The above average tolerance to both hot and cold climates makes the Miniature Schnauzers quite a durable and versatile breed that can thrive in most places in this world. But, their subpar availability in India is the reason that this breed is considered to be quite rare in the country. The Miniature Schnauzers hails from Germany and are immensely popular in many European and North American countries, but the demand for this breed is not that high in the South-Asian countries. It has the potential to be a great choice for a dog owner residing in India as it's not that expensive to bring home and efficiently raise a Miniature Schnauzer and also its general good health means fewer visits to a vet’s clinic. On the handling front, this breed is fairly obedient and is known for listening to its owner’s commands sincerely. Therefore, these numerous reasons make this German breed a really good option for the Indians.
The Miniature Schnauzer, as suggested by its name, is a smaller version of the Standards Schnauzer. But, a compact size doesn’t affect its overall durability as this breed is fairly robust and sturdy. The official standards of the Miniature Schnauzer are given as follows:
The average weight and height of the Miniature Schnauzers are somewhere around 4.5-8.5 kg and 13-14 inches (at the shoulders), respectively. There is not a considerable size difference between a male and a female Dwarf Schnauzer.
|
GENDER |
WEIGHT |
HEIGHT |
|
MALE |
5.0-8.5 kg |
About 14 inches |
|
FEMALE |
4.5-7.0 kg |
About 13 inches |
The Miniature Schnauzers are double-coated with a close and dense undercoat and a wiry and hard exterior coat. The coat is harsh on the forelegs and hind legs and is clean on the shoulders, neck, ears, and skull.
They have a compact and hardy body with a well arched and strong neck that blends smoothly into the shoulders. The chest is small and fairly deep with well-sprung ribs. Their back is quite straight and the tail is carried erect and set well-high. Both the forequarters and the hindquarters are straight, sturdy and are in balance with each other.
Their overall head is strong and rectangular. The eyes are oval, small in size, mostly found in dark brown color and are quite deeply set. Their ears can be cropped or uncropped. When cropped, they are in balance with the head and are identical in shape and length and set high in the skull. When uncropped, the ears are V-shaped, small in size and folds close to the skull.
They have a finely developed jaw region with strong teeth that meet in scissors bite when the mouth is closed. The muzzle is strong and has a blunt ending. There are also thick and long whiskers that are present on the sides of the muzzle.
The Miniature Schnauzers are quite spirited and attentive canines. They are very affectionate with their owners and housemates but remain reserved with the strangers. They are fairly alert and aware about their surroundings and also possess a great watchdog ability. These dogs are highly territorial about their property and will always protect their house, yard et cetera from any intruders. They are very obedient (if properly trained) as well and listen to their owner's commands with sincerity. The Miniature Schnauzers are also quite playful in nature and are very happy to play games and spend time with their loved ones. General temperamental traits of the Dwarf Schnauzers are listed below:
The Schnauzer breed comes in three different sizes: The Giant, the Standard, and the Miniature. The Miniature as apparent by the name is the smallest of them all. But, the small size doesn’t mean that the Miniature Schnauzers are weak and timid, but, instead, they are extremely fearless, bold and watchful of their surroundings.
The Miniature Schnauzers are a whole package when it comes to being a great family pet. These dogs love their owners and are also fine with the small kids of the house. They are quite good at protecting their home from any external harm because of their territorial behavior and a superior watchdog ability. They also adapt well to various conditions and doesn’t require any special needs and attention. But, one thing to note, they don’t like to be left alone for long periods of time and can be a bit sensitive about it.
These dogs also provide a hassle-free experience to their owners while getting trained as they tend to be quite responsive and positive to any kind of training exercise. Their high level of intelligence allows them to learn and understand various commands and tricks in a very little time. And, because of such a long list of great qualities, this breed is understandably very popular all around the world and will surely be an awesome choice for any potential dog owner.
The Miniature Schnauzers can be divided into different types on the basis of the various colors in which their wiry coat is found. These are as follows:
|
Adaptability |
**** |
Sensitivity Level |
**** |
|
Affection Level |
***** |
Potential for mouthiness |
** |
|
Apartment-Friendly |
**** |
Drooling Potential |
* |
|
Barking Tendencies |
**** |
Energy Level |
**** |
|
Friendly towards dogs |
*** |
Health Issues |
*** |
|
Friendly towards other animals |
*** |
Intelligence |
***** |
|
Child Friendly |
*** |
Playfulness |
**** |
|
Exercise Needs |
*** |
Shedding Level |
* |
|
Grooming Needs |
***** |
Social Needs |
**** |
|
Good for novice owners |
*** |
Stranger Friendly |
*** |
|
Trainability |
***** |
Watchdog Ability |
***** |
|
Tolerates Heat |
*** |
Tolerates Cold |
**** |
The Miniature Schnauzers do good on a high-quality nutritious diet which can be home-cooked or commercially manufactured as long as it is suitable for their health. A small amount of feeding material at multiple intervals is the best way to feed this breed. A skilled vet’s advice about the feeding preferences of the Miniature Schnauzers can also be taken.
These dogs stay happy and healthy with a moderate amount of regular exercise. They are very lively and playful and thus are very excited to go outside the house and play some games with their loved ones. Daily brisk paced short walks are also recommended to keep this breed fit and healthy.
The Miniature Schnauzers are very happy and positive while getting trained as they are fond of learning new tricks and things from their owners/trainers. These dogs are always eager to please their owners by understanding the new commands as quickly as possible. They are very obedient and responsive as well and their great intelligence level certainly helps them during the training sessions. The only thing to take care while training them is not to make the training exercises repetitive and monotonous for them as they might get bored. The owner should try to bring inventiveness and fun during the training sessions.
The hard, wiry coat of the Miniature Schnauzers require a great number of frequent grooming sessions to look fine and neat. Most of the owners incline towards a professional groomer for fulfilling the grooming requirements of this breed. They need regular brushing, combing et cetera and some owners want their dogs to have a shorter and more manageable coat, hence it needs to be trimmed every five to eight weeks. Their Ears should be checked and cleaned on a weekly basis and their bathing needs should be fulfilled at least once every month.
The positive aspect of their coat is that it sheds in minimal amounts and that too quite infrequently.
This breed is generally very healthy and sturdy but sometimes can suffer from a few health-related problems. Some of them are as follows:
The Miniature Schnauzers are not required to be taken to a vet’s clinic on a frequent or regular basis because of their general good health.
The Miniature Schnauzers came into existence around the late 19th century. They were developed in Germany to be a guard dog and a rat hunter. These dogs are the result of cross-breeding that took place between several breeds like Standard Schnauzers, the Affenpinscher, the Miniature Pinschers and may be the Pomeranians and the Poodles.
The Schnauzer breed had a unique appearance with their blunt muzzle and rectangular head being the highlighting feature of this breed. And, the name Schnauzer was given to them because of this feature only as the word ‘Schnauze’ translates to ‘muzzle’ in the German language. They are also called as ‘Zwergschnauzer’ in Germany which means ‘Dwarf Schnauzer’.
Apart from being a great ratter, this breed also turned out to be awesome trackers, watchdogs et cetera and they were also extremely intelligent and smart which enabled them to learn and perform several tricks and they took part in numerous obedience competitions as well. And, in no time, they rose very high in terms of being famous and haven’t lost their charm since then as they are still in the top 20 of the world's most popular dog breeds list (AKC).
