Breed Spotlight #1
I want to take some time to highlight the history of some of the breeds we see in our salon. What better breed to start with than our own mascot? Schnauzers come in three sizes; Miniature, Standard, and Giant. The Standard Schnauzer being the original. These dogs were bred in the Middle Ages to be a well rounded farm dog. Their resume includes working as ratters, herding dogs, guard dogs, and hunting dogs! While normally a breed is limited to one, maybe two, of these jobs, Schnauzers embraced all of their responsibilities with enthusiasm. It is this variance in job, however, that led to the three distinct breeds we know now. Some were bred down in size, while others were bred to be larger. The Miniatures are believed to have been achieved by breeding the Standards with Poodles and Affenpinschers. This is why they tend to behave differently from other ratters. While most are firey and independent, Miniature Schnauzers are friendly and biddable, and, If I may be so biased, preferable. The Giant Schnauzers are a result of people seeing the success of cattle farmers with their Standard Schnauzers keeping their livestock safe and moving them aptly, and wishing for a dog like that but large enough to ward of not just wildlife, but human threats as well. Crossing the Standard with Sheepdogs and Great Danes, a formidable and loyal beast was created. These dogs found themselves employed as military and police dogs as well as guard dogs due to their intelligence and drive. While the Standard and Giant are classified in the Working Group, the Miniature is classified in the Terrier group. With the difference in classification in mind, and the knowledge that the three breeds were created with different purposes in mind, it's no surprise that the three breeds behave differently. That being said, an overarching personality trait that has spanned the generations and survived the divergence from the Standard Schnauzer, is their desire to please their people. All three Schnauzer breeds are extremely biddable and are truly great dogs, no matter if they're working at their intended purpose or just a family dog, they excel at doing what is asked of them. That's my incredibly abridged version of the history of Schnauzers. If you'd like to suggest which breed I highlight next, let me know! Or set up a grooming appointment for your pup and I might just get inspired, you never know. We'll see you soon!
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