Giant Schnauzer Pepper and Salt

FCI:

Giant Schnauzer Pepper and Salt - Group II - Pinscher, Schnauzer, Mastiff and the Swiss Mountain Dogs, Section 1 – Pinschers

General Appearance:

The temperament of this breed with typical features includes gentleness, serenity and incorruptible loyalty to owners. It disposes with strong sensory organs and it is very smart and intelligent. This dog is deal for training of various kinds of sports (according to different test systems), Staff (for army and police) and working (e.g. rescue, tracking, defence, etc.), but thanks its character is also an excellent companion dog and at the same time, thanks to the innate self-confidence, it is perfect defender and a security guard whose appearance itself encourages unauthorized persons to be careful. During defensive attack it behaves totally uncompromising and very strongly. When it is working it is tough, agile and resistant to different weather conditions.

Temperament/Behaviour:

It has a huge ego and it is very independent, and because it is well aware of its power and agility, it becomes usually quite masterfully. Therefore, it is necessary to be guided from early youth kindly, but with a strong consistency for perfect handling. Uncontrolled, especially a male could once take over the chance to self-proclaimed α-position in the "pack" and then it would barely suffer the slightest resistance and carried out the orders by the owner. After coexistence with a dog could be complicated, so it is only suitable for people who already have had dogs, especially large and very sovereign, some previous experience.

Owner must not be indecisive, unsystematic, who cannot behave consistently. The owner needs a consistent, talented natural authority and ability to effortlessly apply in various situations and resolute decision-making calm and level headed. The owner must be unconditionally always clear and unquestionable leader of the "pack".

Body:

This big, strong, stocky rather than slim is enlarged dog, powerful and faithful image of the Schnauzer. Its appearance is impressive and it arouses in people that would like to enter the area guarded by it, respect. The format of the body should be almost square, height at withers practically equal to the length of the body - males and females is 60-70 cm. Weight of body by  both sexes in the range of 35-47 kg.

The head should be the total size of an individual and be so long that its tot. Length, measured from the tip of the nose to the top of the occipital part, corresponds to 1/2 the distance from the withers to the tail. The skull is strong, long without markedly protruding occipital part. The forehead should be flat, without wrinkles. Topline of skull is viewed from the side in an imaginary extension line of the muzzle. The frontal slope (stop) because of eyebrows seems to be significantly declining.

The muzzle has the shape of a truncated wedge. The muzzle is straight, a large nose and wide open nostrils, always black. Lips with black pigmented rims are firmly and smoothly adjacent to the jaws and teeth. Oral corners are closed. Upper and lower jaw shall be strong.

Teeth should be complete, consisting of 42 teeth according to the dental formula, scissor bite is required. Teeth should be strong, large, pure white. Upper and lower must fit exactly into each other. The chewing muscles are powerful, but the rectangular shape of the head of a contingent beard that must not interfere too much sideways protruding (bulging) cheeks.

Eyes should be medium-sized, oval. Pointing straight forward, they are dark, lively expression. Eyelids are tightly fitting to the eyeballs. The earlobes are set high, tilted forward, the shape of the letter "V". The inner edges adjacent to the cheeks, carried symmetrically angled forward, the folds must be equally high and must not project beyond the level of the crown of the head.

The neck is strong, muscular neck in a gracefully curved. Harmoniously merges into the shoulders and withers. At the base is strong, otherwise slim and corresponds to the total size of the dog. Skin on throat is fitting tightly and does not form any dewlap. Topline body is viewed from the side at the withers, which is its highest point to the rear slightly sloping. The back should be strong, short and hard, short loin, strong and muscled.

The distance from the last rib to the hip must be short to maintain a compact overall appearance of the individual. Croup is slightly rounded and flows into the base of the tail. It leaves naturally long, and it is desirable to be carried sickle or sickle curved.

The chest should be reasonably broad, on an imaginary cross-section of oval shape, so deep that it reaches to the elbows. The chest is significant due to the breast bone that protrudes when viewed from the side in front of the shoulder joint.

The hindquarters should be viewed from the side in attitude and sloping when viewed from behind parallel to each other. Position should not be too narrow. The thighs are moderately long, well muscled when viewed from the side wide. Knees should not be in or out, either in or out. Tibia should be long, strong and sinewy and pass the strong hocks, which are markedly angulated, firm. They may not even be convergent or divergent. Hock must be short, vertical to ground. Feet are short, arched and tight toes with short, black-coloured claws. The movement is elastic, elegant, agile, free and spacious.

Action forelegs strikes so far forward, it must be hearty. Also hind legs for locomotion fall far ahead and are a source of hearty forward drive pulse (reflection). The front leg of one side and on the other pelvic moves forward simultaneously. Ligaments and joints are fixed on the move as well as the spine. The skin on the entire body is flush with the skeletal muscle and skin.

Coat should be wiry, harsh and dense. It consists of abundant undercoat and top coat that could never be too short, but it must be hard and well fitting, harsh and long enough to be able to assess its texture. On the forehead and earlobes is short. Typical is the beard on the muzzle, which should not be too fine, and the bushy eyebrows which lightly covers the eyes.

Colouration may be Pure black with black undercoat or Pepper and Salt. By individual Pepper and Salt it aims in breeding - medium shading with evenly distributed rich "pepper colouring" (dark hairs should be evenly mixed with light) and grey undercoat. Permitted are shades from dark iron grey to silver grey. For all shades of pepper and salt is needed dark mask on its face. Underlines the dog's expression should adapt harmoniously with the colour of the rest of the coat.