Miniature Schnauzer Dogs

An adult black and white miniature schnauzer with a beautiful long coat and beard

A young adult miniature schnauzer standing tall, showing off its soft grey and white coat

A beautiful miniature schnauzer with a well groomed short, soft coat

A lovely little miniature schnauzer puppy laying very neatly, paws together

A young miniature schnauzer stretching out its back legs

A beautiful, little miniature schnauzer with a wiry grey beard and eyebrows

A healthy, adult miniature schnauzer, resting on a bench with it's owner

A wonderful miniature schnauzer's head poking out of the bushes

A miniature schnauzer showing off it's incredible, healthy body and well groomed coat

A miniature schnauzer with a lovely, long beard, lying on the sofa

A beautiful, black miniature schnauzer lying in the grass

A beautiful miniature schnauzer's short body coat and long, scruffy beard

A silhouette of a miniature schnauzer and it's owner

History

The Miniature Schnauzer is one of the three Schnauzer types. They were first bred in Germany back in the late 1800’s. They were developed by crossing between a standard Schnauzer, Affenpinscher and Poodle. They are a good rat catching dog and excellent guard dog. The name Schnauzer means “small beard”. Both the miniature Schnauzer and standard Schnauzer were classes as one breed until 1933.

Behaviour

Schnauzers are playful and alert dogs. They have a tendency to bark when they hear noise, so maybe the “quiet” command should be one of the first things you teach them. They are very trainable and will pick things up fast, but they can be stubborn at times. They are the least stubborn of all the Terrier breeds, but will still need a firm hand when being trained. They are friendly towards other dogs, children and strangers and possibly other pets if raised together. They are less aggressive than most terriers and seem to be mostly bark rather than bite. They are a playful breed that will take a while to fully mature. They act like puppies for the first couple of years but after this they do settle down.

This breed is highly energetic and will need regular walks to keep them stimulated and happy. If they get bored they will invent their own fun, usually this means chewing up something of yours. They do well in agility competitions and Flyball. They love pleasing their owners. They are very affectionate towards their families and will often curl up on the sofa next to you after a walk.

Schnauzer will need clipping or stripping a couple of times per year and brushing 2-3 times a week. Stripping is usually left for show dogs whereas pets are clipped. THey are sometimes called non-moulting dogs, though this isn’t true. What is true is that their moulting is minimal, almost unnoticeable. Generally a healthy breed, schnauzers should have their ears dried after swimming as they can be more prone to ear infections.

Temperament

This is a playful and companionable breed. There can be big differences between individuals, some will be more playful and some may be straight up not interested in playing. Most, however, do enjoy a nice long walk followed by a snooze in their beds. They are happy around their families but don’t really seem to care for newcomers. They make good watchdogs.

Health Problems

Miniature Schnauzers can suffer from canine hip dysplasia (CHD), luxating patellar (dislocation of the knee cap), Legg-Calve-Perthes disease (breakdown of the femoral head which can cause lameness and joint swelling), cataracts, urinary stones, digestive diseases, metabolic diseases, blood clotting disease, skin problems, and diabetes.