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The Miniature Schnauzer is a breed that is originally from Germany. It is believed to have been started by breeding the standard schnauzer to smaller breeds such as the affenpinscher, poodle, and/or miniature pinscher. It is from these crosses while developing the breed that the colors white and black/silver came about, and these colors have remained and bred true all these years. The most common colors for miniature schnauzers are salt/pepper and black, with black/silver and white being a little less common. All these colors can be registered with the major registering bodies, such as the Canadian Kennel Club and the American Kennel Club. When you hear that the color white is not *recognized* by a particular kennel club, all that means is that it cannot be shown in conformation shows. It is still a registered purebred, and can be shown in every other aspect of dogs such as obedience, agility, etc. The black/silver was just as disqualifying a color in FCI countries as the white was, and both were recognized as an official color (accepted for conformation in FCI countries), in 1968. The white mini schnauzer is accepted in ALL FCI-countries, (over 50 total). It is interesting to note that the white IS accepted in Germany, the miniature schnauzer's country of origin. Only a few countries do not accept white for conformation, even though they are fully registerable purebreds. These countries are USA, Canada, Australia, UK and South Africa. Although these countries are large, they are obviously in the minority when it comes to accepting white! Click here for more information on white coat color in miniature schnauzers. Click here for a link to the FCI standard for the miniature schnauzer.
The average size of a miniature schnauzer is 12-14 inches, and the weight tends to average 14-20 pounds. Their life expectancy is about 15 years if properly cared for. The mini schnauzer is a robust active dog who is squarely built, with a distinctive beard and eyebrows. They can have either an intact natural tail or a docked tail. Ears are now usually found to be natural drop ears on most dogs, hanging naturally, breaking just above the skull and hanging neatly on the head. Cropped ears are now usually only done by show breeders in a few countries, and hopefully these countries will catch up with the rest of the civilized world, where it is becoming illegal in more and more places to cut body parts of living creatures for no reason. We personally feel that natural ears are much more expressive, with a much softer appearance to the face, and natural tails are much more expressive also and are very much needed for proper communication, balance etc. The mini is a relatively small but sturdy dog, not at all toyish, and is a very hardy companion for both young and old alike. As they are a non-shedding breed, they do require regular grooming. They should be clipped every eight weeks or so, and the furnishings should be brushed several times a week to prevent matting. Nails should be trimmed every two weeks at least, preferrably once a week. To prevent dental problems later in life teeth should be brushed every day with special doggy toothbrush and toothpaste.
(back to contents)Miniature schnauzers are a very charming and attractive breed, displaying unbound devotion and love to their family, and demanding the same in return! Minis tend to be very intelligent, easily trainable, and very clean. They are as at home in an apartment as they are in the country, and love to go for a walk, or just play fetch in the living room. They get plenty of exercise following you from room to room, as they never want to be without you. They can be a bit stubborn when trying to get their way, but are very clever in making you do what they wish. They are not incessant barkers, but will readily announce anything or anyone that is out of place. Many schnauzers are "talkers", in that they are very vocal when greeting you; for instance when you have been away and returned home. It is not barking, but a "woo-woo, roo-roo, grunt groan" type of sheer bliss that you have finally returned to love them, even if all you did was go get the mail!!!!
(back to contents)Mini schnauzers are a healthy breed, and are not usually plagued by very many health problems. One of the biggest problems with minis seems to be controlling their weight. But regular exercise and proper nutrition will easily control this problem. One particular nutrition related problem that is occuring with increasing frequency in miniature schnauzers is pancreatitis. It is not clearly understood, but appears to be associated with the fact that many mini schnauzers have high blood serum lipids (fats). Symptoms generally include lack of appetite, repetitive vomiting and diarrhea, abdominal pain, lethargy and depression. It is very much an emergency situation which requires immediate veterinary care to prevent more serious illness or even death. It can be prevented by maintaining your adult mini on a lower fat diet. Another potential life-threatening problem is hyper-sensitivity to vaccines. Symptoms include facial swelling and extreme itchiness, and possible breathing problems. Vomiting and diarrhea can also occur.
Your puppy/dog should never be left alone after vaccinations are given, as any delay in treatment for allergic reactions to vaccines can be fatal. Most serious reactions have been known to occur within eight hours after injection, but be watchful up to 24 hours or so in case your dog has not read the book and reacts later than usual. Eye problems which can occur in the breed include congenital juvenile cataracts and progressive retinal atrophy, both of which cause blindness. Good breeders have their breeding stock screened by a board certified ACVO opthalmologist. Other problems which are not necessarily common, but can occur in the breed, include urolithiasis (urinary tract infections and/or bladder stones), hypothyroidism, skin/allergy problems, liver shunts, epilepsy, juvenile kidney failure, and heart defects. Even though some of these problems are more prevalent in this breed than in some other breeds, they are not all hereditary. And to make things more complicated, some of them can be either hereditary or acquired (non-hereditary). This can make things more complicated when it comes to breeding decisions, guarantees etc., but no good breeder would deliberately use a dog in their breeding program which has a known hereditary problem.
