User:Tikuko/sandbox7

A schnauzer (, plural Schnauzer) is any of three dog breeds that originated in Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries. The term comes from the German word for "mustache", because of the dog's distinctively bearded snout.

Miniature Schnauzer
Miniature Schnauzers originated in the mid-to-late 19th century. They developed from crosses between the Standard Schnauzer and one or more smaller breeds such as the Poodle and Affenpinscher, as farmers bred a small dog that was an efficient ratting dog. They are described as "spunky" but aloof dogs, with good guarding tendencies without some guard dogs' predisposition to bite. Miniature Schnauzers are recognized in three colors internationally: solid black, black and silver, and a color known as 'salt and pepper'. There is a controversial fourth color variant in Miniature Schnauzers, pure white, which is not recognized universally.

Giant Schnauzer
Giant Schnauzers are around 2 ft tall at the shoulder and weigh between 55 and 80 lb. They are working dogs that were developed in Swabia in the 17th century, as a rough coated variant of the pinscher breeds. Unlike the Miniature Schnauzer, the Giant Schnauzer is unrelated to the Standard Schnauzer and was developed independently through crosses of black Great Danes, Munchener German Shepherds, Rottweilers, Dobermans, Boxers, Bouvier des Flandres, Thuringian Shepherds, and the Standard Schnauzer. It was originally bred to drive livestock to market and guard farms.