The official and accepted Miniature Schnauzer colors
Germany is the country of origin of the Miniature Schnauzer breed. Germany’s Pinscher Schnauzer Club recognizes four acceptable Schnauzer colors:
• Black
• Pepper and Salt
• Black and Silver
• White
Ironically, the US, Canadian, British and Australian Kennel Clubs decided to ignore German guidelines and establish their own criteria for judging the Miniature
Schnauzer.
For example, none of them regard the White Miniature Schnauzer as an acceptable show quality color and in Britain, even Black and Silver is not accepted!
Why?
Well, the Breed Standards were set by people, not God! A group of enthusiasts simply decided they liked this or that and thus "outlawed" any "off" color.
Actually, while Salt and Pepper was quickly standardized, even Black, and Black and Silver were not readily accepted at first.
However, though you can’t compete in the Confirmation Show ring with dogs bearing other colors, many unofficial colors are still “acceptable” in registered
purebreds, and dogs of such colors can compete in other Kennel Club competitions such as agility and obedience.
In addition to the official colors mentioned above the accepted AKC registered colors in the US are:
• White
• Chocolate or Liver (Brown)
• Parti (which is white with patches of another color)
• Black and Tan
• Chocolate or Liver and Tan
• Liver and Pepper
• Silver or Platinum
You’ll also occasionally hear mention of “Phantom” coloring, which (unofficially, of course!) describes dogs with very pale, almost white furnishings, of any of the
following colors: Black and silver, Chocolate or Liver and Tan, or Black and Tan. Another unofficial term often used is "Platinum" which is used to describe a very
light Salt and Pepper in which the pepper is nearly non-existent with the occasional exception of brown banded hair behind the ears.
NOTE: When registering these accepted colors with AKC you must attach full color photos (front & side views) of the dog to it's
registration application!
Obviously, breeders breeding for the show ring do all they can to eradicate the non-official colors from their lines. This has led to an unfortunate attitude of “color-
prejudice” against these colors within such circles.
While dogs of these colors are disqualified from the Miniature Schnauzer confirmation show ring, such dogs are still recognized
as purebreds and registered by the AKC (American Kennel Association).
Where Did All These Colors Come From?
As with all current registered breeds, the miniature schnauzer too was originally produced by people through introducing other
breeds bloodlines and breeding the best offspring for size. Since this occurred many, many years ago these are the lines which
are registered by AKC.
Given the many breeds that were used to down-size the Standard Schnauzer to produce the first Miniatures (with the exact breeds used initially still not
completely identified), it’s not surprising that “non-official” colors have appeared in the breed. Indeed, varying shades of Liver or Chocolate were prominent in the
early days of the breed.
At least one dog from the first litter recorded in the Miniature Schnauzer studbook was “gelb” – German for yellow – i.e. A brown based dog with pale (dilute)
pigment deposition. Other pale (dilute) pigment depositions are the red (brown based) and blue (black based).
“Parti” colors too, commonly cropped up in these early litters, and were also recorded from a pair of black dogs belonging to the Abbagamba Kennel in Germany
in 1929, and again from a mating of two Salt and Pepper dogs in the USA.
So, while they can’t compete in the Confirmation Show Ring, there is nothing wrong with the other colors as many like to argue. They are 100% purebred
Schnauzer, and can be duly registered.
Further, the Parti and other colors are extremely "old blood", found in most of the early lines.
Miniature Schnauzer Colors
Miniature Schnauzers come in two basic colors genetically – either black (with a black skin) or liver (with a brown skin).
Then there’s the true White Miniature Schnauzer which is genetically a dog with the color turned “off” ("masked") so that it has white hair and pink skin. A white
schnauzer is “masking” for either black or liver. If liver is “masked” the dog will have a brown nose, brown footpads and light eyes (usually hazel green) and is
commonly known as a white chocolate.
Banded
Banded (pepper) describes the default color of the Schnauzer. When no other genes are at play, a banded color is the result.
Therefore it is the most common Miniature Schnauzer color.
Banded coloring in the more common (and genetically dominant) black based dogs produces the Salt and Pepper and in the brown based dogs, the Liver Pepper.
The Salt and Pepper has banded hairs in shades of gray to black with lighter silver furnishings on the eyebrows, beard, legs, and under the tail.
This color can range from a very pale silver dog to a very dark nearly black dog. In the Liver Pepper the tones are identical but in shades of liver.
One Color
The gene that codes for the “one color” appearance is dominant to the banded color.
Schnauzers that are genetically one color are black if they are genetically black based, or liver if they are brown based.
The Black Schnauzer is completely black, and has no banded hairs on it but may have a little white, on the chest, for example (though this is not desirable in the
Show Ring).
And similarly the Liver is completely brown but can have some small white bits also. Dogs with these white markings are sometimes referred to as having "parti
markers" if parti is in their close background.
Because some Schnauzers also carry genes that code for fading- either all over or just in specific places - dogs that are genetically the same one color can
appear quite different at maturity.
At maturity a one-color brown based dog can appear so dark brown (liver) as to be almost black, or so pale as to appear almost white (wheaten). A one-color
black based dog can fade to grey as it matures or remain coal black.
Bi Color
Bi color expresses as Black and Silver in black skin dogs, and Liver and Tan in the browns. It is genetically recessive to the banded color.
The Black and Silver Schnauzer has a black body coat and silver furnishings. The body coat will show no banding at all (otherwise it is actually a dark Salt and
Pepper).
The same is true of the brown dogs, but in liver shades: solid liver body with tan to silver furnishings.
Parti
“Parti” describes patches of any size or color on 'White'.
There is a Parti version of all Schnauzer colors.
The Parti gene is genetically recessive, so needs to be inherited from both parental sides (in each parents lineage) to be expressed.
"No Color" and White Miniature Schnauzers
There is quite a range of genetics that can result in White Miniature Schnauzers.
However, the only pure White Miniature Schnauzers are genetically a “no color” dog having pink skin and no other coat coloring whatsoever.
This is a recessive trait.
I reserve the right to refuse to sell my puppies to anyone for any reason!
(My phone# is on the National Do Not Call Registry for Telemarketers. I report all telemarketing calls.)
Beneath The Bark Kennel
West Plains, Missouri
(417) 293-6976
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Exceptional and unique teacup and toy size registered Miniature Schnauzers of unusual colors!
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