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MINIATURE SCHNAUZER - CHARACTERISTICS

Personality

Miniature schnauzers are full of life, hardy, alert, courageous little dogs. They can be feisty and may put on a show of scrappiness when confronted by dogs they do not know.

The playfulness of miniature schnauzers makes them ideal for families with well-behaved children. They are also known for being obedient, quick to learn and devoted to their human packs.

Because of their big personalities and need to be active, they will want to be involved in everything you and your family do. A Schnauzer will follow you around the house and never want to be left alone. This breed needs to know what you’re up to at all times.

Airedales are natural watchdogs and the need to "protect" is deeply embedded in a dog's psyche. They go about their business seriously and are quick to let an owner know when there are strangers about or when something they don't like is going on around them.

Intelligence / Trainability

Miniature Schnauzers are highly intelligent dogs that are generally easy to train, and their need for activity and mental stimulation will make them eager to use their minds. However, they are also very stubborn and independent, which means they may initially be resistant to dog training. They want to be in charge and generally don’t like being told what to do, so it will take some patience at the start, and they need to be given firm, consistent commands.

A calm, assertive manner is best for training, which should begin as soon as you bring your Miniature Schnauzer puppy home. They will respond well to positive reinforcement in short training sessions. Make sure you vary the activity as well because this breed can easily get bored with too much repetition.

MINIATURE SCHNAUZER - BREED ORIGIN

Miniature Schnauzers were originally bred to be ratters and guard dogs on farms. They were developed in the mid-to-late 19th century in Germany by crossbreeding the Standard Schnauzer with smaller breeds, such as the Miniature Pinscher, Affenpinscher, and perhaps the Poodle or Pomeranian.

The Schnauzer is the only breed known to take its name from one of its kind to win a prize at a show. This was at the International Show in Hanover in 1879. The winner of the wire-haired Pinscher class was a dog called ‘Schnauzer’ and thus the present-day name for the breed came into being.

Over the years, the Miniature Schnauzer earned a reputation of being an excellent watchdog with the bonus being that they are not aggressive, but rather very vocal "barkers" with an excellent ability of determining who was out to do mischief and who was a friend.

MINIATURE SCHNAUZER - APPEARANCE

Height at the withers: Female: 30–36 cm, Male: 30–36 cm

Average Weight: Female: 5.4 – 8.2 kg, Male: 5.4 – 9.1 kg

The Miniature Schnauzer is a charming looking little dog with their bushy eyebrows and whiskers. They boast a compact, athletic appearance with nicely proportioned heads which are a good length and quite broad between a dog's ears. Their foreheads are flat with Minis having well-muscled cheeks and a medium stop that accentuates their eyebrows. Muzzles are powerful and blunt with lots of bristly hair that forms their charming moustaches and whiskers. Noses are black with nice open nostrils and lips are tight.

Their eyes are dark and oval shaped being medium in size with dogs having lovely bushy, arched eyebrows which adds to their charming appeal. Their ears are V-shaped being set high on a dog's head and dropping forward. The Miniature Schnauzer has a strong jaw with a perfect scissor bite where their upper teeth neatly overlap their lower ones. Necks are strong, slightly arched and moderately long before merging cleanly into a dog's shoulders.

Minis have strong forequarters with well laid back, flat shoulders and they have nice straight, well-muscled front legs. Chests are deep and moderately broad with dogs having a quite noticeable breastbone that reaches as far down as the elbow. Their backs are straight and strong being slightly higher at the shoulder than over a dog's hindquarters. Loins are short and well developed with dogs having well sprung ribs.

Their hindquarters are powerful with dogs having well-muscled thighs and strong back legs with both upper and lower thighs being well developed. Feet are round and very cat-like being compact with nicely closed, arched toes, strong dark nails and firm black coloured pads. Their tails are set high being thicker at the base before tapering to a tip and which dogs carry straight.

When it comes to their coat, the Miniature Schnauzer boasts having a harsh, wiry, short coat with a dense, softer undercoat. The outer coat being short adds to the smart look of a Mini. The hair on a dog's neck, shoulders, ears and skull is clean, but harsher on their legs with furnishings being thick but never silky to the touch