Quick Links: Table of Contents
- Miniature Schnauzer Breed Overview
- History of the Miniature Schnauzer Breed. Where Miniature Schnauzers came from
- What the Miniature Schnauzer Looks Like
- How Much is the Miniature Schnauzer Puppy?
- Best Miniature Schnauzer Breeders
- Adopting or Rescuing the Miniature Schnauzer
- Miniature Schnauzer Growth
- What Colors do Miniature Schnauzers Have?
- The Temperament of the Miniature Schnauzer
- How Long Miniature Schnauzers Live
- Miniature Schnauzer Litter Size
- How Fast Miniature Schnauzers Can Run
- Good Names for Miniature Schnauzers
- How Intelligent are Miniature Schnauzers?
- How Popular are Miniature Schnauzers with New Dog Owners?
- Health Problems in Miniature Schnauzers and How to Prevent Them
- How to Take Care of Miniature Schnauzer
- Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Miniature Schnauzers
- Other Things to Know About Miniature Schnauzers
Miniature Schnauzer Breed Overview
The Miniature Schnauzer is a small-sized dog.
The adult Miniature Schnauzer stands 13 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder.
The Miniature Schnauzer belongs to the Terrier Dogs group.
Dogs in the Terrier Dogs group, like the Miniature Schnauzer, were originally bred to go underground to hunt rodents and other small wild animals (vermin).
Terriers come in a wide range of sizes and shapes, but all terriers are energetic, highly intelligent, and territorial. Terries also have the tendency to escape. They require a securely fenced yard.
The fact that the Miniature Schnauzer belongs to the Terrier Dogs group is one of the reasons why Miniature Schnauzers have the personality and temperament that they have.
The temperament of the Miniature Schnauzer is generally described as:
- Alert
- Fearless
- Friendly
- Intelligent
- Obedient
- Spirited
History of the Miniature Schnauzer Breed. Where Miniature Schnauzers came from
After WWI, the Miniature Schnauzer`s popularity skyrocketed, and the breed rose to become the third most popular breed in the United States at one point.
This breed was introduced to the United States in 1924 and was only two years later, in 1926, accepted by the American Kennel Club.
In America, the Miniature Schnauzer was once known as the Wirehaired Pinscher and is still classified as a small Terrier, despite being closely related to the utility Standard Schnauzer.
Because, unlike the Terrier, the Miniature Schnauzer did not evolve in the British Isles in ancient times, its temperament differs greatly from that of the Terrier, which is known to “go to ground” with zeal and courageous devotion.
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What the Miniature Schnauzer Looks Like
The Miniature Schnauzer is a double-coated breed with an all-black coat, a two-toned black and silver coat, or a salt and pepper coat.
Longer hair grows along the face, neck, ears, chest, and tail of this breed, giving it an old man appearance.
The Miniature Schnauzer has small dark oval-shaped eyes that are set deep in the head and ears that can be cropped or uncropped.
The head is strong and rectangular in shape, with a muzzle that is proportionate to the head.
The muzzle is blunt at the end, and the Miniature Schnauzer`s face is adorned with thick whiskers.
A scissor bite occurs when the teeth come together.
The Miniature Schnauzer`s forelegs are straight and parallel from every angle, terminating in short round feet with catlike toes and thick black pads.
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How Much is the Miniature Schnauzer Puppy?
The average price of a Miniature Schnauzer puppy is $1950. The price of a Miniature Schnauzer puppy ranges from $1400 to $2500.
A lot of factors determine the price of the Miniature Schnauzer. These factors include what health records the Miniature Schnauzer puppy has, the lineage of the Miniature Schnauzer puppy, the US state the breeder is located in, etc.
To estimate how much you can expect to pay for a puppy Miniature Schnauzer based on the many factors that determine the price of the Miniature Schnauzer puppy, check out our calculator that lets you estimate how much you should expect to pay for the Miniature Schnauzer puppy based on what you want in the puppy.
When looking to buy a puppy, look at buying a puppy only from well-established breeders that breed puppies primarily for the love of the Miniature Schnauzer breed, and secondarily for profit. Do not buy a puppy from a puppy mill. Puppy mills mass-produce puppies in bad living conditions for maximum profit.
