Is a Miniature Schnauzer right for you?

pictured above left, CH Majorays Once Upon A Time, "Seville" Our 1st Champion Miniature Schnauzer.(Our little friend and "security guard" Seville passe away in November 2006. She was nearly 15 years old and was as playful as ever right up to the end. We were so lucky to have had the oppertunity o share our lies with her. She is missed!

to her right, CH Sterling' Scandal-icious, "Yummie" Sevilles daughter. Our first home bred champion.(Sadly, our little friend Yummie passed away in February 2006, our hearts are sad, but we know that she had a wonderful, albeit too short life with her owner and friend Debbie Taylor-Griffen. Her legacy will live on in her great grand daughter Diana...)

and just below, sevilles great grand daughter, CH Gray Lady's Diana's Mirror, "Diana" Our first natural eared champion.

The Miniature Schnauzer is a robust and active dog, they are intelligent, quite often able to out smart the people that live with them. They adapt with equal ease to a single pet home, as they do to a multiple pet home, co-existing with most common house pets and other dogs. They are BIG dogs in little packages, with their small size allowing them to be equally suited to apartment living in a city or a cherished addition to the largest of country homes. One thing remains constant regardless of where the Miniature Schnauzer lives, their strong instinct as a hunter means that if you allow them to roam in an unfenced area or off leash, he or she will quite possibly alert to a small movement or another animal and be injured or lost, perhaps for ever. Remember that no matter what breed you decide to have "Unleashed is unloved".

We have seen Miniature Schnauzers work in the capacity of conformation show dog, obedience dog, agility dog and even as assistance dogs to physically challenged individuals. We have asked our dogs to visit schools and nursing homes, challenges they have accepted eagerly. They are protective of their homes and humans, capable of sounding an unmistakable alert when a stranger arrives, but equally capable of transforming to ambassador of good will and "face licking" when they are sure that the visitor posses no threat. Quite frankly, from my slightly prejudice point of view, I have never met a challenge too big, or a task too difficult for these wonderful little dogs to take on.

Remember that every dog is an individual, and that how it is treated and trained can only help to strengthen or suppress his or her inherent traits. What a dog was bred for was not simply determined by its structure, but by it's temperament and natural instincts. The Miniature Schnauzer is truly a working breed, his ability to learn quickly combined with his fearless temperament and sturdy structure, served to make him an ideal "ratter" on the farm. This being said, remember that an active dog has an active mind, having a lot of toys to un-stuff and a fair amount of daily challenges to face, will only serve to make your dog a happier and healthier companion for you and your family.

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