General Questions about Miniature Schnauzers
The miniature schnauzer originated in Germany dating back as far the 15th century. It was originally bred to ‘go-to-ground’ for prey like many of the other terriers, and will gladly chase rodents.
The breed standard calls for the height at the withers or shoulder blades to be at least 12″ and no more than 14″. It does not specify a particular weight for the breed. That will depend on size and bone structure. A dog measuring 12” to 14” will usually weigh 11 to 20 pounds.
Miniature schnauzers shed very little and does not leave hair all over your clothes and home and are generally odorless. The breed is known to cause fewer and less severe reactions in people with allergies to dogs than most other breeds that shed more. We advise you or anyone in your family has allergies to spend some time around the breed before buying a miniature schnauzer as individual reactions can vary widely.
Miniature schnauzers are known for being wonderful family dogs and are generally good with children if raised with them from a young age. Miniature schnauzers are very loyal and protective without being overaggressive. Young children do need to be taught the do’s and don’ts with any breed. They need to be introduced carefully to dogs and no you child should be left unsupervised with a dog of any breed.
The breed standard allows for both cropped and uncropped (natural ears).
Tail docking is done for various reasons. The first reason is that the slimmer end of the tail can be damaged later on in life and result in injury to the dog. The second reason is for cosmetic purposes. If the tail is cropped at the right length the cropped tail looks great! Of course, tradition dictates the docked Schnauzer tail.
Feeding Questions
We recommend feeding pawTree Real Chicken & Sweet Potato food. You will want to continue feeding your puppy this food at least for the first few weeks. If you decide to switch to a different brand, be sure to mix in the new food gradually as to help prevent giving your puppy an upset tummy. To learn how to order your puppy’s food visit our pawTree page.
A miniature schnauzer puppy should be fed ¼ to ½ cup of food per day.
A miniature schnauzer puppy ages two to three months old should be fed 3 to 4 times a day. This can be decreased to 3 times a day once a puppy is 3 months to 2 years old.
At young age during the weaning process we soften the food with warm water and let is soak the food before feeding to our puppies. During a young puppy’s teething process it can have sore gums so it is okay to soak the dry kibble for a puppy until it reaches 12 weeks of age. It is recommended to after 10 to 12 weeks of age to begin feeding dry kibble. Dry kibble helps keep the teeth and gums healthy by removing plaque.
Training Questions
It is recommended to start crate training your puppy when you bring it home. This will help with the housetraining process. The puppy will also consider the crate his or her den and be safe and comfortable there. Crate training must be done correctly. It is not to be used to just keep the puppy in when you are home. The puppy needs to be with you. A miniature schnauzer’s greatest joy is to be around the family.
It is very important to be consistent in the training method you choose to use. Miniature schnauzers are highly intelligent and are easily housetrained. Feeding your puppy on a regular schedule will make a tremendous difference in your potty training efforts. Schnauzers Rule and WagWalking provides useful tips and information on housetraining a miniature schnauzer puppy.
Miniature schnauzers intelligent and are eager to please, which makes the breed highly trainable. The American Kennel Club provides useful tips and information on how to train a miniature schnauzer puppy.
Dogs are pack-animals so keep this in mind when leaving your miniature schnauzer puppy home alone. You become the puppy’s family so separation should be kept to a minimum. The more time and effort you are able to spend with your new puppy will help it to learn the basics much quicker and easier. The greatest joy for a miniature schnauzer is to be with their family.
Grooming Questions
The miniature schnauzer breed has a double-coat usually with a wiry topcoat and a soft undercoat. In order to maintain a miniature schnauzer’s handsome appearance regular grooming is necessary. Miniature schnauzers are not a “wash and wear” dog. They do not shed and must be groomed on a regular basis, approximately every five to eight weeks to maintain their handsome appearance. Otherwise, your miniature schnauzer will have long and shaggy hair and look unkept. You may choose to let a professional groom your miniature schnauzer or you may choose to learn how to groom your miniature schnauzer yourself.
A schnauzer should be bathed as often as necessary with doggie shampoo and if possible conditioner, but no longer than six weeks between each bathing. Regular bathing is essential to maintain healthy skin and coat, as well as good hygiene.
A miniature schnauzer requires frequent brushing and combing of the beard and leg furnishings on a weekly basis. This helps prevent knots and mats between each grooming. A miniature schnauzer will nail trimming and ear cleaning as well. The breed is generally odorless and does not leave hair all over your clothes and home.
Questions About What is Provided With a Puppy
Yes, I provide a written health guarantee. You may read over it on the Health Guarantee page.
Yes, you will receive your puppy’s AKC puppy paper, in which you will need to fill out and send it to AKC.
I give full AKC registration unless otherwise stated.
Yes, I provide a health record on my puppies. It will indicate the vaccinations and worming the puppy has received. A copy of the health record will be provided for your licensed veterinarian as well.
Yes, the puppy will receive a head to tail health examination prior to leaving our care. A vet issued Certificate of Health will be provided.
Shipping Questions
A puppy must 8 weeks of age and weaned from its mother as well as eating food on its own. However, we will not ship a puppy to you until we feel it is ready to leave our care. The health and well being of our puppies is our top priority. Therefore, a smaller puppy may need more time before it is ready to leave our care.
A puppy must 8 weeks of age and weaned from its mother as well as eating food on its own. However, we will not ship a puppy to you until we feel it is ready to leave our care. The health and well being of our puppies is our top priority. Therefore, a smaller puppy may need more time before it is ready to leave our care.
The shipping cost to ship two miniature schnauzer puppies in the same kennel is an additional charge of $75 to cover the cost for the second puppy. However, the puppies can not be over 6 months old. If they are over 6 months old the puppies would need to be shipped separately. If a larger crate is required to ship to puppies together the additional cost may be a little more.
No you do not need to book your miniature schnauzer puppy’s flight. We will book the flight and send you all of the flight information.
Your miniature schnauzer puppy will come in an FAA approved travel kennel with a snuggly pet bed and potty pad. There will be a food and water dish attached to the inside of the travel kennel. We place ice cubes in the water dish before departure in case the puppy becomes thirsty during the flight. We will also include a small sample of pawTree puppy food your miniature schnauzer puppy is currently eating.
When a puppy is shipped it will come with the following: AKC Puppy Registration paper, Medical Record, written Health Guarantee, vet issued Certificate of Health, NuVet Plus Brochure, travel kennel, pet bed, and a sample of pawTree food.
Pick up locations are different at different airports. It is normally at American Airlines Baggage Service Area or Ticket Counter. Some locations it will be at Cargo or the Global Priority Shipping Center. You can check the pick up location at aacargo.com by going to the Facility pick up locations and typing in your airport code. The will give you the location and address.
We are able to ship a puppy to most locations within the U.S. The airport does need to be an international airport to be able to get a pet friendly flight.
Yes, we are able to meet in the DFW Area for an additional $75 as long as we are taking other puppies to the airport to be shipped.