You may also consider adopting instead of buying a puppy. Adoption costs are very low compared to the price of a puppy.
Best Miniature Schnauzer Breeders
We have researched reputable Miniature Schnauzer breeders that you can buy a puppy.
Go to this page for our complete list of reputable Miniature Schnauzer breeders in various states in the United States.
On this page, you will see how much these breeders sell their puppies for, and how many puppies they have available.
A few of these breeders are listed below.
Karlene Sowell
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Mary Lou Peet
Puppy Price: $1800
Rebecca Mathison
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Gail Holzman
Puppy Price: Check with breeder
Ann BUTLER
Puppy Price: $1500
Adopting or Rescuing the Miniature Schnauzer
You may consider adopting a dog instead of buying a puppy. Many dogs, Miniature Schnauzers included, are currently available for adoption in your local dog shelters.
These helpless but adorable dogs are waiting in dog shelters hoping that someday someone will rescue them. Dog adoption costs are lesser than the cost of a new puppy. Dog adoption costs are usually around $300 or even less.
In addition to your local dog shelter, another good place to find dogs that are available for adoption is petfinder.com.
Below is an adorable Male Miniature Schnauzer named Chico that is currently available for adoption on Petfinder.com. You can find other lovely Miniature Schnauzers like Chico on pefinder.com.
Barney: Sponsor Me! is the name of another Miniature Schnauzer (Male) on petfinder.com that is looking for a new forever home.
You can find more Miniature Schnauzers that are available for adoption on petfinder.
Miniature Schnauzer Growth
New Miniature Schnauzer owners need to know about the growth of their Miniature Schnauzers. This will help them plan their living spaces accordingly.
Also, knowing the typical growth pattern of the Miniature Schnauzer will help new owners catch the abnormal growth of their Miniature Schnauzer early.
See our calculator for predicting how big your Miniature Schnauzer puppy will get. You will also learn about the typical weight of the Miniature Schnauzer at different ages and how to catch abnormal growth in your Miniature Schnauzer
What Colors do Miniature Schnauzers Have?
Miniature Schnauzers come in the following beautiful primary colors:
- Bicolor
- Gray / Blue / Silver
- Brown / Chocolate
- Black
- White / Cream
- Tricolor (Brown, Black, & White)
- Yellow / Tan / Blond / Fawn
The Temperament of the Miniature Schnauzer
The temperament of the Miniature Schnauzer based can be summarized as in the table below.
The table shows the scores of the Miniature Schnauzer for 13 important dog behavioral factors.
We obtained these scores by analyzing raw data from the C-BARQ dog personality survey tool. The higher the score of a dog for a factor, the worse the temperament of the dog regarding that factor.
The C-BARQ tool was developed by researchers from the University of Pennsylvania, and it is a scientific tool that is used worldwide for reliably measuring the temperament of dog breeds.
See our complete analysis of the temperament of the Miniature Schnauzer here.
| Factor | Score |
|---|---|
| Attachment Attention Seeking | 79.7 percent |
| Stranger Directed Aggression | 79.1 percent |
| Dog Directed Aggression | 75.1 percent |
| Excitability | 70.5 percent |
| Prey Drive | 69.1 percent |
| Energy Level | 60.5 percent |
| Dog Directed Fear | 51.2 percent |
| Separation Related Behavior | 49.1 percent |
| Stubbornness | 41.4 percent |
| Stranger Directed Fear | 37.6 percent |
| Nonsocial Fear | 35.5 percent |
| Dog Rivalry | 32.6 percent |
| Touch Sensitivity | 28.5 percent |
| Owner Directed Aggression | 20.1 percent |
How Long Miniature Schnauzers Live
The lifespan of the Miniature Schnauzer is typically from 12 to 14 years.
Moreover, a few years back, veterinarian researchers performed a scientific study to determine the lifespan of the Miniature Schnauzer. In this study, the scientists collected data on how long 214 pet Miniature Schnauzers lived.
