Schnauzer.
Publié le 14/05/2013
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Schnauzer. Schnauzer, a type of domestic dog, existing in three separate breeds: giant, standard, and miniature. The giant and standard schnauzers are working dogs; the miniature schnauzer is a terrier. The earliest of the three breeds to develop was the standard schnauzer, which, recognizable in contemporary paintings, must have developed in the 1400s in the agricultural areas of Württemberg and Bavaria, Germany. This medium-sized dog--males stand 47 to 50 cm (18.5 to 19.5 in) high at the shoulder, and females 44 to 47 cm (17.5 to 18.5 in)--was first used as a sheep dog. In recent times, because of its extraordinary intelligence and reliability, it has been used, principally in Germany, as a watchdog and for police work. In the United States, where it has been popular since the late 1910s, it is used as a personal guard dog and household pet; good in water, it has even been trained to retrieve game. In order to obtain a larger dog with the same general characteristics, breeders of southern Bavaria crossed the standard schnauzer with larger dogs, including the black Great Dane. The result of these crossings, the giant schnauzer--males stand 65 to 70 cm (25.5 to 27.5 in) high at the shoulder, females 60 to 65 cm (23.5 to 25.5 in)--was at first used for cattle driving; early in the 20th century it was used in Germany chiefly as a watchdog for large industrial plants and for police work. It remains popular mainly in Germany. The miniature schnauzer was developed for use as a farm dog and ratter toward the end of the 19th century. It was bred from the standard schnauzer by crossing small specimens with poodles and a small black breed of German dog known as the affenpinscher. The miniature schnauzer, about 30 to 36 cm (about 12 to 14 in) high at the withers, is used chiefly as a pet; well suited to apartment living, it has been popular in the United States since about 1925. The overall appearance of all schnauzers is similar. They are sturdy, compact dogs with elongated, rectangular heads; blunt, heavily whiskered muzzles; dark brown oval eyes under bristling eyebrows; small V-shaped ears (generally cropped in Germany); and docked tails 3 to 5 cm (1 to 2 in) long. The dense, wiry outercoat is pepper-and-salt in color (black and white hairs intermingled), or solid black. The legs are abundantly covered with hair. Microsoft ® Encarta ® 2009. © 1993-2008 Microsoft Corporation. All rights reserved.