Dog: Schnauzer - History, Appearance, Colors, Characteristics, Temperament, Photo, Video, Dog Breed

Miniature schnauzer

The Miniature Schnauzer (German: Zwergschnauzer) is a derivation of the standard schnauzer dog, which emerged in Germany in the second half of the 19th century. This breed is probably the result of the crossbreeding of a standard Schnauzer with some of the smaller breeds, such as poodles, miniature pinschers or affenpinscher. This breed is the smallest variety of the schnauzer.

History

The schnauzer originated in the late 1880s on German farms to combat rodents, as a company of mares and horses, as well as to be an alert and intelligent company of families. The coat of both the beards and the legs has a function from its origins since it serves as camouflage to mislead the rodents that bite the fur assuming that it is the skin of the animal. So it is believed that their beards were a type of shield when hunting mice, since it protected them from scratches and bites by rodents. Ear and tail cutting also shared this same purpose, since rats could easily bite the schnauzer on these limbs.

Appearance

They are compact and muscular, they have a straight complexion (their width and length are almost the same). They have long beards, bushy eyebrows, and long hair on their legs. In some countries their ears and tail are still cut off, but in the vast majority of European countries cutting has been prohibited, as it is considered mutilation, as the dogs use the movement of these parts to express moods and other complicated interactions within the pack.

Its size at the withers can vary between 18-23 cm for the male and 16-21 cm for the female and in the weight of 4-8 kg for the male and 4-7 kg for the female. Its characteristics are similar to those of its giant "relative". Its smaller size gives it a greater appearance of compactness and solidity. The head is quite long, the trunk very gathered, the extremities are strong and powerful, it has a general aspect of great vitality that denotes intelligence and attention. Hard hair, which can be defined as "wire", needs proper stripping which consists of pulling it by hand (at times of the year when the hair is "dead") with the help of a special knife. Machine shearing is not only not permitted with regard to exposures, but also causes hair degradation that loses its hardness and roughness over time.8

Their fur must be taken care of every month, since they do not move it. There is the stripping technique which is the one used when the dog participates in dog shows or when it is desired that the dog maintain the consistency and hard texture of the typical breed hair. The American Kennel Club has classified it as a hypoallergenic dog and there are those who recommend this breed and other breeds, such as poodles, for people with asthma and those who suffer from a respiratory allergy because they do not fight like other breeds.

Colors

The American Kennel Club (AKC), Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), Australian National Kennel Council (ANKC) and The Kennel Club of the United Kingdom recognize colors:

Solid black

Salt and pepper

Pure black

Pure white

While the FCI (Federation Cynologique Internationale) recently also recognized the white variety as part of the breed standard. The FCI does not allow crossbreeding between color varieties, which has reduced improvements between white, black and silver black varieties, as most breeders who follow the breed standard focus on the salt variety and Pepper.

Characteristics

The FCI standard clearly lists the size and weight:

Height at the withers

Males and females: from 30 to 45 cm.

Weight:

Males and females: from 4 to 8 kg.¨

Ethical breeders carefully plan crosses to eliminate cataracts, corneal defects, kidney stones, liver, heart disease, diabetes, cysts and recently myotonia. Hence one of the reasons why it is advisable to purchase a pet from a responsible breeder.

Temperament

Miniature schnauzers are known for their alert and friendly personality. They are also smart and loyal to their owners. They are excellent as an alert, as home protectors. They have a protective temperament, and they must be trained and socialized from puppies so that they accept strangers and other dogs in front of their owners. Many times they understand what is asked of them, but they require perseverance and consistency in their training.

At the intelligence level, the schnauzer was ranked 12th in Stanley Coren's ranking on The Intelligence of Dogs, which means that they learn orders quickly and effectively. Normally, according to this classification, they need between 3 and 7 repetitions to understand what we intend to teach them.

WHAT IS A SCHNAUZER LIKE?

