standard or mini

[Pahermit]

I am new to this site and to the schnauzer.I have been reading everything i could about schnauzers.I hope this part of the forum is the right section to ask this very important question to me.I have the chance to purchase either a standard or mini.They are from 2 outstanding schnauzer breeders,and i have to let them know by the end of next week or they both will no longer be available to me.So here goes.....My major problem with the mini are due to its health concerns.Everything i read about them states that they have more health concerns than the standard.On the standard i read he needs a LOT more outside exercise than the mini.I am considered a senior citizen but a healthy one but am concerned the standard might be too much for me to handle.{i'm only talking about the long walks,not the other needs the breed needs}I guess the question comes down to AM I THE RIGHT OWNER FOR THE BREED.Feel free to jump all over me i'll understand.

[zeta1454]

Hello Hal,

I did reply to your earlier post regarding the health issues which might affect the miniature schnauzer:

viewtopic.php?p=308551#p308551

The standard schnauzer does have fewer recognised health issues but there really is no guarantee with any breed or any breeder that an individual dog will live to old age with no health problems. Finding a reputable breeder that health tests their breeding dogs and has a knowledge of pedigrees on both sides of a mating is the best way to reduce the risks however.

The standard schnauzer is a different breed to the mini - it is not just a question of size. They are larger and more heavily built and they are often considered to be the most challenging of the three schnauzer breeds in terms of training and keeping them mentally occupied as well as physically fit.

My main concern from your post above is that the two breeders you mention seem to be coercing you into making a decision without either of them having discussed in depth with you the suitability of their respective breeds for your lifestyle / age etc. No reputable breeder who cares about the puppies they breed would be willing to let them go to a home where they had any doubts about the individual or family being able to offer the best possible home to that puppy for the whole of its lifetime. If neither of the breeders have had an in-depth discussion with you regarding your fitness and suitability for their particular breed nor addressed your concerns about each breed as you have outlined them here on the Forum - and they are issues that you are right to have concerns about - then, however excellent their actual dogs may be in terms of pedigree or achievements, I would walk away from both.

You need to find a breeder who you can trust to not only do the relevant health tests, have good pedigree lines in their breed, but also one who is dedicated to finding the best possible home for the puppies in which they have invested so much love, care, time and effort in choosing the best parents and raising them to be healthy self confident young dogs. No reputable breeder should be pressuring a potential adopter of one of their puppies into making a decision as you describe because both they and you, yourself, will already know from your discussions with / meeting them, that you are an ideal person for that breed. If you have concerns and they have not addressed them to your satisfaction but they are willing to give you one of their puppies with the risk that you will not be able to give it the best possible life or will struggle to manage their size, temperament etc. they are not breeders I would trust as it sounds as though money is their priority.

By all means, research the pro’s and cons of each breed through the Forum and similar but you need to find good breeders of both breeds that you can have a meaningful discussion with as to whether they would suit you and your lifestyle and once you have decided on the breed, get on a waiting list for a puppy from the breeder you trust the most to support and advise you with your new pup.

[Pahermit]

Perhaps i gave the wrong impression about the breeders,They both have a huge waiting list and even when you get on the list it could be many many months before you got a pup,and could possibly be a year or more.I just have to make the decision which waiting list to get on.Is the standard really that much more difficult to handle than the mini?

[Dawnspell]

I dont have personal experience of owning anything other than a mini but from what Ive read a standard would be my 3rd choice in the 3 sizes They were the original out of the 3 and were bred to be working dogs. The mini and giant came from crossing the standard with other breeds for different traits. The mini was developed as a companion dog not totally work based, but still multi purpose dog to keep watch and hunt vermin on farms.

If you have experience of owning working type dogs then I'm sure you could cope with a standard, but if its your first dog I'd me more inclined to get a mini. You only have to look around and compare the numbers of standards and the number of minis you see around, standards are not as popular. There has to be a reason and it cant be just the size.

[Schnauzerluv]

I too have only had minis, but I also know I wouldn't be able to handle a standard. That in itself makes my decision. The best we can do for health concerns is to really research the breeder and find a good reputable one.