is much better to be cer- tain rather than making the mistake of putting that perhaps oversize but other- wise lovely dog at the end of the line. Size is a DQ, and we need your support in the ring.
Coat: Double coat—hard wiry outer coat, close undercoat. Texture is the most important thing. As with some of the other Terriers, it doesn’t mat- ter whether the exhibitor has “stage stripped” or “rolled” the coat, the most important thing about coat is that tex- ture on the day should be hard and wiry. To extend the coat in show con- dition, varying amounts of undercoat may have been raked out. Coat on the head, neck, chest, tail, body must be
plucked; the throat and cheeks, butt, across lower chest and under belly will be clippered; leg furnishings, beard and eyebrows will be scissored. Coat length is not important as long as the judge can determine texture.
Colors: recognized colors are salt and pepper, black and silver and solid black. Black is the only solid color allowed and a small white spot on the chest, occasional white body hairs are permissible. The Salt and Pepper coat consists of a mixture of solid black, sol- id white and banded hairs, varying from light to dark, tan shading permitted. The Black and Silver coat is the same bi- color pattern, except solid black where the salt and pepper would be, and with the difference that the underbody fur- nishings below the chest and ribcage should be dark. Judging: Watch for any white, even a narrow blaze, in colored area mid-forechest between the silvery white “bow tie” and lighter area of the throat—it’s a DQ.
Judge movement at the trot. Look for the good reach and drive of a square- built dog. No mincing, no prancing, no chin tapping front—high kicking rear. True double tracking coming and going. At a full trot, there will be a slight inward inclination beginning at the shoulder in front, the hip in the rear, but no excuse for moving closely or crossing over.
Temperament: “alert, spirited, yet obedient to command...friendly, intel- ligent and willing to please...never over aggressive or timid.” Sparring (bring- ing dogs together to look at each other, pull themselves together) usually works best with the Specials class. Puppies and bitches may just look at each other since Miniature Schnauzers often live together peacefully at home. But show a Miniature Schnauzer a rat or other var- mint and their Terrier function is alive and deadly!
Show grooming: Coats are either stage stripped out starting eight-ten weeks prior to the first shows on a cir- cuit or rolled, worked constantly. Spe- cials dogs usually have a rolled coat so they can stay in the ring, but the pat- tern of banding and texture quality can affect whether rolling coat works for an
individual dog. Stripped out dogs are shown for maybe six-eight weeks, the coat gradually “blows”, the tight Ter- rier jacket is lost, the dog goes home for several months to start all over again on coat work. It makes no sense for a judge to say something like ‘this coat is a lit- tle short, bring him back when he has more coat. First, just check texture, as there is no minimum length required, and second, it’s doubtful you’ll see that dog again on that particular coat.
Prior to the shows, the exhibitor will do the finish work—scissor furnishings, clipper throat, cheeks, ears, bottom and tummy. Show day, the exhibitor will bathe the beard and furnishings, chalk the furnishings on salt and pep- pers and black and silvers, use a mousse or gel on the furnishings of the blacks, then brush out and blow dry, followed by a light hair spray. Grooming should be done with a relatively light touch— no cloud of flying chalk when the dog does the big shake. Show grooming of furnishings is a presentation issue— Miniature Schnauzer exhibitors tend to be perfectionists, wanting to bring you a dog with every hair in place in a tai- lored tuxedo look.
THEN IT’S UP TO YOU— KEEP IN MIND:
• Square, sturdy outline
• Short, deep body
• Straight backline, declines slightly
• Flat croup with a docked erect tail
• Rectangular head, clean cheeks and
scissors bite
• Hard wiry coat in allowed
colors *DQ
• Ears cropped or not;
• Size 12"—14" *DQ
• Correct reach and drive
• Alert temperament
PROPOSED CHANGE
1. Tail: Set high and carried erect.
It is docked only long enough
to be clearly visible over the backline of the body when the dog is in proper length of coat.
A properly presented Miniature Schnauzer will have a docked tail as described; all others should be severely penalized.
2. Color: The recognized colors are Allowed colors: salt and pepper, black and silver and solid black and the nose must be solid black.
3. Disqualifications: Color solid white Dogs not of an allowed color or white striping, patching, or spot- ting on the colored areas of the dog..... Nose any color other then solid black.
4. Nose any color other than solid black.
“FRIENDLY, INTELLIGENT AND WILLING TO PLEASE...
NEVER OVER AGGRESSIVE OR TIMID.”
288 • SHOWSIGHT MAGAZINE, MAY 2018