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The Salt/Pepper Puppy
How can you tell its a salt/pepper. Some breeders Dont know the differences.
How to Identify a Salt & Pepper Miniature Schnauzer Puppy From Birth
Salt & pepper does not mean gray at birth. True salt-and-pepper schnauzers are born very dark and are often mistaken for black puppies.
At Birth
• Puppies are born dark charcoal to near black
• Coat may appear solid at first glance
• Small white markings may be present:
• Chin
• Chest
• Toes
• Under strong lighting, you may notice a soft gray undertone, not a true jet black
⭐ Key Early Indicator: Coloring Behind the Ears
One of the best early indicators of a true salt & pepper puppy is the color behind the ears.
• Salt & pepper puppies almost always show:
• Lighter gray or silvery tones behind the ears
• This area clears earlier than the rest of the body
• Even when the puppy looks black overall, the skin-level coat behind the ears often shows:
• Pale gray
• Mouse-gray
• Soft silver shading
👉 This happens because the agouti banding expresses earliest in thinner coat areas like the ears.
❗ Black/silver puppies typically remain solid dark behind the ears until silver markings appear later in specific locations.
2–8 Weeks: Pattern Development
• Lighter roots begin to appear
• Face furnishings start to soften in color
• Legs lighten before the body
• Individual hairs show distinct banding (dark–light–dark)
This banding confirms a true salt & pepper coat.
Dark Salt & Pepper vs. Silver Schnauzer (Adult)
Dark Salt & Pepper (Adult)
• Body color: Steel gray to charcoal
• Each hair is banded
• Color has depth and a blended appearance
• Face furnishings are gray to pale silver
• Shade may change with grooming, seasons, and age
Silver Schnauzer (Adult)
• Body clears dramatically
• Adult coat becomes:
• Light silver
• Platinum
• Nearly white
• Hair is solid color, not banded
• Higher contrast between body and furnishings
Grooming Makes the Difference
• Hand stripping preserves darker tones
• Clipping accelerates lightening
• Salt & pepper coats continue to shift
• Silver coats stabilize lighter
Quick Comparison
FeatureSalt & PepperSilverBirth colorDarkDarkBehind earsLight gray earlyStays darkHair typeBandedSolidAdult bodyGray/charcoalLight silver/white
Important Reminder for Buyers
✔ Salt & pepper is a genetic pattern, not a single shade
✔ Behind-the-ear coloring is one of the earliest and most reliable clues
❌ Not all dark puppies will turn silver
Salt-and-pepper puppies.
Salt/Pepper color puppies.
The Black/Silver puppy From Birth
Information on the difference of the black/silver.
Black & Silver Miniature Schnauzer — From Birth to Adult
Black & silver is a distinct genetic pattern, not a variation of salt & pepper. These puppies have solid-colored hairs with clearly defined silver points that develop with age.
At Birth
• Black & silver puppies are usually born solid jet black
• Some black & silver puppies are born appearing black and tan
• The “tan” seen at birth is:
• Soft
• Warm-toned
• Temporary
• Coat is dense and dark to the roots
• No banding is present in the hair
🔍 Key Indicator: Behind the Ears
The area behind the ears is one of the most reliable indicators of a true black & silver puppy.
• Color behind the ears remains:
• Solid black
• Dark to the skin
• There is no gray or silver cast in this area
• This stays true even if the puppy appears black and tan at birth
👉 Salt & pepper puppies typically show lighter gray or silver behind the ears early on. Black & silver puppies do not.
2–4 Weeks
• Puppies may still appear:
• Solid black, or
• Black with tan points
• The tan areas begin to:
• Cool in tone
• Lighten
• No blending occurs between colors
4–8 Weeks: Color Transition
This is when the classic black & silver pattern becomes clear.
• The tan areas fade and change into:
• Light silver
• Gray
• Silver appears in correct locations:
• Eyebrows
• Beard and muzzle
• Chest
• Legs and feet
• Under the tail
• The black remains solid and defined
✔ Puppies born black and tan are still genetically black & silver
✔ The tan is a puppy-stage color, not a final color
The Fading (Clearing) Gene in Black & Silver
Some black & silver schnauzers carry a fading gene, which can affect coat shade over time.
