Brief information about the breed

General Description

Miniature Schnauzer is a small but amazing breed! There is nothing more life-affirming than a small and fast Mini accompanying his owner on a morning jog. His run is resilient, his eyes are attentive, and he feels the owner even when he simply turns his head.

Such a friend will disperse melancholy on a rainy morning, and turn every joint walk into an unforgettable show.

And after that he will settle down on his master’s feet and start watching TV with him, drink coffee or hot chocolate. And he wii never forget to remind him that he is supposed to have lunch and dinner too 😊.

Mini’s cheerfulness and optimism raise the mood of the owner, help to cope with depression, and a variety of fictions and jokes diversify the evenings after work.

Schnauzers are smart and fearless. The nature of the Miniature Schnauzer is such that even with its small weight he can bark away any enemy.

He is always ready to protect the weak, by that not showing recklessness. The Mini gets along well with dogs of other breeds. He plays with children, protecting them in if necessary.

Basic Features

• Small size, convenient for an apartment
• Strong nervous system
• High performance and learning ability
• No shedding, no smell
• The ability to quietly be close to the owner
• Not suitable for an apartment without  rdgular walking
• Needs movement and training
• Needs special hair processing
• Requires hardness and consistency of ownership

Breed Standard

Miniature Schnauzer is one of the smallest working dogs. Its small size is combined with great love for the owner and an inexhaustible desire to work.

Courage, ingenuity, active life position, the ability to make independent right  decisions in different situation  are the distinguishing features of dogs of this breed.

Miniature body is perfectly covered by characteristic hard hair, which dries quickly after rain and reliably protects the skin from damage when working in a bush or tall grass. He has strong teeth and is incredibly intelligent.

The dog of this breed is compact in size, stocky, with a strong head, dark eyes and an energetic balanced trot. The AKC recognizes in the breed 3 colors – solid black, black and silver and pepper and salt. There are also white and brown. But they are not recognized by AKC.

Colors of Miniature Schnauzer

Solid Black

Black and Silver

Pepper and Salt

Temperament and Character

Depending on Color Temperament May Differ

The Solid Black Miniature Schnauzer is a small Giant. He has a balanced temperament, tremendous speed of work, the ability to instantly switch and devotion to the owner.

Elegant Black with Silver is more excitable and decorative, often has a soft character and hair.

The classic Pepper and Salt color makes dogs similar in temperament to Standard Schnauzer – they are energetic, have good hunting qualities, are not indifferent to rodents and have explosive temperament.

Temperament of Miniature Schnauzer

The main features of the breed are the square format, cheerful character and hard wool. At the same time, the abundance of colors of the Miniature Schnauzer allows everyone to choose the most suitable variant.

The Mini at Home and Family

If you take a Mini without thinking about why, you will definitely discover his disadvantages. This breed is not the best gift for a child if there are people in the family who are against him the house.

If often left along he trashes the apartment, often howls from loneliness. Going out for a walk becomes a problem, as a dog without enough exercise barks at people on the stairs. And he is tries to start a fight with other dogs in the yard.

Energy Level

High level of energy. Needs a lot of exercise.

Training of Miniature Schnauzer

The training of Mini is a real pleasure for their owners. Schnauzer is happy to work on the training ground. And, for this breed there are no restrictions – it is quickly trained agility, not bad at Frisbee, can be good at protection, and obedience is not a problem.

The incredible owner-focused approach makes it much easier to prepare your dog for the show at the exhibition.

These dogs love the show as another way to work with the owner, have fun and a treat for a well done job.

It’s important to let your dog know right from the start that you like participating in the show and never get angry with him if the expert suddenly gave preference to your competitor.

Absence of negative emotions forms a positive motivation in Schnauzer and he is exhibited fun and gambling, subduing the experts with his temperament and optimism.

Miniature Schnauzer Grooming

The small weight of the miniature schnauzer and its compact dimensions make it acceptable in a city apartment of any size. Hard wool, not falling out without special treatment, allows this dog to be recommended to families with children suffering from allergies. The high degree of learning, persistent assertive character and endurance makes this breed very popular among sports fans with dogs.

However, there is a category of people to whom this breed categorically does not fit. These are those who do not have enough time to walk and study with a dog and expects that it will only sleep and go to the toilet in the diaper in his absence, as well as people who are not interested in long walks and training.

A beautiful and well-groomed dog is the work of its owner. Breed is one of the hairdressers and another reason not to buy a puppy of a Mini is a special care for his coat. She needs regular trimming, and a special haircut gives your dog a breed look. The small size of the dog makes grooming his hair easy, even for an inexperienced owner. You can learn trimming at the breeder or by viewing specialized sites that describe the scheme of processing wool and demonstrate the basic techniques of its implementation. It is useful to assign the first trimming specialist and ask him to show how it is done.

The easiest way to keep the hair of the Mini in the correct condition is to find for him a groomer who will follow the dog. It is important that this person be a specialist in hard wool.

Treatments for miniature schnauzer include regular plucking of hair from the ears, washing and wiping the beard after feeding, eye condition monitoring and prophylactic vaccinations. They bathe the dog with special shampoos for wire-haired dogs, you can also use tar soap. For frequent walks on grass, shrubs, or snow, decorating wool is treated with an oily balsam, not completely washing it away, to protect the wool from drying out and mechanical abrasion.

Nutrition of Schnauzers

Feeding miniature schnauzers should take into account their high activity, the need for vitamin supplements in the period after trimming, as well as the increased sensitivity of the breed to fatty foods. The convenience of using dry feed is that after them you do not need to wash the beard of a dog. However, dogs look better for which dry food is not the main ration. Some manufacturers produce special dry food for miniature schnauzers, which include substances that acidify urine and prevent the formation of stones in the kidneys and bladder.

Natural nutrition of Miniature Schnauzer prolongs his life. It includes meat and offal (not pork and not fat), cottage cheese and dairy products (preferably homemade and low fat), oatmeal and rice porridge, a small amount of honey, ground flax seed, boiled or stewed fish, vegetables and fruits. Many representatives of this breed love nuts, replenishing their diet with healthy fatty acids.