Colors

Why Not White?

The AKC breed standard recognizes three colors: Salt & Pepper, Black & Silver, and Solid Black. No other colors are permitted.

Salt & Pepper

Christens has three Salt & Pepper miniature schnauzers, Finn, Ruby, and Rhea.

A Salt & Pepper dog has white eyebrows, beard, and legs. He also has a white patch on his bum, across his chest, and on his checks. The top coat comes in various shades of gray; from a dark charcoal to a light gray. There should also be a thin layer of gray hair over the top of the white beard. When in a stripped show coat, the topcoat hairs are "banded." Each hair alternates black and white. This banding gives the salt & pepper schnauzer his distinctive look.

Picture: Finn (Pawtraits by Nicole)

Black & Silver

Christens specializes in Black & Silver miniature schnauzers. Except for our three salties, all our dogs are Black & Silver. Our boy Percy is a perfect example of a Black & Silver dog.

Black & Silvers have the same color pattern as the Salt & Peppers. The difference being, where Salt & Pepper's have gray, Black & Silver's have black. A Black & Silver has white eyebrows, beard, and legs. He has a white patch on his bum, across his chest, and on his checks. There should also be a thin layer of black hair over the top of the white beard. The top coat is black. Many Black & Silver dogs lighten as they age. This is not a color fault. It is a result of shaving the top coat.

Picture: Nyx

Solid Black

Christens does not have any Solid Black miniature schnauzers. Occasionally, we breed one of our girls to a Solid Black boy. A breeding with a Solid Black dog usually results in a few Solid Black puppies.

Solid Black dogs are entirely black. He may have a tiny patch of white on his chest. A large patch of white or white anywhere else is a huge color fault.

Picture: a Nyx son at 6 weeks old, 2017

White & Other Colors

White, parti-color, liver, merle, etc. are not colors in the miniature schnauzer gene pool. The miniature schnauzer breed was developed to be a smaller version of the Standard Schnauzer. The Standard Schnauzer has never been white. White is NOT a desirable color for miniature schnauzers, and any breeder who disagrees is misleading the public. Reputable breeders in the US and Canada follow the North American breed standards and work towards the improvement of the breed as outlined in those breed standards.

So where do white and other colors come from?

Since the miniature schnauzer does not carry genes for these "rare" colors, off-colored minis are not pure breed schnauzers. Irresponsible breeders are almost certainly mixing another breed in the background, like a West Highland White Terrier. The White, Parti-color, Liver, and Merle "schnauzers" are mixed breed dogs. These colors and color patterns have never been associated with the miniature schnauzer.

Dishonest breeders are creating mixed breed dogs, marketing them as rare, and charging people a lot of money. In April of 2022, we saw a "rare parti-color" miniature schnauzer for sale at Petland for $5,000! That is outrageous! Christens has also seen several white "schnauzers" with "papers." The breeder invented their own dog registry to bilk unsuspecting buyers.

Be Smart! Do your research. Check the AKC and American Miniature Schnauzer websites. Talk to breeders who also show their minis. Go to dog shows and talk to the handlers. If you want a mixed breed dog, adopt him at your local shelter. We promise he will be a lot less than $5,000.

What breeds are in these "schnauzers?"

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