What This Looks Like
• Black may soften to:
• Charcoal
• Dark gray
• Furnishings may appear lighter with age
• Sun exposure and clipping can increase fading
Important Facts
✔ The dog remains black & silver
✔ The pattern never changes
✔ Hair stays solid, never banded
✔ It does not turn into salt & pepper or silver
Adult Black & Silver
• Dark body with defined silver points
• High contrast between body and furnishings
• No banding anywhere in the coat
• Even faded blacks remain genetically black
Quick Reference Summary
FeatureBlack & SilverBirth appearanceBlack or black & tanBehind earsSolid blackHair typeSolidSilver appears4–8 weeksTan changes✔ YesFading genePossiblePattern changes❌ Never
Common Misconceptions
❌ “Black and tan puppies are a different color”
✔ False — they mature into black & silver
❌ “Fading changes the color pattern”
✔ False — it only affects shade
The black/silver puppy
Always BEWARE
I'll Keep repeating this
How Backyard Breeders Sell Puppies: Don’t Fall for the Gimmicks
Backyard breeders (BYBs) don’t sell puppies based on quality, health, structure, temperament, or breed standard.
They sell puppies using marketing tricks designed to confuse buyers and justify inflated prices.
1. Pricing Puppies by “Category” Instead of Quality
One of the biggest red flags is when puppies are priced in categories rather than evaluated individually.
Common BYB pricing tactics include:
• Higher price for coat color
• Higher price for males over females
• Higher price for “rare” or “exotic” colors
• Random price jumps with no explanation tied to structure or health
👉 In ethical breeding, coat color does NOT determine value.
👉 Gender does NOT determine value.
A puppy’s price should reflect:
• Structure and conformation
• Temperament
• Health DNA parents
• Pedigree quality
• Potential (pet vs. show/breeding)
2. Charging More Based on Coat Color
BYBs often charge more for:
• Parti color
• Merle color
• Liver or red, roan
• Mega coat
This is pure marketing.
In Miniature Schnauzers:
• All traditional colors are equally acceptable
• Color alone does not improve health, temperament, or quality
• Ethical breeders do not price by color
If a breeder’s first selling point is color, that is a warning sign 🚩
3. Males Priced Higher Than Females
Another common BYB tactic is pricing males higher than females (or vice versa).
Truth:
• Gender does not make a puppy better or worse
• Temperament and structure matter far more
• Ethical breeders match puppies to homes, not price tags
Pricing by gender is a sales gimmick, not a quality standard.
4. Playing “Paper Games”
BYBs love to use paperwork to sound legitimate while avoiding the truth.
Common paper games include:
• Flashy certificates without real meaning
• Registries with no breed enforcement
• “Champion bloodlines” with no proof
• Vague pedigrees or refusal to show them
• Selling puppies with/ with out papers.
👉 A pedigree tells the real story.
👉 Titles, health testing, and consistent breed type matter.
5. “Traditional Color” Claims – Check the Pedigree
Many BYBs claim:
“We breed traditional color Miniature Schnauzers.”
But then—
When you look at the pedigree, you see:
• Non-traditional colors repeatedly
• No titled dogs
• No consistency in type
• No proof of standard-based breeding
📌 A true traditional Miniature Schnauzer is proven through pedigree, not words.
Pedigrees reveal:
• Whether the line is consistently traditional
• If dogs were bred with purpose
• If the breeder follows the breed standard
6. How Ethical Breeders Actually Price Puppies
Ethical breeders price puppies based on quality, not gimmicks.