From the study, it was found that Miniature Schnauzers have an average lifespan of 12.0 years. Furthermore, the study found that it is not uncommon for Miniature Schnauzers to live as long as 18.1 years.
Note that you need to put in some effort if you want your Miniature Schnauzer to live long.
Miniature Schnauzers live long if they eat well, drink well, exercise well, and visit the veterinarian regularly.
There are also dog supplements that you can give your Miniature Schnauzer to improve your Miniature Schnauzer`s quality of their life.
Click here to learn more about how to make your Miniature Schnauzer live long.
Miniature Schnauzer Litter Size
Researchers from the Norwegian School of Veterinary Science did a study where they counted the numbers of puppies in 205 different Miniature Schnauzer birth litters.
From this study, the researchers found that the average number of puppies that Miniature Schnauzers can have is 4 puppies. Also, the Miniature Schnauzer can have as few as 1 puppies per litter and as many as 10 puppies per litter.
The number of puppies that the Miniature Schnauzer will have depends on factors such as the age of the Miniature Schnauzer, the method of pregnancy, etc.
Click here to see our calculator for predicting how many puppies your Miniature Schnauzer will have and how the litter size of the Miniature Schnauzer compares to the litter size of other dog breeds.
How Fast Miniature Schnauzers Can Run
How fast a dog breed can run is a good measure of how athletic the dog breed is.
The American Kennel Club (AKC) regularly conducts dog running competitions. The AKC records the running speed of competing dogs in these competitions. These competitions are open to all dog breeds.
Based on our analysis of the speeds of 149 different Miniature Schnauzers, the average speed of the Miniature Schnauzer is 19.0 mph (30.6 kmph).
The fastest speed on AKC record that the Miniature Schnauzer ran in a race is 27.77 mph (44.7 kmph) and the minimum speed on record in a race for a Miniature Schnauzer is 7.26 mph (11.7 kmph).
Click here to see how the speed of the Miniature Schnauzer compares to the speed of other dogs and other mammals such as cats, horses, humans, etc.
Good Names for Miniature Schnauzers
Here are some really good names that are typical for the Miniature Schnauzer ranked by popularity:
- Winston
- Luke
- Max
- Jax
- Graham
- Clyde
- Scout
- Freddy
- Mr
- Lugnut
How Intelligent are Miniature Schnauzers?
| Miniature Schnauzer | |
|---|---|
| Intelligence Rank | 12 out of 130 dog breeds |
| Trainability | Tend To Learn New Commands After 5 To 15 Repetitions |
According to Prof. Stanley Coren, a Canadian psychology professor/dog trainer, the total intelligence that a dog demonstrates is the addition of three types of intelligence. These intelligence types are:
- Instinctive Intelligence: This is the natural intelligence that comes from instinct. For example, dog breeds that have been historically bred to be guard dogs will have a high `guarding` intelligence compared to dogs that were not bred for guarding.
- Adaptive Intelligence (learning and problem-solving ability): This indicates what a dog can learn to do for himself or herself. Adaptive intelligence is specific to each dog, and not breed specific. You can improve your dog`s adaptive intelligence by investing time to train your dog.
- Working/Obedience Intelligence: This type of intelligence is breed-specific. Certain dog breeds tend to have higher working/obedience intelligence than some other breeds. This intelligence is the closest to what we might call school-learning ability and it is based upon what the dog can learn to do when instructed by humans. This type of intelligence can be measured for each dog breed and compared to that of other dog breeds.
Professor Stanley Coren measured and ranked the working intelligence of about 130 different dog breeds.
Prof. Coren found that the Miniature Schnauzer has an obedience intelligence rank of 12 out of 130 dog breeds. Thus, Prof. Coren put Miniature Schnauzers in the `Excellent Working Dogs` category.
This means that Miniature Schnauzers tend to learn new commands after 5 to 15 repetitions.
However, we should mention that a dog should not be judged based on its intelligence alone. There are other important factors you need to consider when deciding on which dog breed to get. These other factors include sociability, adorability, and compatibility of the dog breed with your lifestyle.