(back to contents)Dewclaws may be present on both the front and hind feet, but are more commonly found on the front, a little higher and tighter fitting on the leg, much like a thumb. Dewclaws are traditionally removed at birth or during the first days of life, so there is hopefully less pain felt. Dewclaws are removed using veterinary suture removal scissors. They have a little hook that can be placed firmly behind the dewclaw allowing for a clean quick cut, and there is usually minimal bleeding. Some people claim that if dewclaws are not removed they can cause many problems in adult dogs. Admitedly, the dewclaws, if not kept cut short, can grow around and grow right into the side of the foot or foot pad, which is a very painful and needless thing. This is of course the responsibility of the owner to keep the dewclaw cut short along with all the rest of the dogs nails, and is in no way a reason/excuse to remove the front dewclaws from all puppies. The front dewclaw is in many ways like a human thumb, and has been shown to be used by some dogs in balancing while running and turning, as well as to help hold toys or bones they are playing with or chewing on. Imagine not having such use of your thumb, how much more limited your function would be. It is no different for dogs. The front dewclaw is there for a reason and should not be removed without medical reason.
People also claim that dewclaws can get hooked on everything, even carpet, and if they tear it can be painful and can bleed profusely and be very traumatic for both dog and owner. While in theory this is true, medical research says that the front dewclaw is no more likely to get hurt or damaged than any of the other toenails, and we do not remove all of those from all dogs! The only case that appears to have some basis in fact is regarding rear dewclaws, which tend to be much more loosely attached with saggy skin, lower on the foot, and it is acceptable and even advisable to remove rear dewclaws in many cases for this reason, as they are much more likely to get snagged and cause injury. It is much better to prevent such problems with rear dewclaw removal in most cases.
In my own experience, over the many many years I have bred dogs, I have never had a dewclaw injury, and I have had dogs of various breeds with intact front dewclaws. I have had three normal nail injuries (no dewclaws) in 20+ years in dogs, none of which caused any long term problems, and my research both online as well as in person with many vets over the years show the same sort of low numbers of actual front dewclaw injury....certainly not enough of a statistical problem to ever warrant even considering the needless removal of all dewclaws in all puppies.
(back to contents)We are no longer docking tails unless there is a medical reason to do so at birth. Therefore virtually all our pups in the future will have natural tails.
Tail docking is a procedure that is still practised by some vets and breeders, and is usually done at about three days of age. There has been much controversy about docking tails over the years, and it is much more in the forefront again the last year or so since it is becoming so well known that docking tails is proven to have no benefit whatsoever to most dogs and there is no legitimate reason for doing most dogs. After much personal experience and research with our breed, we have decided that we are going to strongly promote the end of tail docking at least in our breed where we have some small bit of control. There is really no need whatsoever to dock tails on a mini schnauzer in this day and age. People will use the reasons, a show dog will do better (in Canada and the US and a few other countries) so they use that as an excuse. Who is benefiting?? The dog?? I think not. Another reason used it that a friend or relative has one and theirs is docked, and they do not want their dog to be *different*. Who is benefiting?? The dog?? I think not.
There has been much said and written about docking tails. The tail of the mini schnauzer is not weak, it is not easily broken, and it will not get damaged by normal everyday life including a walk in the woods or a hike on a trail or against your living room table....no more so then any other breed with a tail would do. I have never heard of any miniature schnauzer doing damage to a tail while on a walk in the woods or during normal everyday living. Do you really think that the thousands of dogs of various breeds overseas, in countries where tail docking is illegal for very good reason, are all running around with damaged or broken tails? Those dogs are doing just fine I can assure you.
Docking is painful to the pup even if for a short duration; some pups get over it rather quickly but some may cry on and off for a few hours after it is done. There is not usually a lot of bleeding but on occasion there will be heavier bleeding that needs to be dealt with and controlled. There is stress to the pup and to the mom who must be locked away while it is done so she does not get upset when her babies cry.