Typical pricing structure:
• Pet quality (spay/neuter agreement, no breeding rights)
• Show / Breeding quality (structure, pedigree, potential)
The difference is based on:
• Conformation
• Temperament
• Health testing
• Breeding potential
Not:
❌ Color
❌ Gender
❌ “Trendy” terms
7. Don’t Fall for BYB Advertising Terms — RUN FAR AWAY 🚩
If you see these terms, be cautious or walk away:
• “Rare color”
• “Exotic”
• “Designer”
• “Luxury puppy”
• “Teacup” or “Micro”
• “Unusual markings”
• “Color upgrade”
• “Male premium”
• “Limited-time pricing”
• “Price based on color”
• “AKC only means quality” (registration alone proves nothing)
• “Traditional color” with no pedigree proof
Final Thought
Today’s puppy market is flooded with sales gimmicks, and many buyers are being misled.
Remember:
• Quality is proven, not advertised
• Pedigrees don’t lie
• Color doesn’t equal value
• Ethical breeders protect the breed — BYBs sell trends
Don’t fall prey to Backyard Breeder terminology.
An informed buyer is a puppy’s best protection. 🐾
More advice to Watch for
What BYB say or do
Price Drops, “Excuses,” and Fast-Buck Tactics
Another major red flag with Backyard Breeders is how prices suddenly drop.
Common BYB excuses include:
• “We need to move the puppies”
• “The market slowed down”
• “Holiday special”
• “End-of-litter discount”
• “Price reduced due to age”
🚩 Ethical breeders do not randomly slash prices.
Why?
Because quality doesn’t depreciate.
When a breeder is:
• Doing health testing
• Proper nutrition
• Vet care
• Socialization
• Training and desensitizing
• Time and daily hands-on work
The cost does not go down—it goes up.
Price drops almost always mean:
• The breeder wants quick cash
• The puppies were never evaluated for quality
• No real investment was made in those puppies
“Buy Two Puppies for a Discount” – A Huge Warning Sign
One of the most dangerous BYB sales tactics is:
“We’ll give you a discount if you take two puppies.”
🚩 This is NOT responsible breeding.
Ethical breeders do not sell two puppies from the same litter or two puppies of the same age to the same home—unless the buyer is highly experienced and educated.
Why? Littermate Syndrome
Littermate syndrome is real and serious.
Possible problems include:
• Extreme separation anxiety
• Poor bonding with humans
• Difficulty training
• Fearfulness
• Reactivity
• One puppy becoming dominant (alpha)
• One puppy becoming submissive (omega)
• Fighting as they mature
• Long-term behavioral issues
These issues can:
• Take years to correct
• Require professional trainers
• End with one dog being rehomed
Alpha & Omega Dynamics
When two puppies grow up together:
• One often becomes alpha (dominant, controlling)
• The other becomes omega (fearful, insecure)
This dynamic is unhealthy and unfair to both puppies.
Ethical breeders work to:
• Build confidence individually
• Encourage human bonding
• Develop stable, independent temperaments
Who Should Get Two Puppies from the Same Litter?
Only someone who:
• Understands littermate syndrome
• Has extensive dog experience
• Will train separately
• Crates separately
• Walks separately
• Trains separately
• Bonds separately
• Can afford professional training if needed
This is rare—and ethical breeders screen heavily for it.
Ethical Breeders Invest Time — Prices Don’t Drop
Responsible breeders:
• Start early training
• Work on confidence, handling, and manners
• Desensitize puppies to grooming, noise, and environments
• Evaluate structure and temperament
• Place puppies carefully
That time has real value.
When you see prices suddenly lowered, ask yourself:
What investment was really made in this puppy?
BYBs Breed Fast, Sell Fast, Repeat
Backyard breeders are focused on:
• Speed
• Volume
• Trends
• Quick money
So what happens?
• Poor quality breeding continues
• Non-standard Miniature Schnauzers are produced
• Temperament issues increase
• Health problems increase
• The breed standard erodes
When people buy from BYBs, they unknowingly fund the continued decline of the breed.
Final Reality Check
• Ethical breeders protect the Miniature Schnauzer
• Backyard breeders sell excuses
• Quality never goes “on sale”
• Puppies are not clearance items
Choose knowledge.
Choose responsibility.
Choose the future of the breed.
