What is a Miniature Schnauzer like, and what health problems should you know about?

What is a Miniature Schnauzer's personality like?

Lively, fearless and family minded. A Schnauzer should be alert and spirited yet obedient, and friendly, smart and eager to please, and never overly aggressive or timid. The breed started out as an all-around farm dog and rat catcher, tough and fearless without being aggressive, and today it is a home and family dog through and through.

In the United States the Miniature has always been shown as a terrier, while the Standard and the Giant are working dogs. Many owners say the breed's happy, friendly nature and how well it settles as a house pet are what made it so popular, and the heavy beard makes a perfect mask for planning mischief.

Are Miniature Schnauzers good with kids and other dogs?

With children, usually yes. Minis are sturdy little dogs that enjoy lively play, and they're generally good with children when they're raised with them. Young children need a careful introduction to any dog, and no young child should be left alone with a dog of any breed.

With other dogs and pets, Minis usually get along well, and it helps to socialize them from an early age. Prey drive and leash advice are covered in our Schnauzer size guide.

Why do Miniature Schnauzers bark so much?

They're natural watchdogs, and they take the job seriously. Our size guide talks about how much they bark.

A dog barking at people walking past is trying to warn off what it sees as intruders, and that barking often rewards itself, because from the dog's side the bark seems to make the stranger leave. Trainers suggest a few ways to cut down on that kind of barking.

• Block the view, with curtains on the front windows or a solid gate, so there's nothing to warn off.
• Teach your dog to go to its place, a crate, bed or mat, when visitors arrive, so it learns a calm spot instead of the front door.
• Don't leave your Schnauzer alone in the yard for long, where every squirrel and passing dog becomes a reason to bark.

Are Miniature Schnauzers easy to train?

Yes. They're among the quickest learners of the small breeds, friendly, lively and eager to please. They're playful too, and they need things to think about.

Because they're so smart, keep training fun and interesting. Many do very well in dog sports such as agility, obedience and rally.

What health problems do Miniature Schnauzers have?

The breed is generally healthy, and our size and lifespan guide lists the problems it can be prone to and how long Schnauzers live. One that is closely tied to the breed is high fat in the blood, where the body can't process fats properly, and it can usually be controlled by diet.

It's common in the breed. Researchers found high blood fats in about a third of the healthy Miniature Schnauzers they tested, against about one in twenty healthy dogs of other breeds. It showed up more often, and at higher levels, as the dogs got older, so it's worth asking your vet about blood work as your Schnauzer ages.

Why does diet matter for pancreatitis in Schnauzers?

Because high blood fats and pancreatitis seem to travel together in this breed. Pancreatitis is a swelling of the pancreas that causes severe pain and stomach upset and can sometimes be fatal, and in Miniature Schnauzers it's thought to be linked to high blood fats.

When researchers compared Schnauzers that had recently had pancreatitis with Schnauzers that hadn't, the ones that had been sick were five times as likely to have high blood fats once they'd recovered. The researchers said the link might be a cause in some dogs and that more study is needed. For an owner it means following your vet's advice on food and treats, since the blood fat problem can usually be controlled by diet. Brush your Schnauzer's teeth often, too.

Do Miniature Schnauzers get bladder stones or eye problems?

Some do. Bladder stones can turn up in some Miniature Schnauzers, as in other breeds, and the most common kind is usually very treatable. Other kinds turn up too, and one of them is common in the breed alongside high blood fats.

For the eyes, cataracts are an inherited clouding of the lens that can happen in any breed or mix. If your dog's eyes look cloudy or bluish gray, have your vet or a veterinary eye specialist look at them, though some graying of the eyes is natural in an older dog.

What DNA tests are there for Schnauzer parents?

Besides the eye and heart exams a breeding Schnauzer should have, which our size guide covers along with the certificates we have for our parents, there are a few optional DNA tests for the breed. They check for an inherited muscle stiffness, for an inherited eye disease that can lead to blindness, and for a rare immune problem.

That immune problem lets an infection spread through the whole body, and it was found in one line of Miniature Schnauzers in the 1990s. Research led to a DNA test for it, and testing by breeders has almost entirely wiped it out of the breed.

We are working toward health testing all of our mamas and papas, and the certificates we have are posted on each parent's page. Our Miniature Schnauzer puppies are on the breed page, each linked to both of its parents, and the Schnauzer grooming guide covers the beard and the classic cut.