Miniature Schnauzer

A Miniature Schnauzer I saw at a dog show in Harstad a few years back.

The Miniature Schnauzer was originally bred from Standard Schnauzers mixed with Affenpinscher and poodle. The purpose of this mixing was to get a small dog that could double as both guard/herding dog and ratter.

Last year (2013) it was the 17th most popular breed of dog in the US. And it is easy to understand its popularity! It is a quick, happy and relatively easily trained dog with a practical size. But it might not be the first choice if you are living in an apartment building, since being a guard dog it can be quite vocal.

A "friend", an Affenpinscher I brought home one day when he had gotten lost. I called the owner and they were happy to see each other again. This is one of the breeds that was in the mix when the Miniature Schnauzer was created.

One thing to be aware of when getting a Miniature Schnauzer is that their coat needs regular grooming. This can be rather time consuming, or expensive, since to get a proper "Schnauzer cut", you are likely to need a professional handle it. The coat of the Schnauzer should not be clipped, it should be stripped. That is how you maintain the "right" quality of the fur. Dogs that are clipped get a very soft coat, which might be good enough for a family pet, but not if you are planning to show the dog at a dog show. Show dogs get stripped short on their back, sides, ears, neck and tail, and are supposed to have long hair on the nose, above the eyes, on the belly and the legs.

Long "eyebrows" and a long beard is the signature sign of all the Schnauzers. This is a Miniature Schnauzer at a dog show.

Health

 The Miniature Schnauzer has one big problem: The teeth. As many other small breeds of dog, there is simply not enough space in the mouth for all the teeth. In addition, for some unknown reason, they get tartar buildup faster than most other breeds (at least in the dogs we have here in northern Norway, this may vary in different breeding populations around the world). This, if left untreated, leads to periodontitis and in the end loss of teeth. So make sure you train your puppy from an early age to allow you to brush its teeth to prevent this.

Miniature Schnauzers also in my experience often have problems with their backs, also this may be a local problem in the Norwegian population, but I doubt that it is unheard of in other populations.

Diseases that are known to occur in Miniature Schnauzers around the world is hyperlipemia (excess fat in the blood), pancreatitis and diabetes. They are also prone to a bleeding disorder called "von Willebrand disease". It's an inherited disease that is caused by a deficiency of a protein required for normal platelet function.

Miniature Schnauzers normally live for approximately 12 years, but dogs living for more than 15 years are not uncommon. In spite of the health issues mentioned here, it is a relatively healthy breed.

My dog Link as a puppy and the miniature Schnauzer Rocky playing in the snow.

Training

Miniature Schnauzers are easy to train, as they were originally bred for working. But being a Schnauzer it also has a will of its own. You should put in a lot of time for training this energetic little dog, but it doesn't demand more than what a normal family could provide in terms of activities. It isn't the most demanding dog to have, but being bred from working dogs, they need to use their heads to feel fulfilled. The companion dog part of their ancestry make them well suited as family pets, but be aware that they have a tendency to bark. If you want to do dog sports, but not have a large dog, the Miniature Schnauzer just might be the breed for you.

 

Link and our neighbor's miniature Schnauzer Casper.