Miniature Schnauzer

Other names/Nicknames:
  • Zwergschnauzer
Country/Date of origin:
  • Germany
  • 15th century
Height:
  • 12 to 14 inches
Weight:
  • 14 to 15 pounds
Personality:
  • A German sensibility instead of the fiery nature of the British terriers.
  • High intelligence.
  • Excellent family companion.
  • Alert nature and natural protective instincts make the Miniature Schnauzer a good watchdog.
History:

The Miniature Schnauzer was made in Germany with 100% German ingredients.  About 1890, breeders crossed the larger Standard Schnauzer with an Affenpinscher to create a dog that was better able to catch rats than either ancestor.  The Miniature Schnauzers arrived in the United States in 1925 and became a very popular breed.

Body Type:
  • A compact, stocky terrier with abundant face and leg furnishings.
  • Ears are cropped to stand erect in the United States.
  • Tail is docked short.
Coat:
  • Double coat with a harsh and wiry outer coat, and soft, close-lying undercoat.
  • Beard and bushy eyebrows.
  • Acceptable colors are solid black, black and silver, or salt and pepper.
  • The gray salt-and-peppers are the most common.
  • The grizzled colors are the result of hairs with unique light and dark banding instead of a mixture of light and dark hairs.
  • Requires professional grooming.
Health and Wellness:
  • Tetralogy of Fallot.
  • Portosystemic shunt.
  • Cryptorchidism.
  • Cataracts.
  • Calcium oxalate urolithiasis.
  • Diabetes mellitis.
  • Sick sinus syndrome.
  • Lupoid onchodystrophy.
  • Urolithiasis (oxalate and struvite).
  • Atopy.
  • Food allergy.
  • Pancreatitis.
  • Idiopathic hyperlipidemia.
  • Schnauzer comedo syndrome.
  • Progressive retinal atrophy.
  • Fibrocartilagenous emboli.
  • Glaucoma.
  • Hemorrhagic gastroenteritis.
  • Melanoma (dermal and oral).
  • Cushing’s disease (PDH).
  • Keratoconjunctivitis sicca.
What you should know:
  • The most popular terrier, it is the only one that is not of British origin.
  • One of three sizes of the Schnauzer.  There are two larger varieties: the Standard and the Giant.
  • Non-shedding coat is good for people with allergies.
  • Not as prone to wandering as other terriers.
  • Unlike most other terriers, it does not enjoy digging.
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