Miniature Schnauzer puppies are adorable balls of fur. However, don’t let their puppy appearance fool you. When these pups grow to be adults, their appearance will change and look more like the breed standard.

To give you an idea of what to expect, here’s what you can look for when analyzing the appearance of Miniature Schnauzer puppies and the sire and/or dam of the litter.

When Mini Schnauzers grow into adults they will be characterized by their distinctive long mustache and strong body. The body of the Schnauzer is solid and well balanced. They do not have awkward movements and walk with confidence and carry their heads high with pride. They have flexible skin without extra wrinkling.

The neck of Miniature Schnauzer puppies is long and muscular, which is a nice compliment to their stocky, strong body. Their backs are straight but have a slight slop that extends into the tail. The tail is customarily docked and is carried high.

Mini Schnauzers have straight and strong forelegs and their hind legs are equipped with well muscled thighs. You will notice that the feet of Miniature Schnauzer puppies are round, short and have a cat-like in appearances. Furthermore, their toes are nicely arced and feature thick black pads.

Just as their neck is long, so is the Schnauzers head. The head of the Schnauzer is broad and is characterized by prominent eyebrows, whiskers and a thick mustache. They have medium sized and oval shaped dark eyes. The eyes should convey an alert, intelligent and dynamic expression.

The ears of Miniature Schnauzers can be cropped so they stand erect on the dogs head, or they can simply be left to fold down. Regardless if they are cropped or not, the ears are V-shaped and are a moderate length; they do not hang long and are not floppy.

Miniature Schnauzer puppies have a blunt muzzle and a black nose with wide nostrils. Their jaws are strong and feature a nice set of white teeth that form a complete scissor bite.

When deciding on your Miniature Schnauzer puppies you will need to consider which coat color you prefer. Schnauzers are available in “salt and pepper” (mix of light and dark hair, sometimes with slight tan shading), pure black, or black and silver. You may also find that some Miniature Schnauzers have a pure white coat. However, there is still much debate over this coat coloring and currently it is not recognized by many kennel clubs.

Despite the color you decide you like best; all Miniature Schnauzer puppies have two coats. The undercoat is dense while the top coat is coarse and wiry. A Schnauzers coat should not feel soft. As they become older, Schnauzers should be groomed so that the hair is longer on the legs and head, but is short on the rest of the body.

The physical appearance of Miniature Schnauzer puppies should matter to you. After all, not only do you want to make sure they coincide with the breed standard, but their physical appearance can also reveal the overall wellbeing of the dog.