Welcome to Schnauzer 101: A Definitive Guide

The Schnauzer is a popular dog that comes in all different sizes, teacup or toy to giant. Miniature Schnauzers are a member of the terrier group, while standard and giant schnauzers are members of the working group. They are playful and social, tough and adventurous, and smart, trainable dogs.

From temperament to tips on raising your own, learn everything and more on the sweet but strong Schnauzer.

Miniature Schnauzers are small dogs that are very outgoing and sporty with trademark eyebrows and beard, giving the dogs a cute and almost human face. Bred to hunt rats, these dogs are small enough to fit into tiny spaces to find pests.

The standard Schnauzer breed is a farm dog breed at heart.  These dogs were bred to be great guard dogs and perform a wide range of jobs from scaring away rats to herding livestock.

Giant Schnauzers were bred to be guard farms but also used as guard dogs by merchants and innkeepers.  These dogs originally helped herd cattle and then eventually served in the police force and military.

The Miniature Schnauzer dogs weigh between 11 to 20 pounds according to AKC breed standards.  Miniature Schnauzers can be even smaller if they are teacup sized.

Standard schnauzers weigh between 30 to 50 pounds, female dogs are typically smaller than the male schnauzer dogs.

Giant schnauzers weight between 55 and 85 pounds as adult dogs. The female dogs being smaller than males usually.

Mini Schnauzers are social and small enough to travel. A great family dog, they can be equally happy in an apartment or a house if the puppy is trained properly.

Standard Schnauzers are athletic and alert, needing more room to run than a mini Schnauzer.  These dogs are protective of their family, very affectionate and kid-friendly.

Giant Schnauzers are strong and considerably more energetic than other dogs of their size. They are naturally protective and make great guard-dogs. Giant Schnauzers require lots of exercise and enjoy having a human or another large dog breed to play within a fenced yard ideally. Giant schnauzers should be socialized as a puppy.

The miniature schnauzer’s lifespan is 12 to 15 years.

The standard schnauzer’s lifespan is 13 to 16 years.

The giant schnauzer’s lifespan is 12 to 15 years.

Schnauzers can have very different personalities, some are naturally low stress, easy-going dogs, who love new dogs and strangers, while others are high strung, wary of strangers and other animals. It depends on the puppy, its parents, and training.

Miniature Schnauzers are a hypoallergenic breed, that sheds very little; a good puppy for pet allergy suffers!

Schnauzers shed very little.  They have a soft undercoat that grows close to the skin, and a longer outcast that is wiry.

The undercoat must be regularly “stripped,” a non-painful process of removing the dead hairs.  The outer coat grows longer, especially around the face and need to be trimmed.

Accounting to herepup.com, the teacup schnauzer or toy schnauzer can cost anywhere between $500 to $2700 dollars, depending on size and bloodline. The white miniature schnauzer or special part schnauzers may be more expensive.

A Standard schnauzer puppy cost between $400 and $1500 dollars.

A giant schnauzers puppy can cost between $700 to $3000 dollars depending on the parent’s size and bloodline.

Adopting is a great way to give a dog a new home.

Adoption is less expensive than purchasing from a breeder, but there are still adoption fees. Miniature Schnauzers, as well as standard and even giant Schnauzers, can be found in shelters or rescue groups.  Rescue groups work hard to match the dogs with the right owners, and the process is more extensive than a state-funded high kill shelter.

Potential owners will need to fill out an adoption application.

You can find miniature schnauzer puppies for adoption on petfinder.com or through the American Miniature Schnauzer Club, which works to rescue and re-home miniature schnauzers.

You can give a standard schnauzer a home through adoptapet.com or StandardSchnauzer.org which has a standard schnauzer rescue program.

Giant Schnauzers for adoption can be found on petfinder.com or through the G.I.A.N.T Schnauzer Rescue Network.

The Schnauzer Love Rescue is a volunteer-run organization helps schnauzers of all shapes and sizes find forever homes. They have miniature schnauzers, standard schnauzers, and giant schnauzers for adoption. They have locations in Alabama, Georgia, Mississippi, Tennessee, Florida and South Carolina.

Responsible miniature schnauzer breeders can be found through the American Kennel Club PuppyFinder. Irresponsible breeders can use unethical practices to produce smaller puppies, and these miniature schnauzer puppies are more prone to health problems, like Von Willebrand’s disease and hip dysplasia.

It can be hard to resist puppies for sale at a pet store, but these puppies can be irresponsibly bred and often are very costly.

The AKC marketplace features breeders that have agreed to a code of ethics.  The kennels are inspected and the AKC gives breeders education and resources promoting, health, socialization, and responsible ownership.

AKC registered giant schnauzer breeders produce puppies from registered bloodlines.  Giant Schnauzers can have health problems due to their large size, so it is important to choose a responsible breeder to ensure a healthy puppy.

The schnauzer breed is popular with designer dog mixes because they are hypoallergenic. Schnauzer mixes can be big or small and are often adorable. Schnoodles (schnauzer poodle mixes both miniature schnauzers and standard schnauzers are used) and Mini Schnoxie (mini schnauzer and dachshund mix) are cute hybrids.

1. Schnauzer Bumps are not a health problem. The schnauzer breed is prone to Schnauzer comedo syndrome, which is a unique skin disorder that produces bumps on the skin that look like pimples or blackheads.

2. Schnauzers need physical and mental exercise.  Schnauzers are very smart and need exercise and mental challenges like treat training or sports events like agility.

3. Socialize and train. Schnauzers make great guard dogs but can be territorial and require socialization as a puppy and training to welcome new visitors.

Schnauzers are smart and eager to please, making the breed an excellent companion animal that enjoys challenging activities and sports. Loving and tough, these lil doggos are one of the best breeds around and can’t wait to spend all their time with you and the family.