FCI Standard 181

FCI-Standard N° 181 / 11. 08. 2000 (Dutch / Ned. standaard)

GIANT SCHNAUZER (Riesenschnauzer) Foto

TRANSLATION : Mrs. C. Seidler.

ORIGIN : Germany.

DATE OF PUBLICATION OF THE ORIGINAL VALID STANDARD : 06.04.2000.

UTILIZATION : Utility and Companion Dog.

CLASSIFICATION F.C.I. : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer- Molossoid breeds - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds.

Section 1 Pinscher and Schnauzer type.

With working trial.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Originally the Giant Schnauzer was used in the region of Southern Germany to drive cattle. Around the turn of the century, determined breeders realised that he had outstanding working capabilities and particularly valuable traits in character. Since 1913 the breed has been registered in a stud book, and in 1925 already the Giant Schnauzer has officially been recognised as a working dog.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Large, powerful, stocky rather than slim. An enlarged, powerful image of the Schnauzer. An imperturbable dog, prepared for defense, whose appearance fills with respect.

IMPORTANT PROPORTIONS :

· Square build in which height at the withers is nearly equal to the body length.

· The length of the head (measured from the tip of the nose to the occiput) corresponds to half the length of the topline (measured from the withers to the set on of the tail).

BEHAVIOUR / TEMPERAMENT : Typical characteristics of this dog are his good natured, even temperament and his incorruptible loyalty towards his master. He has highly developed sense organs, intelligence, trainability, strength, endurance, speed, resistance to weather and diseases. His inborn ability to bear strain and his self assurance make him best suited for being a companion, sporting, utility and working dog.

HEAD

CRANIAL REGION :

Skull : Strong, long without markedly protudring occiput. The head should be in keeping with the dog’s force. The forehead is flat, without wrinkling and parallel to the bridge of nose.

Stop : Appears well defined due to the brows.

FACIAL REGION :

Nose : Well developed nose leather with large nostrils, always black.

Muzzle : Ending in a blunt wedge. Bridge of nose straight.

Lips : Black, smooth and tight-fitting to the jaws. Corners of lips closed.

Jaws/Teeth : Strong upper and lower jaw. The complete scissor bite (42 pure white teeth, according to the dentition fromula), is strongly developed and firmly closing. The chewing muscles are strongly developed but the cheeks must not interfere with the rectangular shape of the head (with the beard).

Eyes : Medium sized, oval, facing forward, dark with lively expression. Eyelids close fitting.

Ears : Drop ears, set high, V-shaped with inner edges lying close to the cheeks, evenly carried, turned forward towards temples. Folds parallel, should not be above the top of the skull.

NECK : The strong, muscular neck is nobly arched, blending smoothly into the withers. Strongly set on, slim, noble curved, corresponding to the dog’s force. Throat skin tight-fitting without folds.

BODY

Topline : Slightly sloping from withers towards rear.

Withers : Forming the highest point in topline.

Back : Strong, short and taut.

Loins : Short, strong and deep. The distance from the last rib to the hip is short to make the dog appear compact.

Croup : Slightly rounded, imperceptibly blending into tail set on.

Chest : Moderately broad, oval in diameter, reaching to the elbows. The forechest is distinctly marked by the point of the sternum.

Underline / Belly : Flanks not too tucked up, forming a well curved line with the underside of the ribcage.

TAIL : Natural.

LIMBS

FOREQUARTERS : Seen from the front, the front legs are strong, straight and not close together. Seen from the side, the forearms are straight.

Shoulders : The shoulder blade lies close against the rib cage and is well muscled on both sides of shoulder bone, protruding over the points of thoracic vertebrae. As sloping as possible and well laid back, forming an angle of appr. 50° to the horizontal.

Upper arm : Lying close to the body, strong and well musculed, forming an angle of 95° to 105° to the shoulder blade.

Elbows: Close fitting, turning neither in nor out.

Forearm : Viewed from all sides completely straight, strongly developed and well muscled.

Carpal joint : Strong, firm, barely standing out against the structure of the fore arm.

Pastern : Seen from the front, vertical. Seen from the side, slightly sloping towards the ground, strong and slightly springy.

Forefeet : Short and round, toes well-knit and arched (cat foot) with short dark nails and resistant pads.

HINDQUARTERS : Standing obliquely when seen from the side, standing parallel but not close together when seen from the rear.

Upper thigh : Moderately long, broad and strongly muscled.

Stifle : Turning neither in nor out.

Lower thigh : Long and strong, sinewy, running into a strong hock.

Hocks : Very well angulated, strong, firm, turning neither in nor out.

Metatarsus : Short, vertical to ground.

