History
Several years ago, when I decided to purchase my first Miniature Schnauzer, the only thing that I knew at that time was that the Schnauzer breed (which consists of three sizes – the Giant, Standard, and Miniature) was a dog that for years had caught my attention. I was drawn to the Miniature Schnauzer the most because of their small square bodies, their beautiful coats that are known for their luxurious “skirts”, the well known bushy eyebrows and beards, extremely playful personalities, and intelligent ways. I was fascinated.
After bringing my first pup home, a solid black male whose name was Vincent, I fell in love even more. I learned why people are so quick to jump at the chance of sharing their lives with this highly loyal, caring, and always wanting to earn their families praise dog. I learned this by how he never failed to be waiting at my front glass door with his tail wagging. He could be playing with his toys or my children but the moment I sat down he would jump into my lap and lay with me. He would try to please me by learning to stand on his hind legs and dance for his treats.
In a few months I had the opportunity to buy a girl dog named Gracie. It was while I was doing research on her that I found out Miniature Schnauzers come in a variety of colors, but only four are recognized world wide – solid black, black and silver, salt and pepper (or gray), and white.
As I increasingly became more involved with my two happy-go-lucky little best friends; I began to have a desire to find out where this breed began. I learned that they had been created by taking a Standard Schnauzer and mating it with a breed such as the Poodle or Affenpinscher. I also learned that farmers, in Germany, as far back as the 19th century used these little dogs to help chase out the mice population on their farms. The proper term for what these quick, clever, little dogs would do is called “ratting”.
As I increasingly became more involved with my two happy-go-lucky little best friends; I began to have a desire to find out where this breed began. I learned that they had been created by taking a Standard Schnauzer and mating it with a breed such as the Poodle or Affenpinscher. I also learned that farmers, in Germany, as far back as the 19th century used these little dogs to help chase out the mice population on their farms. The proper term for what these quick, clever, little dogs would do is called “ratting”.
With my daughters being older and the number of Miniature Schnauzers I share my home with having increased, I began to consider becoming a hobby breeder. I began to talk to other breeders and my veterinarian to research about grooming, diet, etc. I learned about the proper diet, variation in weight for the males and females and the average height for Miniature Schnauzers which is 13 to 14 inches high. I found that the weight for a female should be 10 to 15 pounds while a male is usually 11 to 18 pounds.
Since the birth of the first Miniature Schnauzer this breed has continued to remain one of the leading breeds throughout the world due to their personality and small size. Adjectives that have been used to describe this happy-go-lucky dog are: playful, clever, caring, alert, and the list goes on. Anyone having had the privilege of sharing their life with one of these spunky companions will tell you what a great breed the Miniature Schnauzer is!