New to Miniature Schnauzers

[Stanley Brian]

Hi, we have a standard boy who is now 5 years old. I've posted our experience on this site and asked quite a few questions before we got him. He had been fantastic and has now calmed down into a very reliable and loyal family member who goes on holiday with us several times a year and lives it in Norfolk. We are discussing another dog as we always had two in the past. However, these were golden retrievers. My questions are; what are the differences in the minis vs standards, any experience of the two lives of ng together, boy or girl, and pup or older dog? We have been offered a dog which has been bred from but she has never been out and about and we were told she was very nervous and would need house training?

[zeta1454]

Hi Nick - I have no experience with standard schnauzers living with a mini but would not necessarily think there would be any problem in having the two different sizes together. Mini schnauzers are generally wonderful companion dogs, get on fine with other dogs in their household (and often with other dogs generally) and should be easier to train than a standard from what I have heard of standard schnauzer owners' experiences.

As regards getting another male or a female, this may depend on whether your dogs are or will be neutered. Personally I am not in favour of neutering dogs without good reason and certainly not before they have fully matured but it can be advisable to have one or both neutered if you decide to have a female and male dog living together to avoid accidental mating and a great deal of stress and distress (for dogs and humans!) at the time of the bitch's season. Two entire males can live together fine without issues generally but some male dogs may not - it is difficult to prejudge as temperament and experience both play a part here.

The decision to get a puppy or an older dog is always a dilemma. With a puppy from a good breeder you should be confident that the temperament, early socialisation and training by the breeder, health testing etc have been carried out and you pretty much know what to expect with the dog as it grows. You will be introducing the puppy to relevant new experiences and socialising / training him or her into your family life and environment. It can be hard work for the first year or so but much is in your control and you should have the back-up and advice from the breeder to help if need be. With an older dog from any background, you just don't know all the experiences good and bad that the dog has had or how it has coped with or been affected by these; you will have a much harder job counter-conditioning traumas or even just working on socialising an under socialised mature dog than you would with a puppy.

Many years ago, we rehomed a young bitch from the breeder who had sold us our first miniature schnauzer puppy. The re-homed girl was a year older than our first dog and our first girl never got on with her at all - no fighting or anything hostile but they never became buddies as we had hoped. When we got a third mini (male puppy) both girls got on really well with him - most dogs will be more accepting and patient with a puppy than they may with an older dog. The one we rehomed had never been abused or anything terrible and had been loved and cared for but she had not had the kind of life we give our dogs in terms of experiences outside the home. She had never been off lead on outings and therefore never trained in recall, just had daily walks to the park and had little experience with other dogs / people outside her family. As a result she was quite nervous, barked much more and with little provocation compared to our other two and, on the first occasion when we (unknowingly) let her off lead on the beach, she just continued walking into the distance, expecting the pull of a lead to stop her! Luckily, despite not really liking her, our other dog realised what was happening and ran after her, turned her round and brought her back to us!

Basically, with a rehome, even from a good background, there may be many issues which you are unaware of. If you are thinking of taking on an ex-breeding dog from a poor quality background who is unsocialised; never been outside the "home" / kennel; has not been house- trained...you will have to be prepared for an exceptional amount of work, patience and care with them. The dog you mention will without doubt be very traumatised by her past and will need gentle and intensive care to introduce her to a different life than the one she has suffered to date. You will also need to consider any impact introducing her to the family may have on your resident dog both in terms of her behaviour both towards him and generally as well as the amount of time and commitment you will need to give her. She may also have health issues which will require veterinary treatment / surgery in the near future or chronic health issues, if she has been kept in poor conditions with inadequate nutrition.

Re-homing traumatised dogs is something which not many people have the time, energy, patience and knowledge to undertake and those that do so usually have an exceptional passion and commitment. As with any re-home you have to be certain that you can meet the needs of the dog you take into your home, as they will only be further damaged by being rejected and put into rescue or a series of failed new homes.

If you do decide to go for an older dog, I would recommend going through the breed rescue organisations who should be able to give you support and advice and will have assessed the dog in foster care or at its home before arranging a new family for its future. I don't want to put off anyone from giving a loving lifetime home to a rescue or older dog but it does worry me that many people with the kindest of intentions take on dogs with multiple problems that they struggle financially and emotionally to manage or that they give up unable to cope with the stress. Rehoming an older dog from a decent previous home may come with very few issues at all but the more traumatic the background, the greater the demands on the new family and that does need very serious consideration.

[Stanley Brian]

Thank you for such a comprehensive reply I really appreciate it. We are going to go for a mini puppy and will start to visit some breeders and take our time. Id like black and silver but I think they are quite rare

[zeta1454]

Black and silver miniature schnauzers certainly are less common than the pepper and salt colouring. However there are some reputable breeders who specialise in this colour if you are willing to wait / travel.

I have sent you a PM