Hind feet : Toes short, arched and well-knit. Nails short and black.

GAIT / MOVEMENT : Flexible, elegant, agile, free and ground covering. The front legs swinging as far forward as possible, the hind legs, ground covering and springy, provide the necessary drive. The front leg of one side and the hind leg on the other side move forward at the same time. The back, the ligaments and the joints are firm.

SKIN : Tight fitting over the whole body.

COAT

HAIR : The coat should be wiry, harsh and dense. It consists of a dense undercoat and a not too short top coat, lying close to the body.

The top coat is rough and sufficiently long to allow the checking of its texture; it is neither bristly nor wavy. Hair on the limbs tends to be less harsh. Coat short on forehead and ears. Typical characteristics are the not too soft beard on the muzzle and the bushy eyebrows which slightly shade the eyes.

COLOUR :

· Pure black with black undercoat.

· Pepper and Salt.

When breeding Pepper and Salt, the aim is a medium shading with evenly distributed, well pigmented, pepper colouring and grey undercoat. The shades from dark iron grey to silver grey are all permitted. In all colour variations there must be a dark mask, which should adapt harmoniously to the respective colour, emphasizing the expression. Distinct light markings on head, chest and limbs are undesirable.

SIZE AND WEIGHT :

Height at withers : Dogs and bitches : 60 to 70 cm.

Weight : Dogs and bitches : 35 to 45 kg.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

Particularly :

· Head altogether too small or too short.

· Heavy or round skull.

· Wrinkles on forehead.

· Short, pointed or narrow muzzle.

· Pincer bite.

· Strongly protuding cheeks or cheekbones.

· Light, too large or round eyes.

· Low set, too long or unevenly carried ears.

· Throatiness.

· Dewlap, narrow crest of neck.

· Too long, tucked up or soft back.

· Roach back.

· Croup falling away.

· Tail set inclined towards head.

· Long feet.

· Pacing movement.

· Too short, too long, soft, wavy, shaggy, silky, white or spotted coat or other mixed colours.

· Brown undercoat.

· In Pepper and Salt: a black trace on the back or black saddle.

· Over- or undersize up to 2 cm.

SEVERE FAULTS :

· Clumsy or light build. Too low or too high on leg.

· Inverse sexual type (i.e. doggy bitch).

· Elbows turning out.

· Straight or open hocked hindlegs.

· Hocks turned inwards.

· Over- or undersize by more than 2 cm but less than 4 cm.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS :

· Shy, aggressive, vicious, exaggeratedly suspicious or nervous behaviour.

· Malformation of any kind.

· Lack of breed type.

· Faulty mouth, such as over- or undershot or wry mouth.

· Severe faults in individual parts, such as faults in structure, coat and colour.

· Over- or undersize by more than 4 cm.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

N.B. : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

CLASSIFICATION FCI : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer- Molossoid breeds - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Originally the Schnauzer was used in the region of Southern Germany as a stable dog as he felt particularly at home in the company of horses. He eagerly watched out for all rodents in order to kill them in a flash. This very early got him the appellation of “Rattler” (ratter). When the Pinscher-Schnauzer-Club was founded in 1895, he was entered under the name “rough haired Pinscher”.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Medium sized, strong, stocky rather than slim, rough haired.

· Square build in which the height at the withers is nearly equal to the body length.

· The length of the head (measured from the tip of the nose to the occiput) corresponds to half the length of the topline (measured from the withers to the set on of the tail).

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT : Typical characteristics are his lively temperament, coupled with placid composure. Typical are his good nature, his playfulness and his proverbial devotion to his master. He loves children, is incorruptible, alert, yet not noisy. Highly developed sense organs, intelligence, trainability , fearlessness, endurance and resistance to weather and diseases provide the Schnauzer with all the requirements to be an outstanding family, guard and companion dog, also endowed with the qualities of a working dog.

Skull : Strong, long without markedly protruding occiput. The head should be in keeping with the dog’s force. The forehead is flat, without wrinkling and parallel to the bridge of nose.

Jaws/Teeth: Strong upper and lower jaw. The complete scissor bite (42 pure white teeth according to the dentition formula), is strongly developed and firmly closing. The chewing muscles are strongly developed but the cheeks must not interfere with the rectangular shape of the head (with the beard).

Eyes : Medium sized, oval, facing forward, dark with lively expression. Eyelids close fitting.

Ears: Drop ears, set high, V-shaped with inner edges lying close to the cheeks, evenly carried, turned forward towards temples. Folds parallel, should not be above the top of the skull.

