Never seen a mini this colour

[Gemwah]

Remy is six month old now and we are constantly being asked about her unusual colourings. We love the way she looks, but I’ve never seen another mini with similar colourings. Has anyone else?

[Oscar 12345]

No never, she is beautiful, looks as though she has a little Cairn terrier in her.

[Dawnspell]

I'm guessing Remy is from the US with cropped ears and docked tail. I've seen similar patterns on schnauzers in a variety of colours from US they normally advertise them as "parti". Not a recogised schnauzer colour by kennel clubs and not very common in UK. Remy is a very pale parti compared to some photos I've seen

[Schnauzer Sam]

Hi Gemma, Remy looks as if she is what is called parti coloured. In Guernsey, where I live, I know of 3 (out of 30 or 40). If registered, their colouring will be "non breed standard" as the only recognised colours that meet the breed standard are black, black and silver, pepper and salt and more recently, white.

There's an article about this colouring here http://www.maximilianschnauzers.com/parti-history.php

Do you have Remy's registration papers and, it's not clear from the photo's, is her tail docked?

[Gemwah]

Hi all, that's interesting to hear she’s “parti” coloured, thanks for the info. She is indeed American (although we’re English, we’re living in NYC at the moment). We knew her tail had been docked before we got her and she’d been spayed at a young age so her legs are like giraffes legs. Not something we would have chosen for her at that age, we also wouldn’t have had her tail docked but we loved her as we found her.

We didn’t think that her ears had been cropped, we adopted her at 3 months old and they looked healthy and not scarred, I could be wrong though as I guess as they’re unusual too, although they're just starting to get a little tilt forward in the corners. We have papers from her previous owners and she’s listed as “chocolate Merle” whatever that means! Her papers show her parents as miniature schnauzers, but I know that the Merle colour is not a purebred colour. We love her as she is and are not precious about her needing to be purebred or a particular colour. I love her unique look!

[Dawnspell]

Merle is common in collies and australian shepherds but as you say not schnauzers. Theyre very small if theyre not cropped not that it makes any difference

[Schnauzerluv]

She has a very nice pattern and is very pretty

I have read about 'merle' schnauzers and 'parti' and 'chocolate'/'liver', they are considered designer colours, not recognized by the AKC/CKC. Merle was the first thing I thought of seeing Remy, but I have never seen or recognized any in real life. I think they are rare here in Canada as well.

Does Remy have a brown or black nose and paw pads? Chocolate is another given name for liver which is a brown based dog.

[Gemwah]

She has a very nice pattern and is very pretty

I have read about 'merle' schnauzers and 'parti' and 'chocolate'/'liver', they are considered designer colours, not recognized by the AKC/CKC. Merle was the first thing I thought of seeing Remy, but I have never seen or recognized any in real life. I think they are rare here in Canada as well.

Does Remy have a brown or black nose and paw pads? Chocolate is another given name for liver which is a brown based dog.

She has a brown nose and paw pads and is all over very light brown/cream coloured in the right light. We think she looks fawn or peached colour.

[zeta1454]

Remy is a pretty little dog

In any breed where a litter or puppy is of unusual or rare colouring it is probably best not to take the description on the advert or ‘papers’ as necessarily accurate. The reason why ‘Merle’ colourings are rare other than in a small number of specific breeds is that the gene for Merle can potentially cause serious health issues. In the U.K. the Kennel Club now refuses to register puppies described with a Merle colouring other than in the long established breeds, having been requested to do so by many breed clubs:

https://www.thekennelclub.org.uk/media- ... colouring/

There is more about the genetics of Merle colour on this link too:

http://www.doggenetics.co.uk/merle.html

Remy’s colouring may well not be Merle but has been described as this by the breeder originally to attract purchasers so no need to be concerned about the potential health issues mentioned in the links. As you say she is a pretty dog and her unusual colouring makes her more special to you as well