Miniature schnauzer FAQ

Most adults stand about 12 to 14 inches tall at the shoulder and weigh roughly 11 to 20 pounds. They're small enough for a house or apartment but sturdy enough to keep up with kids and farm life.

Miniature schnauzers are smart, alert, affectionate and loyal. They love being with their people and do well with children and other pets when raised with them. They're natural watchdogs, so expect a bark when someone pulls in the driveway. Early training and socialization go a long way.

Schnauzers have a low-shedding, wiry coat, and many people with mild dog allergies do well with them. No dog is completely allergy-free, though, so if allergies are a concern we're happy to arrange a visit so you can spend time with our dogs first.

Plan on a professional groom every 5 to 8 weeks, plus brushing at home a couple of times a week, especially the beard and leg furnishings. Regular nail trims and teeth brushing keep them healthy.

Miniature schnauzers often live 12 to 15 years. Like any breed, they have a few health concerns to watch for, including pancreatitis, high blood fats, bladder stones and certain eye conditions. A good-quality, lower-fat diet, healthy weight and regular vet checkups help a lot.

They're coat colors. A parti schnauzer is mostly white with patches of another color, like black or chocolate. Chocolate (also called liver) dogs have brown coats and brown noses, and a roan coat has colored and white hairs mixed together. The traditional show colors are salt and pepper, black and silver, and solid black, while parti and chocolate are less common colors that make wonderful companions.

A couple of good walks a day plus playtime keeps most schnauzers happy. They're energetic and playful but adapt well to their family's routine.

A small carrier or crate, puppy pads, food and water bowls, a supply of Puppy Chow, a soft bed or blanket, a few safe chew toys, and a small collar and leash. Puppy-proof the areas where your puppy will spend time by picking up cords, shoes and anything small enough to chew or swallow.

Your puppy is leaving mom and littermates for the first time, so some crying at night is normal. For the first few nights, we recommend keeping your puppy in a carrier on your nightstand, where they can see and hear you. Being close to you is comforting and helps them settle in much faster. Once they're sleeping well, you can gradually move them to their regular crate or bed.

Our puppies eat Puppy Chow. Please keep feeding the same food for at least the first several days. The move to a new home is a big change, and keeping their food the same helps prevent upset tummies. If you want to switch foods later, do it gradually over about a week by mixing a little more of the new food with the old each day.

Young puppies have small tummies, so they do best with several small meals a day. At 8 to 12 weeks, feed about three to four meals a day. From about 3 to 6 months, three meals a day, and from about 6 months on, two meals a day. For the amount, follow the feeding chart on the Puppy Chow bag for your puppy's weight and adjust with your veterinarian's advice as they grow. Your puppy should look trim, with a waist you can see from above. Keep fresh water available at all times, and skip the table scraps, since fatty foods can upset a schnauzer's stomach.

Please don't give cow's milk. Many puppies can't digest it well, and it often causes diarrhea. Softening isn't needed, since our puppies are eating dry kibble by 8 weeks old. If you'd still like to soften the food, for example while your puppy settles in, use a little warm water or a small amount of goat's milk, which is gentler on a puppy's stomach.

Because our puppies are raised in our home, they're already used to puppy pads by the time they go home. Keeping pads available at first helps them feel at home while you work on going outside. A crate is a great tool too. Make it a cozy, positive space with a blanket and a toy, keep it close by, and never use it as punishment. Most puppies come to see their crate as their own safe den.

Miniature schnauzers are smart and eager to please, so most families find them fairly easy to house train with consistency. Their bladders are small at first, so take your puppy out first thing in the morning, after naps, after meals and play, and before bed, about every hour or two while they're young. Use the same spot and the same word each time, and praise them right away when they go. Accidents are normal while they learn. With a steady routine, most schnauzers are reliably house trained within a few months.

Plan to see your own veterinarian within 2 weeks of bringing your puppy home, since that's when the next round of shots is due. Bring your puppy's records so your vet can continue the vaccine and deworming schedule and set up ongoing care.

Puppies are born with some protection from their mother, but it fades during their first few months. A series of vaccinations, usually given every 3 to 4 weeks until about 16 weeks old, builds your puppy's own immunity against serious and sometimes deadly diseases like parvovirus and distemper. Parvo in particular spreads easily and can survive in the ground for months. Until your vet says your puppy is fully vaccinated, avoid dog parks, pet store floors, and other places where many unknown dogs go, and keep up with every booster on time.