The Schnauzer or Mittelschnauzer is a German breed of dog in the Pinscher and Schnauzer group. It is characterised by an abundant bristly beard and moustache, usually lighter than the coat. It is one of three Schnauzer breeds, the others being the Giant Schnauzer or Riesenschnauzer, and the Miniature Schnauzer or Zwergschnauzer. In Germany it is an endangered breed, and is listed in category III of the Rote Liste of the Gesellschaft zur Erhaltung alter und gefährdeter Haustierrassen. The Schnauzer is a robust and squarely-built dog of medium size, of working or utility type. The coat is hard, wiry and dense, with a thick soft under-coat. It may be salt-and-pepper or black; in the salt-and-pepper, the grey may vary from pale silver-grey to dark iron-grey. Salt-and-pepper dogs have a black mask. The ears are set high and drooping; the eyes are dark. (Source: Wikipedia.org, CC BY-SA)