Buyer Beware- Toy Schnauzers and exotic colours

Over the last little while a trend of offering toy sized Schnauzers and exotic coloured Schnauzers has emerged.  Neither trend is beneficial to the breed and in many cases people are being duped into thinking that they are purchasing a pure bred dog when this is actually not the case.

About size:

Schnauzers come in three sizes only. Giant, Standard, and Miniature.  Miniature Schnauzers should be between 12-14 inches at the withers (point of shoulder).  Although it is not uncommon for dogs to be produced on occasion who are smaller or larger than the ideal range, any responsible and ethical breeder will be striving to produce dogs who are within the breed standard and not smaller or larger whenever a litter is produced. 

Toy Schnauzers are not a recognized breed or variety.  A Toy Schnauzer is equivalent to a mutt.  Toy Schnauzers result when unscrupulous breeders choose dogs solely based on size.  Choosing breeding stock for size alone results in important health and structural concerns being ignored which in turn results in unhealthy offspring and congenital issues.

About colour:

In North America there are 3 recognized colours only.  Salt and Pepper, Black and Silver, and Black.

White, Blue Merle, or Partied coloured Schnauzers are not recognized.  A responsible and ethical breeder in North America will only be producing dogs who are one of the three accepted colours.

White Schnauzers:

A White Schnauzer is an acceptable colour in most parts of Europe, however as the colour is not recognized in North America very little breeding stock of this colour has been imported.  As a result the vast majority of White Miniature Schnauzers you find in North America are actually cross bred with another breed, most often a poodle in order to produce the colour.  These dogs are marketed as rare but are actually mutts.  Breeding exclusively for colour, similar to breeding exclusively for size results in health concerns being ignored.

Blue Merle and Partied coloured:

There is no genetic marker found in Miniature Schnauzers to produce Blue Merle or Partied colour Schnauzers.  These colours are obtained by cross breeding to another breed, again most often to a poodle.  There is no such thing as a pure bred Blue Merle Schnauzer or a pure bred Partied coloured Schnauzer, these are mutts.  Breeding for these colours can result in serious health issues including blindness and deafness.  No responsible or ethical breeder will ever produce dogs of these colours. 

Buyer beware checklist:

Is the breeder offering toy Schnauzers?

Is the breeder advertising dogs who are not one of the 3 accepted colours?

Is the breeder charging more based on the colour of the puppy?

Is the breeder referring to the colours of the dogs they have for sale as being “rare”?

Does the breeder advertise cross puppies such as Schnoodles or Schnockers in addition to Miniature Schnauzers? 

Does the breeder refuse to offer dogs with docked tails?

Does the breeder refuse to offer dogs with dew claws removed?

If you answered yes to any of the above questions proceed with extreme caution as you may be dealing with a back yard breeder or a puppy mill. 

A responsible and ethical breeder will never do any of the things listed above.  Please support ethical and responsible breeders and not individuals looking to make a quick buck.  Buyer beware.  The purpose of this guide is to educate and to help prospective puppy buyers make informed choices.  

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