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Miniature Schnauzer guide

Miniature Schnauzer colors

A Miniature Schnauzer comes in three show colors, salt and pepper, black and silver, and solid black. Salt and pepper is the color families ask us for most, black and silver is popular too, and we plan our pairings with both in mind.

Show colorsSalt and pepper, black and silver, solid black
Can be registered, not shownWhite, wheaten, liver, liver pepper, liver and tan
Final pickAt 4 to 5 weeks
A Miniature Schnauzer puppy standing in front of a brick wall

What colors can a Miniature Schnauzer be?

There are three show colors. In a salt and pepper coat most hairs are banded, black, then white, then black again, with some solid black and solid white hairs mixed in. The shade can run from almost silver white to almost black, and a little tan shading in the topcoat is fine.

Whatever the shade, the eyebrows, whiskers and cheeks lighten to pale gray or silver white, and so do the throat, chest, legs and the hair under the tail. That lighter trim is what draws the famous eyebrows and beard, and it's the look most families picture when they hear the name. A Schnauzer should also have even skin color and a solid black nose.

A Miniature Schnauzer puppy lying down in a basket

How is black and silver different from solid black?

A black and silver has the same pattern as a salt and pepper, with true black in place of the salt and pepper on its body. The silver shows in the same places, on the eyebrows, beard, chest and legs, and the black often reaches a little farther down the legs. Against a rich black coat that silver stands out sharply, and it's a big part of why so many families love the color.

Solid black is the only solid color for the show ring. The dog is black all over, undercoat included, and a small white spot on the chest is allowed. Any other white marking on a black dog, or on the colored parts of a salt and pepper or a black and silver, keeps a dog out of the show ring.

A Miniature Schnauzer puppy sitting in front of a brick wall

Will my puppy's color change as it grows?

It can. As Schnauzers get older and are clipped, a salt and pepper may fade to a lighter gray, and a black or a black and silver may fade from black toward dark gray. So the puppy you carry out to the car at 9 weeks is a first look at the coat, and the grown dog can end up a shade lighter than the baby you fell for.

That's part of why families reserve by color at birth and make the final pick at 4 to 5 weeks, when the coat is further along. We'll tell you what we expect each puppy's coat to become, and the answer on size and color in our FAQ sets out how far an estimate of either one can go. Size has its own guide, how big a Miniature Schnauzer gets.

A Miniature Schnauzer at Teapup

Where does white fit in?

A white Miniature Schnauzer can be registered, but it can't be shown. The same goes for wheaten, liver, liver pepper, and liver and tan, and for a coat with patches of white. That matters a great deal to people who show their dogs and very little to a family looking for a companion.

White puppies have come along in some of our past litters. Fewer families ask us for white, so salt and pepper and black and silver are the colors we plan most of our pairings around.

A Miniature Schnauzer puppy sitting in front of a brick wall

The colors we raise, and how we plan them

The Miniature Schnauzers on our recent listings have been salt and pepper and black and silver. Those are the colors most families come to us hoping for, and they're what we aim for when we decide which mama goes with which papa.

Coat color comes from several genes working together, and a dog can carry a color it doesn't show and still pass it on to its puppies. Where we have DNA results for a mama and papa, they help us plan the colors a litter may carry. We are working toward health testing all of our mamas and papas, and the certificates we have are posted on each parent's page. The puppies still get the last word on color.

A Miniature Schnauzer puppy standing on a wooden set

How do I reserve a puppy by color?

Tell us the color you're hoping for on the puppy application, where the question about your dream puppy asks about coloring. Once you're approved, a newborn can be held for you by gender and color, and you make the final pick from the litter at 4 to 5 weeks. A $200 non-refundable deposit holds a place on the waiting list for a litter that has not been born yet.

You'll find our Miniature Schnauzer puppies on the breed page, our Schnauzer price guide covers what one costs to buy and keep, and our guide to picking a puppy goes through the rest of the choice.

Mini Schnauzer puppies

Meet our Mini Schnauzer puppies

Each Schnauzer on the breed page has its own photographs, so you can see how its coat looks today.

See our Mini Schnauzer puppiesStart an application

More about the Mini Schnauzer

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Call or text during the day, email any time, or send an application and we will get back to you, usually within 24 hours. You are welcome to visit in Syracuse, Indiana, during our hours or at another time on request.

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  • Phone(574) 457-8231 · call or text
  • Emailpups@teapup.com
  • HoursMonday to Friday 9am to 5pm, Saturday 9am to 3pm. Other times available on request.
  • WhereSyracuse, Indiana. We are at 3468 E 1300 N, Syracuse, IN 46567. Visit during our hours or at another time on request.