All the Miniature Schnauzer Colors (With Pictures!)

Miniature Schnauzers are sporty, cute, and low-shedding dogs that are the smallest of the three Schnauzer breeds. They're sturdy little pups that were first bred to be farm dogs thanks to their great work ethic.

All that, plus an adorable and curious personality make these doggos popular family pets. But what are all the Miniature Schnauzer colors? What do the different kennel clubs say? Here's what you need to know about these adorable bearded dogs and their beautiful coats.

Is color really that important?

If you're thinking about adopting a Miniature Schnauzer, there are more important things to think about than just their coat color. Schnauzers are very alert and active little dogs that need daily exercise and training to keep them mentally and physically healthy. You need to have a lifestyle that can fit in with their exercise requirements.

It's also much more important that your dog is healthy and well-bred. Whenever you adopt a pup it's essential to get all their medical history and adopt them from an ethical breeder that puts the welfare of the breed first. That's much more important than what color they are!

That being said, if you want to enter your dog into a competition or show, you'll need to make sure that their coat color is recognized by a kennel club. If you just want a furry friend, you can choose any of the Miniature Schnauzer colors!

What does the American Kennel Club say?

According to the AKC, there are only 3 recognized colors for the Miniature Schnauzer breed. They are:

• Black
• Black and silver
• Salt and pepper

All these three colors will have a black nose and black pads. The AKC doesn't mention any markings.

What type of coat do Miniature Schnauzers have?

All three Schnauzers (Giant, Standard, and Miniature) have a double coat. This means they have a soft undercoat and a wiry topcoat. In order for these pups to look their best, they will require brushing. They don't, however, shed that much and they can be a good choice for those suffering from mild allergies.

You may also want to have your Schnauzer clipped to keep their beard and eyebrows under control! Doing this with a professional groomer every 6 to 8 weeks is a good idea.

All the Miniature Schnauzer colors

Here are the 12 possible colors that your Miniature Schnauzer could be.

Black Miniature Schnauzer

Black Miniature Schnauzers are usually born with solid black coats. They may grow up and maintain their solid black bodies or they may develop white patches on their chest, chin, and the tips of their toes.

These beautiful dogs are particularly striking. They have a paler black undercoat and a shinier top coat. They have brown or dark brown eyes, a black nose, and black pads.

Black and Silver Miniature Schnauzer

Black and silver pups have entirely black bodies with silver accents on their legs, beard, eyebrows, and ears. When they're born, black and silver Miniature Schnauzers may look more black, but as they grow they'll develop silver hair.

The shade of silver can differ from dog to dog. Some pups may have dark hair and others might have very light, almost white, silver hair.

These pooches will have black eyes, black noses, and black pads.

Salt and Pepper Miniature Schnauzer

Salt and pepper Miniature Schnauzers are really adorable. They come in a variety of shades and can be very light or dark. These dogs tend to have banded hairs, which means that one hair can have many shades of color. In this case, they're usually black and white or black and gray.

Regardless of how light or dark they become as adults, salt and pepper Miniature Schnauzer puppies usually have tan shades on the side of their bodies. They often have brown eyes and black paws and noses.

Parti Miniature Schnauzer

Parti pups have a base color and large patches of white – a little like a hairy cow. They can be salt pepper parties or another color such as black, liver, black and silver, and many more.

Each dog is different and will have a different pattern of white patches. Although not accepted by the AKC, this coat color is very attractive!

Liver Miniature Schnauzer

Liver pups are often called chocolate because of their rich brown coat color. It's common for liver puppies to have white hairs on their chin, chest, and tips of their toes. These markings stand out quite a lot when the dog is young but will fade as they grow older.

Liver Miniature Schnauzers can have green or hazel eyes, chocolate pads, and a brown nose. It's also possible to adopt a liver parti dog that has a liver base coat and silver white markings over the entire coat.

Lilac Miniature Schnauzer

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Lilac Schnauzers have a diluted liver coat because they carry the dilute gene. Their color is usually a pale gray/brown/lilac color and they have brown, hazel, or green eyes.

Liver and Tan Miniature Schnauzer

These doggos are born with a solid liver body and can have tan and white markings on their muzzle, eyebrows, and ears. They may also have lighter-colored markings on their chest and feet. They'll have chocolate pads and a chocolate nose and brown, hazel, or green eyes.

Liver and Rust Miniature Schnauzer

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Mini Schnauzers with this coloring are often confused with liver and tan dogs. Rust pups, however, have deeper, rust-colored patches rather than paler tan ones. The darker the rust markings, the more expensive these dogs will be.

Black and Rust Miniature Schnauzer

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Black and rust puppies are born with solid black bodies and have orange/rust-colored eyebrows, beards, and chests. As is the case with liver and rust dogs, some pups will have deep rust markings and others will be much paler.

Liver Pepper Miniature Schnauzer

These rare and beautiful dogs are born with banded hairs that are brown and chocolate. They may also have white and black markings. The main difference between these and salt pepper dogs is that liver pepper pups have liver-colored noses, pads, and eyelids.

White Miniature Schnauzer

Contrary to what many may think, white Mini Schnauzers are not albino. They can live long and healthy lives and are very adorable! They're born with fully white coats and have very dark black noses and pads. Their skin may have a grayish tint to it.

Red Miniature Schnauzer

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This is a rare color for Schnauzers. Red dogs can be a number of different red/orange shades. Depending on the shade, they may be called wheaten or rust. Usually, the darker the color, the more expensive the pup will be.

They'll have a black nose, brown or black pads, and hazel, brown, or black eyes.

Platinum Silver Miniature Schnauzer

Do you have pictures of a Platinum Silver Miniature Schnauzer? Send it to us and we'll feature you!

These pups are actually considered to be salt and pepper doggos but they're a much lighter shade. They have banded hairs that make them appear light gray when they're first born. As they age, their coats will get much lighter and turn a beautiful silver color. Some pups even appear ice white. In all likelihood, they'll have brown eyes, a black nose, and black pads.

Blue Merle Miniature Schnauzer

This is another rare one when it comes to Miniature Schnauzer colors. Blue merles have a diluted black base coat (thanks to the dilute gene which makes them ‘blue'). They'll also have many different diluted colored patches on their bodies.

They'll have blue or brown eyes, a black nose, and black pads.

It's possible for many other colors to carry the merle gene meaning they'll have a particular colored coat plus patches of merle over their bodies.

One of the reasons Miniature Schnauzers are so common is because of all the beautiful colors these dogs come in. There's a huge variety to choose from – really everything from black to white!

Just remember, if you want a dog recognized by the AKC for competition, you need to get a black, black and silver, or salt and pepper pooch. The most important thing, however, is that you adopt a happy and healthy pup that will be a great addition to your family.