We frequently receive questions about white Miniature Schnauzers. The Canadian and American Breed Standards both say that white is a disqualifying fault. That is to say, it automatically disqualifies a dog from being shown in conformation in North America. While it is true that some other versions of the Breed Standard allow white, we in Canada and the USA use our own Standards as the guideline for the breed's development here.
Responsible breeders work towards the improvement of the breed.
Breeders who deliberately depart from the Standard do so for their own reasons, just as some will deliberately breed crosses to other breeds. These following two articles both address the question of white Miniature Schnauzers from a North American perspective. According to early German records, some of the founding dogs in the Miniature Schnauzer breed had white or yellow dams. The breeders who pioneered the Miniature Schnauzer had a specific goal in mind - to produce a smaller version of the well established Standard Schnauzer. To this end crosses with smaller breeds such as the affenspinscher, toy spitz and perhaps poodle were employed.