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.
Schnauzer photo :
Schnauzer video : Cute Mini Schnauzer Puppy Comes Home
Article about Schnauzer dog
Miniature Schnauzer Dog Breed Information, Pictures
Miniature Schnauzer Dog Breed Information
Schnauzer - Wikipedia
Miniature Schnauzer Dog Breed Information
Standard Schnauzer Dog Breed Information
