The Miniature Schnauzer is a popular dog breed and originally comes from Germany. There he was mainly used to fight vermin. Nowadays, this dog is suitable as a family dog, but it certainly still has its hunting instinct. The Miniature Schnauzer is friendly, loyal and lively. He gets along well with children and enjoys undertaking activities with his owner. Because of his small size, he can live in an apartment.
But his preference is for a house with a large garden, where a Miniature Schnauzer can let off steam. After all, he loves to be outside. The coat of the Miniature Schnauzer needs a relatively large amount of grooming to keep it looking good. An advantage of his coat is that it does not shed much. People with allergies therefore experience fewer complaints with this dog. Have you become curious and would you like to know more about the Miniature Schnauzer? Then read this article!
The history: a rat catcher from Germany
The Miniature Schnauzer originated in Germany in the mid-nineteenth century. It is the smallest type among the Schnauzers. The Germans were looking for a farm dog that could chase away pests such as rats. Earlier, the standard Schnauzer was used for this purpose, but this dog took up more space and the maintenance costs were more expensive. Breeders decided to cross the standard Schnauzers with Affenpinschers and Poodles. This cross-resulted in the Miniature Schnauzer, a smaller dog that was better at chasing away vermin.
Today, the Miniature Schnauzer is a popular family dog. The hunting instinct for small pests still has this dog breed in it. The Miniature Schnauzer first came to America after World War I. There this dog breed became immediately popular. Also in the Netherlands the Miniature Schnauzer is common and it is a popular pet.
The character: obedient, lively and friendly
The Miniature Schnauzer is a friendly dog and is nowadays a very popular pet. This dog breed likes to undertake activities with his owner and/or family. He prefers to be close to you and likes to be in the center of attention. Due to its size, this dog is easy to take anywhere. The Miniature Schnauzer is lively, playful and loyal.
Despite its small size, it is a real watchdog. He is alert and will warn you if strange people enter his territory. He will bark a lot in the process, but you can unlearn this at a young age. The Miniature Schnauzer is intelligent and obedient. This makes it relatively easy to train and socialize him. If he is not socialized properly, then there is a chance that he will show aggression towards large dogs. How best to socialize a Miniature Schnauzer, you will read later in this article.
Due to its friendly nature, the Miniature Schnauzer is suitable as a family dog. He gets along well with children and other pets. It is wise to socialize the Miniature Schnauzer early with children and pets. It is also important to always supervise, especially if there are small pets around him. Due to his instinct to chase small animals, he may sometimes chase small pets.