- published: 07 Dec 2015
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A schnauzer ( /ˈʃnaʊzər/) (German: [ˈʃnaʊtsɐ], plural schnauzers) is a dog breed that originated in Germany in the 15th and 16th centuries. The term comes from Schnauze, the German word for "snout", because of the dog's distinctively bearded snout. Some authorities, such as Encyclopædia Britannica, also claim that the name is derived from the word's secondary meaning of "moustache". Although the schnauzer is considered a terrier-type dog, they do not have the typical terrier temperament. They seem to be kinder, calmer, less energetic, and easier to train than a dog such as a Scottish terrier would be.[citation needed]
The schnauzer type consists of three breeds: the giant, standard, miniature. Toy and teacup are not breeds of schnauzer, but these common terms are used to market undersized or ill-bred miniature schnauzers.[citation needed] The original schnauzer was of the same size as the modern Standard Schnauzer breed, and was bred as a rat catcher, yard dog and guard dog. The Miniature Schnauzer is the result of crossing the original schnauzer with breeds including the poodle and the affenpinscher.