NECK: The strong, muscular neck is nobly arched, blending smoothly into the withers. Strongly set on, slim, nobly curved, corresponding to the dog’s force. Throat skin tight- fitting without folds.

Loins: Short, strong and deep. The distance from the last rib to the hip is short to make the dog appear compact.

Chest: Moderately broad, oval in diameter, reaching to the elbows. The forechest is distinctly marked by the point of the sternum.

Underline/Belly : Flanks not too tucked up, forming a well curved line with the underside of the ribcage.

FOREQUARTERS : Seen from the front, the front legs are strong, straight and not close together. Seen from the side, the forearms are straight.

Shoulders: The shoulder blade lies close against the rib cage and is well muscled on both sides of the shoulder bone, protruding over the points of the thoracic vertebrae. As sloping as possible and well laid back, forming an angle of appr. 50° to the horizontal.

Upper arm: Lying close to the body, strong and well muscled, forming an angle of 95° to 105° to the shoulder blade.

Forearm: Viewed from all sides completely straight, strongly developed and well muscled.

Carpal joint : Strong, firm, barely standing out against the structure of the forearm.

Pastern : Seen from the front, vertical. Seen from the side slightly sloping towards the ground, strong and slightly springy.

Forefeet: Short and round. Toes well-knit and arched (cat foot) with short dark nails and resistant pads.

HINDQUARTERS: Standing obliquely when seen from the side, standing parallel but not close together when seen from the rear.

GAIT/MOVEMENT Flexible, elegant, agile, free and ground covering. The front legs swinging as far forward as possible, the hind legs, ground covering and springy, provide the necessary drive. The front leg of one side and the hind leg of the other side move forward at the same time. The back, the ligaments and the joints are firm.

HAIR : The coat should be wiry, harsh and dense. It consists of a dense undercoat and a not too short top coat, lying close to the body. The top coat is rough and sufficiently long to allow the checking of its texture; it is neither bristly nor wavy. The hair on the limbs tends to be less harsh. Coat short on forehead and ears.

Typical characteristics are the not too soft beard on the muzzle and the bushy eyebrows which slightly shade the eyes.

When breeding Pepper and Salt, the aim is a medium shading with evenly distributed, well pigmented pepper colouring and grey undercoat.

The shades from dark iron grey to silver grey are all permitted. In all colour variations there must be a dark mask which should adapt harmoniously to the respective colour, emphasizing the expression. Distinct light markings on head, chest and limbs are undesirable.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

· Too short, too long, soft, wavy, shaggy, silky, white or spotted coat or other mixed colours.

DISQUALIFYING FAULTS

· Severe faults in individual parts, such as faults in structure, coat and colour.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

NB: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

CLASSIFICATION FCI : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer- Molossoid breeds - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Around the turn of the century a dwarf Schnauzer from the Frankfurt/Main area went on his way, then still described as a rough haired Zwergpinscher (Miniature Pinscher). Due to the different shapes, sizes and types and the muddle of harsh, soft and silky coat textures, it was no easy task to evolve a small dog with the appearance and the characteristic qualities of his bigger brother, the Schnauzer.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : Small, strong, stocky rather than slim, rough coated, elegant. A reduced image of the Schnauzer without the drawback of a dwarfed appearance.

· Square build in which the height at the withers is nearly equal to the body length.

· The length of the head (measured from the tip of the nose to the occiput) corresponds to half the length of the topline (measured from the withers to the set on of the tail).

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT : His nature is similar to that of the Schnauzer and is determined by the temperament and the behaviour of a small dog. Intelligence, fearlessness, endurance and alertness make the Miniature Schnauzer an agreeable house dog as well as a watch and companion dog which can be kept even in a small appartment without problems.

Skull : Strong, long without markedly protruding occiput. The head should be in keeping with the dog’s force. The forehead is flat, without wrinkles and parallel to the bridge of nose.

Jaws/Teeth : Strong upper and lower jaw. The complete scissor bite (42 pure white teeth according to the dentition formula), is strongly developed and firmly closing. The chewing muscles are strongly developed but the cheeks must not interfere with the reactangular shape of the head (with the beard).

Eyes: Medium sized, oval, facing foreward, dark with lively expression. Eyelids close fitting.

Ears : Drop ears, set high, V-shaped with inner edges lying close to the cheeks, evenly carried, turned forward towards temples. Folds parallel, should not be above the top of the skull.

NECK : The strong, muscular neck is nobly arched, blending smoothly into the withers.

Strongly set on, slim, nobly curved, corresponding to the dog’s force. Throat skin tight-fitting without folds.

Loins : Short, strong and deep. The distance from the last rib to the hip is short to make the dog appear compact.