Schnauzers are very loving and sensitive dogs with great strength. He loves to surround himself with his family and to show them how big he is. There is nothing more important to him than feeling that he is important to his family.

What does the Miniature Schnauzer look like?

The Schnauzer is very happy, with bright eyes, intelligent, affectionate and vigilant. They are very loyal dogs who distrust strangers and give themselves and their families heart and soul. That is why very special bonds are created between the Schnauzer and their owners, and it is very common that someone who has had this breed does not want to change. The Miniature Schnauzer are a strong, energetic, happy and playful breed. Its small body hides the character of a large dog ready to go on long walks without getting tired and face all the challenges that lie ahead. They really enjoy learning new skills, as they are quick to understand them and effective to execute them.

THE CHARACTER OF THE SCHNAUZER

The Schnauzer are dogs of strong character but at the same time very sensitive to the reactions of their owner. Therefore, it is important to have a great impact on the socialization of Schnauzer puppies, since their duality of character can be unbalanced if they do not learn when they are young to share and are not afraid to discover the world. To keep the balanced nature of the Miniature Schnauzer, we must bear in mind that it is a very intelligent dog that needs both physical and mental exercise. For this reason, we must provide him with the possibility of challenging himself by learning new tricks, skills or proposing games that make him think and pose a mental challenge beyond looking for the ball.

A SCHNAUZER IN THE FAMILY

The Schnauzer has an enormous adaptability to home and a great need to find a family to consider their herd so as not to detach from it. Once it creates the bond with the members of the household, it becomes inseparable, representing with its character the loyalty of this species. Although they are very sociable, the one who has had a schnauzer is able to appreciate how his dog is much more spontaneous with his family than with people or dogs outside the family circle and although they can also enjoy visits, the unique and beautiful personality of the schnauzer is shown in intimacy with loved ones. Maybe this exclusivity he shows for his family is what makes the owners of a Schnauzer unconditional to this breed.

The Miniature Schnauzer is perfectly adapted to life in the city and due to its size, it is a very comfortable and pleasant company to go shopping with or run errands with. It is also a calm dog that can pass the hours without needing an apartment with a terrace or more luxuries, with his bed and his family he is already happy.

THE SCHNAUZER AWAY FROM HOME

The Schnauzer is a dog with medium energy that enjoys both tranquility and play, but has a very hard-working mind, so it is very important to keep him balanced, offering him different stimuli that keep him entertained in some task and taking him out for a walk. 3 times a day so you can discover new smells and change your environment. Walks are also important so that you can socialize with other dogs and people, so that you can get to know beyond your family nucleus in which you feel so comfortable.

One of the aspects that most like the Schnauzer is that despite having a small size, it has a lot of strength and an enormous spirit of self-improvement. This is ideal to be able to go on excursions with him and play sports together since it perfectly supports long exercise sessions.

THE NEEDS OF THE SCHNAUZER

The Schnauzer's mind needs to be working, which is why they are good dogs to teach them tricks and propose mind games that represent a difficult challenge to overcome. Although they are a little stubborn in their training, they have the advantage that if they have a link with the person who is teaching them, much of the work has already been done, because the Schnauzer needs to trust the person they are going to obey.

Regarding your veterinary health, it is very important to maintain a routine hygiene of your ears since the hair of your ears can cause otitis. For this, it is convenient to use specialized cleaning products and periodically remove the hair from your ears.

About Schnauzer dog grooming is a breed that barely sheds hair and there are two types of cuts depending on the type of hair you have. Stripping is a technique with which we remove excess hair and the hair that comes back out is getting harder and harder as befits the breed standard. Machine cutting is easier and is intended for those owners who prefer softer hair.

WOULD YOU LIKE TO BUY A SCHNAUZER?

If you are interested in including a Schnauzer as a life partner in your family, we recommend that you contact us or call us at 93 590 93 97. We will answer all your questions about having a dog, we can advise you on the breed and We will inform you about the available litters of Schnauzer Miniature. Also, you can take a look at our puppies available here.

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