Schnauzer
The Schnauzer is the original of the three Schnauzer breeds, a German stable dog that killed rats, guarded the cart and travelled with its owner, and dogs of the type appear in…
About the Schnauzer
The Schnauzer is the original of the three Schnauzer breeds, a German stable dog that killed rats, guarded the cart and travelled with its owner, and dogs of the type appear in German art from the fifteenth century onwards. The Miniature and the Giant were developed from it later, and all three are registered separately in Britain.
Dogs stand 46 to 51 cm, squarely built, with a harsh wiry jacket in pepper and salt or solid black, a soft undercoat, and the moustache and leg furnishings that need weekly combing and periodic hand-stripping. The breed is bold, funny and inclined to argue, and it makes a natural watchdog. A stud should be confident and sociable rather than reactive, and hard in coat, since softness is both a fault and a grooming problem.
Ask for hip scores and a current eye certificate; hereditary cataract and progressive retinal atrophy have both been recorded in the breed. Ask which DNA tests the breed club currently recommends, because the panels offered for the Schnauzer breeds have changed over the years and are not the same for all three. A cardiac examination is a reasonable request, and so is a question about how long the stud's parents lived.
Health & breeding
We check every hip, elbow, eye and DNA result you give us against the Royal Kennel Club’s public records by hand, and we record who checked it and when. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Breed Right’s summary — under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard
Health tests for the Schnauzer
This panel is Breed Right’s summary of the testing that matters for the breed under The Royal Kennel Club Health Standard. The Health Standard is the Royal Kennel Club’s guidance for breeders, not a registration rule. It describes tests to ask about — it is not a report on any individual dog. The Royal Kennel Club’s public records may not include all the screening a dog has had, so a dog with no Royal Kennel Club record showing is not necessarily untested.
Best Practice — further tests it recommends
Completing these as well as the Good Practice tests is what the Royal Kennel Club calls Best Practice.
| Test | Type | Scheme | What’s involved |
|---|---|---|---|
| DNA test — DCM (Dilated Cardiomyopathy, Schnauzer) | DNA test | Laboratory | The result printed on the laboratory certificate. |
| Hip score (BVA/KC) | Screening scheme | BVA/KC | Total of both hips, 0–106. Lower is better. |
Breed hip median
Breed median 12 (BVA Hip Dysplasia Scheme breed statistics 2025 — 5 years, 13 dogs scored — indicative only, from a small sample). Lower is better. Source · How hip scores work
At stud now
Schnauzer stud dogs
No Schnauzer studs are listed right now
When a Schnauzer on the Royal Kennel Club Breed Register is listed at stud, it will appear here.
Also available
Schnauzer litters
No Schnauzer litters are listed right now
Litters appear here as breeders list them. Check back soon, or browse other breeds.
