Our Unique Colors Appaloosa Schnauzers
There really is no such thing as an Appaloosa Schnauzer, but I decided to develop this webpage in an effort to try and explain the unique look of our heavily ticked Parti Schnauzers. For many people who are just starting to look for a schnauzer, the terminology can be rather confusing. What is ticking? What is a Parti Schnauzer? What is supercoated? Part of the confusion comes because people are accustomed to seeing the three more common standard colors; Salt and Pepper, solid Black, and Black and Silver. All of my schnauzers are AKC registered, but the Schnauzer Club (who controls who goes to the AKC accredited shows) will only recognize the three standard colors. And because they refuse to recognize any of the other colors (which we call the "Lost Colors"), most people are surprised to discover that these unique colors even exist.
The Miniature Schnauzer was produced by breeding the Standard Schnauzer with the Affenpinscher, the Poodle, and a couple of the terrier breeds. As you can imagine, a large gene pool for colors other than the three standard colors was created as the dogs were being crossbred. Researching Schnauzer's history you will discover that once the Schnauzer club was formed in order to more closely resemble their larger cousin the Standard Schnauzer, the club decided on only the three colors: Black, Black & Silver, and Salt & Pepper. In the process of producing the breed, there were many different color results which included the “broken patterns” or the parti colors, as well as shades of red, white, and brown.
Unfortunately, these colors were unacceptable to the purists who did not want anything other than the breed standard. In other words, if it was not one of the three desirable chosen colors, the pups was drowned/killed. We have selectively bred our dogs to encourage these rare and unique colors. While the staunch show breeders have selectively bred to discourage any of the recessive genes/rare colors.
Because of the very high vermin population, the Germans developed the miniature schnauzer to be ratters. In order to catch the rats, they needed to be small and lower to the ground. So the original mini schnauzer was bred to be 8-10 inches at the shoulder, or toy size. Once the schnauzer club was formed and breeders started competitively showing their dogs, they soon discovered that the larger dogs were winning. They then decided to raise the breed standard to 12-14 inches at the shoulder, which resulted in the 12+ pound miniature schnauzer. Video demonstrating the Teacup, Toy, & Miniature!
Growing up my family raised quarter horses, and it occurred to me that our heavily ticked parti schnauzers closely resemble the Appaloosa. The beautiful spotted Appaloosa is one of the most beloved of American horse breeds and can be found throughout the world. Much like the Miniature Schnauzer, the Appaloosas are prized for their easy-going dispositions and their reliability as a family pet. Known for its spotted pattern, they have been part of history for thousands of years dating back to the stone age in Europe. Developed here in the United States by the Nez Perce Indian tribe, their most defining feature is their spotted coat, which can be in five precise patterns: blanket, snowflake, leopard, marble, and frost. As you can see from the examples below, our heavily ticked Parti Schnauzers look a lot like the Appaloosas, and they also closely resemble the German Short Haired hunting dogs. We hope you'll enjoy scrolling down & looking at the many examples of the "lost colors" that we produce here at Texas T's Toy Schnauzers!
Black Parti Schnauzers
Liver or Chocolate Parti Schnauzer
The terms Liver & Chocolate are used interchangeably to describe a brown schnauzer. The Liver Schnauzer is different from all other schnauzers as they have a chocolate nose and green or bird dog yellow eyes. All other schnauzers will have a black nose & black eyes. As you can see, there are also many different shades of the liver parti. Colors can vary from the very dark chocolate (which is what we prefer to produce) to the more reddish brown chocolate as shown below!
Saddleback Parti Schnauzer
We like to breed for the saddleback parti or the blanket parti. The terms are used to describe a large splotch of color on the topline of the dog, which resembles a saddle or a blanket rather than random splotches of color.
Parti Schnauzer
The parti schnauzer is a dog that has random spots. Imagine a herd of Holstein cows. Each cow just a little different than the next. We very rarely get the random spotted parti schnauzers.
Salt & Pepper Parti Schnauzer
White/White Chocolate Parti
Most of our White or White Chocolate pups are really parti's. But just as it is difficult to see the difference in color on this appaloosa, it is even more difficult to see the parti markings on the whites unless they are shaved very close. The two photos below show the difference between a standard white puppy and a white chocolate. The white pups will have black eyes and a black nose, and the white chocolates will have green eyes and a chocolate nose. The white pups look like they have black eyeliner around their eyes, whereas the white chocolate pups are "without makeup" or el natural!
Or, Maybe They're More Like
Pointers!
It doesn't matter whether they're a Standard Color or a Lost Color, or whether they are Ticked or Non-Ticked. You just can't go wrong with
a Miniature Schnauzer no matter what the color!