Chest : Moderately broad, oval in diameter, reaching to the elbows. The forechest is distinctly marked by the point of the sternum.

Underline and belly : Flanks not too tucked up, forming a well curved line with the underside of the ribcage.

FOREQUARTERS : Seen from the front, the front legs are strong, straight and not close together. Seen from the side, the forearms are straight.

Upper arm: Lying close to the body, strong and well muscled, forming an angle of 95° to 105° to the shoulder blade.

Forearm : Viewed from all sides, completely straight, strongly developed and well muscled.

Carpal joint: Strong, firm, barely standing out against the structure of the forearm.

Pastern : Seen from the front, vertical. Seen from the side slightly sloping towards the ground, strong and slightly springy.

Forefeet : Short and round. Toes well-knit and arched (cat foot) with short dark nails and resistant pads.

HINDQUARTERS : Standing obliquely when seen from the side, standing parallel but not close together when seen from the rear.

GAIT/MOVEMENT: Flexible, elegant, agile, free and ground covering. The forelegs swinging as far forward as possible, the hind legs, ground covering and springy, provide the necessary drive. The front leg of one side and the hind leg of the other side move forward at the same time. The back, the ligaments and the joints are firm.

When breeding Pepper and Salt, the aim is a medium shading with evenly distributed, well pigmented, pepper colouring and grey undercoat. The shades from dark iron grey to silver grey are all permitted. In all colour variations there must be a dark mask, which should adapt harmoniously to the respective colour. Distinct light markings on head, chest and limbs are undesirable.

For the Black/Silver colour, the aim in breeding is a black top coat with black undercoat, white markings over the eyes, on the cheeks, at the beard, at the throat, in two divided triangles at the front of the chest, on the front pasterns, on the feet, on the inside of the hind legs and around the anus. The forehead, the neck and the outer sides of the ears should be black like the top coat.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

· Severe faults in individual parts, such as faults in construction, coat and colour.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified

NB : Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

CLASSIFICATION FCI: Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer- Molossian breeds - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY: The smooth haired Pinscher represents a very old breed which was mentioned in the German Stud Book for dogs in 1880 already. He has the same ancestors as the Schnauzer which was also called the rough coated Pinscher. From the beginning the smooth haired Pinschers differed from the rough haired specimen in their colour and their short coat. They were mostly black with light brown markings, self coloured in various shades of brown to red, pepper and salt or simply blue-grey to black.

GENERAL APPEARANCE :The German Pinscher is smooth-haired, medium in size with proud carriage, flowing outlines, elegant and square build. He is strong like the Schnauzer. Due to his short smooth coat, his well developed muscles are clearly visible especially when he moves.

· The length of the head (measured from the tip of the nose to the occiput) corresponds to half the length of the topline (measured from the withers to the set on of the tail).

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT : His lively, spirited, self assured and evenly tempered nature combined with intelligence and endurance makes him an agreeable family, watch and companion dog.

Skull : Strong, elongated, without markedly protruding occiput. The forehead is flat and runs parallel to the bridge of nose.

Jaws/Teeth: Strong upper and lower jaw. The complete scissor bite (42 pure white teeth according to the dentition formula) is strong and firmly closing. The chewing muscles are strongly developed without pronounced cheeks interfering with the smooth outline.

Ears: Drop ears, set high, V-shaped,with inner edges lying close to the cheeks, turned forward towards temples. Folds parallel, should not be above the top of the skull.

NECK : Nobly curved, not too short. Blending smoothly into the withers without any marked set on. Dry, without dewlap or throatiness. Throat skin tight-fitting without folds.

Loins: Short, strong and deep. The distance from last rib to hip is short to make the dog appear compact.

Chest: Moderately broad, oval in diameter, reaching to the elbows. The forechest is distinctly marked by the point of the sternum.

Underline and belly : Flanks not too tucked up, forming a nicely curved line with the underside of the ribcage.

FOREQUARTERS : Seen from the front the front legs are strong, straight and not close together; seen from the side, the forearms are straight.

Shoulders: The shoulder blade lies close against the rib cage and is well muscled on both sides of the shoulder bone, protruding over the points of the thoracic vertebrae. As sloping as possible and well laid back. forming an angle of appr. 50° to the horizontal.

Upper arm : Lying close to the body, strong and well muscled, forming an angle of 95° to 100° to the shoulder blade.

Forearm: Strongly developed and well muscled. Completely straight seen from the front and the side.

Pastern: Strong and slightly springy. Seen from the front, vertical, seen from the side, slightly sloping towards the ground.

Forefeet: Short and round, toes well-knit and arched (cat feet), pads resistant, nails short, black and strong.