See the intelligence ranking of some other dog breeds below:
| Breed | Intelligence Rank |
|---|---|
| Labrador Retriever | 7 |
| Pembroke Welsh Corgi | 11 |
| German Shorthaired Pointer | 17 |
| Irish Water Spaniel | 24 |
| Chesapeake Bay Retriever | 27 |
| Welsh Springer Spaniel | 31 |
| American Staffordshire Terrier | 34 |
| Affenpinscher | 37 |
| Dalmatian | 39 |
| Bedlington Terrier | 40 |
| Finnish Spitz | 43 |
| Scottish Deerhound | 47 |
| Alaskan Malamute | 50 |
| Chinese Shar-Pei | 51 |
| Italian Greyhound | 60 |
| Chinese Crested | 61 |
| Dandie Dinmont Terrier | 62 |
| Bull Terrier | 66 |
| Shih Tzu | 70 |
| Bloodhound | 74 |
How Popular are Miniature Schnauzers with New Dog Owners?
Every year, the American Kennel Club (AKC) publishes information on how popular a dog breed is in that particular year. The AKC gets the popularity information of a breed from how many dogs of that breed the owners register with the AKC every year. The AKC collects this data for about 200 dog breeds.
The graph below shows the popularity trend of the Miniature Schnauzer.
The popularity of the Miniature Schnauzer averaged over the years is Number 17 out of about 200 dog breeds.
Do not get a dog breed just because it is a popular dog breed. And do not reject a dog breed just because it is an unpopular breed.
Health Problems in Miniature Schnauzers and How to Prevent Them
Every dog breed has its own set of health problems that it tends to develop. There is nothing like a perfect dog breed.
The Miniature Schnauzer is prone to certain genetic health conditions. The Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) is an organization that keeps track of genetic health problems in dog breeds.
From the extensive records that the OFA keeps, the OFA knows what health problems each dog breed is naturally prone to develop.
Hence, the OFA recommends which health screening breeders should perform on a dog breed to make sure that the breeders won`t breed `defective` dog parents that can pass down defective genes to their puppy offspring.
If you want a Miniature Schnauzer puppy that will grow up to be healthy, make sure that your Miniature Schnauzer breeder screens your puppy or your puppy`s parents for the health problems that the OFA recommends for your puppy`s breed. This will increase the chances that your puppy is free from genetic defects.
The following are the health tests that Orthopedic Foundation for Animals (OFA) recommends that breeders should screen Miniature Schnauzers for:
You can find out more about OFA`s recommended tests for Miniature Schnauzers here.
How to Take Care of Miniature Schnauzer
To take good care of your Miniature Schnauzer, you need to make sure that you groom your Miniature Schnauzer regularly.
Secondly, you need to find a veterinarian in your area that will routinely check the health status of your Miniature Schnauzer regularly, and give you appropriate recommendations on your Miniature Schnauzer`s preventative care.
Thirdly, you need to commit some time to exercise your Miniature Schnauzer daily. Regular exercise helps improve the health and quality of life of your Miniature Schnauzer.
Also, you need to feed your Miniature Schnauzer high-quality dog food, and the food should be of the right amount to prevent your Miniature Schnauzer from getting overweight or underweight.
See our recommendations on what to feed the Miniature Schnauzer and how much food to feed the Miniature Schnauzer at different life stages.
Finally, you need to make sure that your Miniature Schnauzer has access to clean water all the time. See our recommendations on how much water your Miniature Schnauzer needs to drink at different ages.
Dog Breeds That Are Similar to Miniature Schnauzers
If you have not made up your mind on which dog breed to get, you may also want to consider some other dogs similar to the Miniature Schnauzer.
We crunched the numbers and found that the following dog breeds that have similar behavior and temperament as the Miniature Schnauzer:
- Polish Lowland Sheepdog (79 percent match with Miniature Schnauzer). Learn more about the Polish Lowland Sheepdog here.
Other Things to Know About Miniature Schnauzers
Here are some of the very important characteristics of the Miniature Schnauzer that you need to know about the Miniature Schnauzer breed: