Miniature Schnauzer Puppy Colors

Salt and pepper has many variations to its shades. It can be a very dark black, resembling the black and silver, and at the other end of the spectrum, it can be so light that it appears white from a distance.

What to look for, to tell the difference, is that ALL salt and peppers have banded hairs. That means that there are three shades of gray on the hair. The darkest salt and peppers are called “dark salt and pepper.” The lightest salt and peppers are called platinum silvers; they appear white, but have dark banded hairs within the coat.

Most salt and peppers will turn out to be a beautiful silver color, and so some people mistakenly call them “silver.” If you are paying more for a silver, you are being taken advantage of. Silver is simply the color that all salt and peppers mature to be.

Black and silvers can appear much the same as the salt and peppers when they are born, except that the black and silvers have NO brown or copper color behind the ears, on the hocks, nor on the ribs.

As the black and silver matures, she will keep her solid black body, and the copper-colored accents on the face and feet will begin to lighten until they become a beautiful silver-white. It is acceptable to have a few random white hairs appear on the body as they age, but otherwise, the body should remain a solid black color.

Phantom is a term used to differentiate between extremely white markings versus very little white on the face and furnishings. Phantoms tend to fade more quickly than the “traditional” black and silvers, although some are fortunate to have the genetics to keep their dark coats even though their markings are extreme. They have black eyes, black pads, and a black nose.

The blacks are exactly what they sound like: solid black. They are born black, they are black as juveniles, and they should remain black. Some blacks will begin to lighten to a dark gray as they age, but who doesn’t turn a little gray with age?! Some blacks are able to retain their deep black color throughout their lives. This is genetic, and some have it, but most do not.

Again, whites are exactly what they sound like. They are born white and will remain white throughout their lives. They are not born cream or some other color and then turn white. They are not albino, nor is it a defective gene. The white color is not recognized as a show color by the AMSC, but it is a registerable color with the AKC and can be shown at international shows.

When registering a white (or any other non-traditional color), a front and side view photo must be sent to the AKC along with the registration papers. (This is a rule set up by the AMSC.)

This color is one of the rarest and most sought-after within the Miniature Schnauzers. They are registered as wheaten through THE AKC and typically have brown or hazel eyes. Occasionally, you can find them with blue or green eyes. Wheatens can have brown or black pads and a brown or black nose.

Wheaten Newborn

The entire coat of the dog is a chocolate color, and the nose, pads, and eyelids are chocolate. Also, the eyes are hazel or green.

A phantom liver and tan is the same as a phantom black and silver, except where the black and silver is black, the liver and tan has a chocolate-colored coat. Also, the furnishings are a tan to cream color instead of the bright white of the black and silver.

The liver pepper is similar to the salt and pepper except that the nose, pads, and eyelids are chocolate-colored, and the eyes may also be hazel green.

A white chocolate is completely white with a chocolate-colored nose, pads, and eyelids. The eyes are typically a hazel to green color.

The body of a sable is red with varying degrees of dark tipping on the upper body. Sable dogs can have any red intensity from white to red. Some have a dark mask on their muzzle, with the nose and pads being black. The eyes are brown or green. Sable gives a mostly pheomelanic coat with varying degrees of dark hair tipping on the upper body.

The body of a black and silver parti is often white with a large blanket of black. On the other hand, they can have a blanket of black with spots of white. The nose, pads, and eyelids are black. The eyes are brown in color. The eyebrows will be all white, just like the black and silvers.

The body of a wheaten parti is white/cream with large spots (or a blanket) of creamy red, with the nose and pads being brown or black. Each wheaten parti will vary slightly in color. Their eyes can be brown, green, or blue.

The body of a liver pepper parti is white with large spots (or a blanket) of creamy brown, with the nose and pads being brown. The eyebrows and cheeks are a white to cream color, just like a salt and pepper, but keep in mind that all liver peppers have three shades of liver on each piece of hair, and so each liver pepper parti will vary slightly in color. Their eyes are green or hazel.

The body of a liver and tan parti is white with large spots (or a blanket) of brown, with the nose and pads being brown. The eyebrows and cheeks are a white to cream color. Their eyes are green/hazel.

The body of a salt and pepper parti is white with large spots (or a blanket) of silver (that start out brown), with the nose and pads being black. The eyes are also brown in color.

The body of a chocolate parti is white with large spots (or a blanket) of chocolate, with the nose and pads being chocolate. The eyes are also a hazel/green color.

The body of a black parti is white with large spots (or a blanket) of black, with the nose and pads being black. The eyes are brown.