HINDQUARTERS : Standing obliquely when seen from the side, standing parallel, but not close together, when seen from the rear.

Hind feet : Somewhat longer than the forefeet. Toes well-knit and arched. Nails short and black.

GAIT/MOVEMENT : The German Pinscher is a trotter. His back remains firm and rather steady in movement. The movement is harmonious, sure, powerful and uninhibited with good length of stride. Typical of the trot is a ground covering, relaxed, fluent movement with strong drive and free front extension.

The aim is for markings as dark, as rich and as clearly defined as possible. The markings are distributed as follows: above the eyes, at the underside of the throat, on the pastern, on the feet, at the inside of the hind legs and under the root of the tail. Two even, clearly separated triangles on the chest.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

· Severe faults in individual parts, such as faults in structure, coat or colour.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

NB: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.

CLASSIFICATION FCI : Group 2 Pinscher and Schnauzer- Molossian breeds - Swiss Mountain and Cattle Dogs and other breeds.

BRIEF HISTORICAL SUMMARY : Miniature Pinschers were kept in large numbers around the turn of the century already and the Stud Book for 1925 records no less than 1300 entries. Like with the German Pinscher, from the numerous colour variations, only the colours black with lighter markings and solid red to red-brown were thorough-bred.

GENERAL APPEARANCE : The Miniature Pinscher is a reduced image of the German Pinscher without the draw-backs of a dwarfed appearance. His elegant square build is clearly visible due to his short smooth coat.

· The ratio from length to height shall make his build appear as square as possible.

· The length of the head (measured fom the tip of the nose to the occiput) corresponds to half the length of the topline (measured from the withers to the set on of the tail).

BEHAVIOUR/TEMPERAMENT : Lively, spirited, self assured and evenly tempered. These qualities make him an agreeable family and companion dog.

Skull : Strong, elongated without markedly protruding occiput. The forehead is flat without wrinkles, running parallel to the bridge of nose.

Jaws/Teeth : Strong upper and lower jaw. The complete scissor bite (42 pure white teeth according to the dentition formula), is strong and firmly closing. The chewing muscles are strongly developed without pronounced cheeks interfering with the smooth outline.

Ears : Prick ears; drop ears, set high, V-shaped with the inner edges lying close to the cheeks, turned forward towards temples. Folds parallel, should not be above the top of the skull.

NECK : Nobly curved, not too short. Blending smoothly into the withers without any marked set on. Dry without dewlap or throatiness. Throat skin tight-fitting without folds.

Loins: Strong. The distance from last rib to hip is short to make the dog appear compact.

Chest: Moderately broad, oval in diameter, reaching to elbows. The forechest is distinctly marked by the point of the sternum.

Underline and belly : Flanks not too tucked up, forming a nicely curved line with the underside of the brisket.

FOREQUARTERS : Seen from the front, the front legs are strong, straight and not close together. Seen from the side, the forearms are straight.

Shoulders: The shoulder blade lies close against the ribcage and is well muscled on both sides of the shoulder bone, protruding over the points of the thoracic vertebrae. As sloping as possible and well laid back, forming an angle of appr. 50° to the horizontal.

Upper arm: Lying close to the body, strong and well muscled, forming an angle of 95° to 100° to the shoulder blade.

Forearm: Strongly developed and well muscled. Completely straight seen from the front and the side.

Pastern: Strong and springy. Seen from the front, vertical, seen from the side, slightly sloping towards the ground.

Forefeet: Short and round, toes well-knit and arched (cat feet), pads resistant, nails short, black and strong.

HINDQUARTERS : Standing obliquely, when seen from the side, standing parallel but not close together seen from the rear.

Hind feet: Somewhat longer than forefeet. Toes well-knit and arched. Nails short and black.

GAIT/MOVEMENT : The Miniature Pinscher is a trotter. His back remains firm and rather steady in movement. The movement is harmonious, sure, powerful and uninhibited with good length of stride. Typical of the trot is a ground covering, relaxed, fluent movement with strong drive and free front extension.

The aim is for markings as dark, as rich and as clearly defined as possible. The markings are distributed as follows: Above the eyes, at the underside of the throat, on the pasterns, on the feet, at the inside of the hind legs and under the root of the tail. Two even, clearly separated triangles on the chest.

FAULTS : Any departure from the foregoing points should be considered a fault and the seriousness with which the fault should be regarded should be in exact proportion to its degree.

· Severe faults in individual parts, such as faults in structure, coat or colour.

Any dog clearly showing physical or behavioural abnormalities shall be disqualified.

NB: Male animals should have two apparently normal testicles fully descended into the scrotum.