History: Miniature Schnauzers originated in Germany in the late 19th century. Currently all dog registries only recognize three sizes of Schnauzer: the Giant, the Standard and the Miniature. Standard Schnauzers were crossed with other breeds such as the Poodle, the Miniature Pinscher or Affenpinscher to create the Miniature Schnauzer. Miniature Schnauzers are a very popular breed that currently ranks at the 11th most popular breed in the U.S.
Temperament: Schnauzers are very lovable, intelligent companions. They are often very alert and high spirited dogs that aim to please their human companions. They are highly trainable and obedient. It is rare that a mini schnauzer is overly aggressive or timid; however, they make wonderful watchdogs. Most Schnauzers tend to show their aggression vocally rather than physically when they are defending their master or their home. This breed is generally great with people of all ages, especially children. They have an instinctive ability to recognize that children need a gentle playmate. Schnauzers make excellent play companions for their human counterparts because they are extremely playful animals with tons of energy.
Size: Miniature Schnauzers when produced by AKC standards are between 12-14 inches tall and weigh approximately 13-20 pounds as an adult. However, many people have longed for the Mini Schnauzer look in a smaller package, so many breeders are offering Toy and Teacup varieties. Although Breeders offer this size, the Schnauzer is still considered to be a Miniature because the registries only recognize the original 3 sizes of Schnauzer. Many breeders describe the smaller Miniatures in a variety of ways. For our Kennel we recognize the Toy size as ranging between 9-12 inches in height and 7-12 pounds. Because of the difficulty in rearing Teacups, it is rare that our Kennel will produce them; however, we classify the Teacup as less than 9 inches in height and fewer than 7 pounds as an adult. ** Size can not be guaranteed by any breeder. All breeders attempt to estimate the adult size of a puppy based on the parents and the pedigree with their best accuracy; however, it is possible that this prediction would be incorrect because of the size of ancestors in the puppies past several generations back. It is never our intention to mislead anyone, nor have we found it to be the intention of most breeders that we have come in contact with.
Color: The original gene pool for Schnauzers of all sizes included only canines in black, black & silver, and salt & pepper colors. These three color patterns are the only colors specified as acceptable “show” colors by the AKC. White was also produced, but not considered an acceptable trait and therefore attempted to cull out of the breed. In recent years many breeders have begun to produce the other “specialty” colors that have shown up in the gene pool due to the introduction of other breeds in order to reduce the size of the Standard Schnauzer. These colors include white, silver, liver (chocolate), and Parti colors. Parti refers to the mix of one of the standard colors with white in a variety of patterns all over the body. The standard black & silver color pattern has also been reinvented in recent years as “phantom”. In this pattern, rather than a black & grey pattern, it has become a black & white pattern that does not result in a “spot” or Parti pattern on the body.
Confirmation: The Miniature Schnauzer has a small, squarely proportioned build. Their hair coat typically has a wiry top coat with a very soft undercoat. The head is usually long with a bushy beard, mustache and eyebrows. Many breeders of “pet quality” schnauzers prefer a very thick, full coat that is entirely soft with no appearance of a wiry texture. The Miniature Schnauzer is known best for their lack of hair loss. Schnauzers shed little to no hair which makes them excellent indoor pets. They don’t leave a mess all over your floor, furniture or clothes. This special feature also makes them great pets for allergy sufferers because they are practically “hypoallergenic”. Most people who suffer from allergies to animals can cope with the Schnauzer because they don’t lose their hair and have very little dander.
Maintenance: Schnauzers of every size require a large amount of maintenance to keep them beautiful, happy and healthy. Schnauzers need to be combed out daily to prevent their long, luxurious coats from becoming matted. In addition, they should be clipped every 6-8 weeks to maintain a beautiful coat and the admirable schnauzer look. Most grooming salons will not clip a puppy in a “Standard Schnauzer cut” until they have reached 6 months of age, but they will give them a “Puppy cut” after they have received their 1st rabies vaccination. You can typically find a groomer in the $30-45 range that can do a wonderful job with your pet. The most important thing to remember is consistency. You pet is like your child; you want the best care at all times and allow them to create a relationship of trust with your groomer. If you are skilled, you may be able to learn to groom your Schnauzer yourself, but many prefer to let the professionals do it because you not only have to clip the coat and face, but also brush the teeth and express the anal glands at each grooming session.
|  Just relaxing at home on the couch with a good toy. Health Conditions: Just like most other dog breeds, the Miniature Schnauzer can live a long healthy life if given proper care, diet and routine vet attention. Miniature Schnauzers, on average, live 10-12 years. Nevertheless, any dog can fall victim to a wide range of problems just as humans can and this breed is no exception. In addition, many breeds have their own particular hereditary problems. The following is a list of the most common hereditary problems found in Miniature Schnauzers: skin problems (hot spots), allergies, bladder stones, diabetes, cushing’s syndrome, cataracts, progressive retinal atrophy (pra), retinal dysplasia, pancreatitis, liver shunts, renal dysplasia, myotonia, and low immunity to avian tuberculosis. ** This information taken from the American Miniature Schnauzer Club Site (AMSC). We have not encountered these problems directly.
Pricing: The prices found on puppies and dogs, both, on our site, are based on many factors. Typically the smaller the Schnauzer, the more expensive the pet. It takes many generations to breed down a quality Miniature Schnauzer to a Toy or Teacup size Schnauzer. In addition, the rare colors such as parti and liver (chocolate) tend to be higher in price because they require lots of research into a dog’s pedigree to find a good pairing in order to produce these colors. Other factors that affect pricing include gender, coat, pedigree, registration and overall quality for pet or breeding purposes.
Alteration: As a breeder, we try to place our babies into a loving home looking for a family pet. For this reason, unless agreed upon in advance, most of our babies are sold with limited registration or a spay/neuter contract preventing the reproduction of the animal. This happens for many reasons. First and foremost, we do not want our babies to be bred without our consent due to the preservation of our breeding line. In addition, we feel that breeding is a learning process and we would like to mentor the new owner and offer assistance with breeding decisions for inexperienced breeders. We also wish to prevent the possibility of an unwanted whelping which may end up in the local SPCA. When you breed an animal, you take full responsibility for finding quality homes for those pets or providing the home yourself. Registration: Because AKC has the strictest standards for any breed produced, most breeders prefer AKC registration. The American Kennel Club (AKC) tries to maintain the original breed qualities from generation to generation and they require the entire lineage to be registered AKC to ensure that each animal is “purebred”. The CKC (Continental Kennel Club) registration is a quality registration; however, they are not as strict as AKC and do not give the breeder as many options to maintain their line. APRI (American Pet Registry) will register any pet that has been previously registered with another registry. This is a good option if one parent has AKC registration and the other has CKC registration. The APRI registration has become very popular with breeders in recent years.
|