I am placing photos of the different colors of puppies I have raised so that you may know what each color looks like on a real dog instead of just words on a page. If you have any questions just ask. This page is dedicated to the three colors recognized by the AKC and can be shown. I will place pictures and explanations of the alternate schnauzer colors on a second page. These alternately colored dogs may be registered with the AKC but cannot be shown. They can however compete in other AKC events such as agility and obedience.
These pups are all black. Black can vary from charcoal to black as a lump of coal. They can be solid black of have what is commonly called "parti markers" which usually means white on the chest, belly or toes. Solid black is the AKC preferred color but many people like the white markers on family pets. Only solid black can be in AKC shows.
These pups are all salt and pepper. As you can see, they vary in shade considerably. They can be so dark that they look black and silver as in the bottom photo or be almost solid silver at birth. All salt and peppers fade with time and the really light ones show almost no difference in the leg and facial markings as compared to the body color when older. Pictures four and five are the same dog as a young pup and as a young adult.
These are all examples of black and silver. There can be a big difference in the degree of color in the silver markings going from a dull gray to pure white. In picture three you can see a black and silver male compared to his salt and pepper sister on the right. Black and silver is one of the three colors allowed to be shown by the AKC. Any other color may only be shown in shows hosted by other pet registries such as APRI and CKC. Most black and silvers are born black and tan. The tan slowly turns to silver as the pup matures. Some pups will be born black with the pure white markings already present and they will stay that color. Black and silvers usually fade over the years just as salt and peppers do and may eventually look like a dark salt and pepper.
