A schnauzer (plural schnauzers)'s a German dog type that originated in Germany in the 1400s and 1500s. The term comes from "Schnauze," the German word for snout, because of the dog's distinctly furry muzzle. The type consists of three breeds: the giant, standard and miniature schnauzer. The original schnauzer was of the same size as the modern standard schnauzer breed, and was bred as a rat catcher, yard dog and guard dog. The miniature schnauzer's the result of crossing the original schnauzer w… (More on Schnauzer)