Breed Characteristics...

pictured above left, CH Nick Nack Destiny By Design, "ELLE" our foundation bitch and matriarch of most of our TOP winners and TOP producers.

Including her daughter pictured in the middle, CH Adamis Roadrunner "Sharhonda"

and Sharhonda's daughter pictured far right CH Adamis Cock-a-doodle Doo CD,NAJ,NJP who was awarded the AMSC versatility award in 2004.

The official breed standard, and what we think...

The official breed standard is in our opinion the single most important tool that a quality breeder has to work with, it is the blue print for the perfect dog. It covers the size, color, temperament and appearance of the dog. Whether you are buying a family companion, obedience or conformation show dog, you should start by reading the breed standard, familiarize yourself with it and when you meet a breeder, ask them questions and see how well they know the standard of perfection that they claim to be breeding for…

(For a copy of the actual AKC breed standard click here -   http://www.akc.org/breeds/recbreeds/minsch)

I think that you will be surprised by the number of so called "breeders" that know little more about their breeds standard of perfection than they have learned from the few little dogs roaming around their kitchens. I am not saying that someone who is unable to recite the breed standard word for word is not a reputable breeder, or that some one who has memorized the standard is a reputable breeder, but if a breeder can talk about the breeds standard, and what aspects of that standard are strong and prevalent in their dogs. Than chances are they have tried to breed a quality dog and this would be the type of breeder I would want to work with…

Breed Characteristics in a nut shell...

Breed characteristics are such that the miniature Schnauzer is considered a small breed standing 12 - 14 inches at the shoulder and when maintained in proper weight they average between 12 to 18 pounds. The AKC recognizes the Miniature Schnauzer in three and only three color varieties, salt and pepper, black, and black and silver. The coat is wiry and thick with a soft undercoat. When maintained in a clippered coat, as are most companion animals, texture may be lost but they should maintain some resemblance to their specific color variety, with variations of light gray to black occurring due to the clippering of the coat.

True coat color is acheived and maintained by a process called "hand stripping" the action requires that each induvidual hair is plucked from the dog. Though the result is beautiful, the process is time consuming and occastionally stressful and un-necessary for the average pet dog. We do not recommend hand stripping your companion dog, the soft "classic grey" clippered coat is what most Mini Schnauzer owners are used to any way.

The color/size issue...

Just to recap and make myself perfectly clear. A quality breeder of ANY purebred dog, always breeds with the "standard of perfection" in mind. These standards were developed with the history, integrity and purpose of the Breed in mind.

Breeders with very fancy web pages and rehearsed answers to all your concerns, are not doing you, the breed or their puppies any favors by breeding diluted or unusual color mutation and "toy" sized dogs. They are producing these puppies with one thing in mind... "MARKETING", Quite often these dogs are not true purebreds or are the product of weak or inferior genes pools and bloodlines. Please do not support these types of un-scupulous practices.

"Designer breeds" the addition of this term into my vocabulary has left me bothered and annoyed, as I am sure it has many reputable pure breed dog breeders in this country. So called designer breeds like Labra-doodles, Schnoodles and Puggles are not "breeds" at all and they are not new, infact they have been avalable from news papers, shelters and boxes from the barn section of your sate fairs for years... They are the the always cute, often lovable and always loved by their owner "MUTTS" or mix breeds. As a dog lover I can not help but think that these lovable little (or big) mix breeds are very cute... But they are not the "newest breed". I believe that there is nothing quite as NOBLE as a family that is willing to go to the shelter and adopt a less fortunate pet who will love them back and ask for nothing more than a bowl of kibble in return.... Please, if you want a mixed breed dog, or have the room to add another, less fortunate pet to your home... visit the local shelter and find an adorable mix breed for you and your family. DO NOT GO ON THE INTERNET and find a DESIGNER DOG from a pet mill that has nothing but marketability in mind when they produce their puppies.

Next Page, Is a Miniature Schnauzer right for you