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About the Breed

Hank just gone done checking small cave for other critters

The Miniature Schnauzer breed is a very intelligent, fun-loving, hypoallergenic breed of dog. It started in Germany with the standard Schnauzer breed on farms as a guard dog, ratter, herder, and hunter. The farmers wanted something smaller that was more compact to help manage the rats on the farm and so bred small standard Schnauzers with Affenpinscher and Miniature Poodle.

 

This mix created a smaller terrier breed that is also very intelligent and adaptable to different living situations. They are about 12 to 14 inches tall and weigh 15 to 25 pounds and have a square, muscular body shape. The life span of a Miniature Schnauzer is 12-15 years. They do well with either apartment living or out on the farm and do fine when left home alone as long as they have some chew toys for entertainment.

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Miniature Schnauzers are great companions and easy to train. Like all dogs, they do not want to live near their own waste so are very easy to potty train as long as they are given the opportunity to have a potty spot away from their food and bed.

 

They are hypoallergenic so even someone with allergies can own one of these wonderful dogs. They love their family including children but can be shy or wary of strangers. Because they come from guard dog stock, they tend to react to any intruder whether it be the mailman or a cat. They are more liable to bark than bite and you will always know when someone or something is on or around your property. Once you give the okay, your little terrier is likely to warm up to them bit by bit.

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Good with Family and Kids
Good With Other Dogs
Intelligence/Easy to Train
Activity Level
Amount of Shedding
Openness to Strangers
Watchdog Potential
Rosco walking through sagebrush

The Miniature Schnauzer is considered a terrier and is a stocky, muscular dog. The beard is one of the trademark characteristics of this breed. The accepted colors to compete in most AKC events are salt and pepper, black, and black and silver although there are many other colors the breed has including white, wheaten, parti, liver, red, and merle. Depending on the coat of your dog it may need to be groomed every 6-8 weeks or at minimum every 3 months. Daily brushing is good to keep mats out in between grooms.

There are not many known diseases that the Miniature Schnauzer can be DNA tested for. It is recommended that a breeder have the available DNA tests done on their breeding dogs and have a well-managed breeding program from those results. This stops inherited diseases from continuing in the bloodline and gives buyers peace of mind that the puppy they buy will not have those diseases. Most breeders who do the DNA test will provide a health guarantee for their puppies that says the puppy will not have certain inherited diseases and the new owner will be reimbursed with a refund, another puppy, and/or to pay veterinarian costs if it is found that a puppy does have one of the tested for diseases.
 

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