There is also a condition known as ghost tail or phantom tail which has been documented and proven to exist, much like amputees have phantom limb. The dog feels as if the tail is still there, and can even intermittently feel sudden stabbing pain if the nerve endings do not heal properly after the tail has been removed. This is not a common problem but it does happen more often then one would care to admit. Some dogs have it their entire lives, while some outgrow it after puppy hood as the docked tail grows and changes as the dog matures. Either way, it is a potential pain that there is no need of inflicting on any pup when there IS a choice!!!
Please, when thinking of getting a mini schnauzer, do NOT go with the flow, make the decision to do what is best for your pup...choose to keep the tail intact and be one of the many people to try and put an end to tail docking in the countries where it still exists today!!
(back to contents)Cropping of ears was done originally to protect the dog from injury while working or hunting. Then as breeds began to attend dog shows it became the norm and is now part of the official breed standard for many breeds. Personally, we do not crop our dogs' ears and do not recommend having it done. There are no benefits that we can think of at this time for cropping any miniature schnauzer's ears. Even though we have never owned a dog with cropped ears, we have heard and read that there is a lot of aftercare required of the cropped ears, and that it is usually very painful for the dog. Some people claim that cropped ears are healthier and there is less risk of ear infection in a cropped dog. Out of our many mini schnauzers over the years who were/are all natural eared, we have never had one single ear infection. Proper care and cleanliness of the ears is required, not ear cropping. A lot of show dogs are still done, but hopefully that will change when people's attitudes change about what really matters when it comes to form and function in dogs. It would take quite some doing to damage the ears while living a normal home life, even if *play* hunting on a walk in the woods. Since cropping of the ears is a complicated and painful surgical procedure that requires anesthesia, we see no purpose for it in the future of most breeds of dogs. Not only that, more and more vets are reluctant to do the procedure without very good reason, and I know that the Atlantic Veterinary College in Canada does not even train new vets how to do it at all. Cropping ears is becoming a *taboo* thing to do. It is also illegal in many countries and that will hopefully become a more widespread thing.
(back to contents)"(Tail docking) is a barbaric operation which is performed on un-fortunate puppies in certain breeds for show purposes only. The removal of the dogs tail, which was given to him to wag when pleased, is a sad reflection on civilized people. The removal of the tail in no way benefits the dog. Breeders who have docked hundreds of tails say that the puppies hardly feels it, but that is not the point. It is wrong for a human to mutilate a beautiful dog for such a paltry reason as a show..... Future generations will look back in horror at this unnecessary cruelty." - Hilary Harmer, The Dobermann, 1968
It should be noted "the tail is not merely an inconsequential appendage. It is an anatomically and physiologically significant structure which has many biological functions that should not be underestimated. For example, the tail acts as a counterbalance when the dog is leaping, walking along narrow structures, or climbing. [T]he tail plays an important role in defecating, and that the muscles used to wag the tail may also strengthen the perineal area and prevent perineal hernias. In addition, the dog uses the tail to signal many emotions and intentions. As a result, tail docking can adversely affect the interaction of a dog with other dogs or with humans. Furthermore, the tail enhances human-dog interactions, as the tail is the most obvious means of communication between human and dog. Finally, the absence of a tail may cause a dog to be the victim of attacks by other dogs due to an inability to communicate." Cropping and Docking: A Discussion of the Controversy and the Role of Law in Preventing Unnecessary Cosmetic Surgery on Dogs published by The Animal Legal & Historical Center of the Michigan University College of Law
The information below has been researched and found in various articles, news releases, government statements, etc, on the internet. This information we believe to be accurate, but in no way can we guarantee 100% authenticity.
Australia, Ireland, New Zealand , Singapore , Turkey, Canadian province of Newfoundland and Labrador. Ear cropping has been prohibited by the European Convention for the Protection of Pet Animals and strongly discouraged by a number of national veterinary associations in Argentina, Canada, Bosnia-Herzegovina, Croatia, Estonia, France, Hong Kong, Hungary, Ireland, Italy, Japan, Malaysia,. New Zealand, Poland, South Africa, Spain, Taiwan, and Uruguay.
France, Hungary, Italy, England - From April 6th, 2007 cosmetic tail docking will be illegal in England with the exception of certified working dogs. Scotland - In Scotland there will be a total ban on tail docking with no exemptions from the 30th of April. Any breeder who transfers puppies across the border to be docked will face a £5,000 ($10,000) fine or 6 months in jail. Wales - A ban is already being enforced in Wales since 27th of March, and a date has yet to be set for Northern Ireland
Australia, Austria, Belgium, Cyprus, Czech Republic, Denmark, Estonia, Finland, Germany, Greece, Iceland, Israel, Luxembourg, Netherlands, Norway, Portugal, Slovakia, Sweden, Switzerland, South Africa, Virgin Islands, Italian Cities of Turin and Rome.
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