How to Care for a Miniature Schnauzer

The miniature schnauzer is loving and energetic and can be a bit of a show-off. Plan to spend a lot of time with your schnauzer - this dog will demand it. Also, remember that schnauzers should be kept on leash, as they will take on dogs of any size.

Difficulty: Moderate

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Dog Beds
• Dog Bones
• Dog Brushes
• Dog Conditioner
• Dog Dishes
• Dog Flea Combs
• Dog Food
• Dog Grooming Sprays
• Dog Leashes
• Dog Shampoo
• Dog Toys
• Flea And Tick Dog Shampoo
• Nail Clippers For Dogs
• Dog Shampoo

1. Vaccinate your miniature schnauzer when you first get her, and make sure she gets yearly booster vaccinations to maintain her immunity to disease. Also, worm your adult dog every three months and consult your veterinarian about flea control products.

2. Feed your miniature schnauzer high-grade dog food. The first ingredient should be meat if you want a quality product. Crude protein should be no less than 30 percent and crude fat no less than 20 percent. The fiber content needs to be 4 percent or less.

3. Socialize your miniature schnauzer to be with other dogs at an early age. Schnauzers are aggressive with dogs they have not been raised with and will need to be watched outside your home.

4. Walk or run your miniature schnauzer daily. Make sure the dog has plenty of playtime off leash as well.

5. Brush your miniature schnauzer's coat daily with a wire brush. Have a professional trim her coat twice a year. Miniature schnauzers shed very little.

6. Trim nails every two to three weeks.

7. Understand that miniature schnauzers are prone to certain health conditions such as kidney stones, liver disease, skin disorders, Von Willebrand's disease (a bleeding disorder) and diabetes.

8. Know that male miniature schnauzers will grow to 12 to 14 inches and weigh 11 to 18 lbs. Females will grow to 11 to 13 inches and weigh 10 to 15 lbs.

9. Expect a miniature schnauzer to live about 15 years.

Tips & Warnings

• Miniature schnauzers are as happy being lapdogs as they are running free.
• The miniature schnauzer can be standoffish with strangers.
• This breed likes to bark a lot.

[schnauzer_lover]

on 2/15/2007 We have fed our dog about 1-3 grapes a day, for about 3 months, we just now found out they are poisonous, do you think that will cause any damage? and what other treat should we give her?

[kuffsz]

on 2/10/2007 Although i dont believe chocolate is good for any animals, i do believe the "deadliness" of it is over rated, i think onion and mushrooms are more toxic...as well as Rawhide!...All my dogs have grown up on raw carrots, potatoes, stringbeans and many other fruits and veggies, for snacks rather than the storebought milk bones...and other junk thats out there.

on 6/30/2006 When feeding your pet pumpkin, you do not want to feed the pie filling. You want to get the 100% canned pumpkin. Never, ever, feed a dog chocolate of any kind. Grapes are also toxic, as well as onions.

on 4/3/2006 Chocolate can kill a dog of any breed. If your dog happens to eat chocolate, there's a simple way to prevent death. This works best when you first find that your dog ate chocolate. You might want to take you dog outside for this one. First you'll need:
* Salt
*Teaspoon
*Leash

First take you dog outside. Then fill you teaspoon full of salt, open your dogs mouth wide open, pour the salt into the very back of your dogs throat. Make sure you pour in a full teaspoon. Then walk your dog back and forth. Your dog will begin to vomit. Doing this will allow all of the chocolate to be emptied from your dogs stomach. One hour after your dog have vomited up all the chocolate it has ate, give it a teaspoon of Pepto-Bismol. This will settle it's stomach.

We have had to do this to our dog a few times. It works great. Hopefully it works for you also.

on 11/22/2005 I have one with Cushings and I am doing natural medicine which includes, Sun Chlorella for Pets, Antronex from Standard Process ( 1/2 tablet), avoderm booster (1/4 tsp) and also very important I buy organic chicken livers at whole foods and I freeze them. I then microwave the small packages I have for about 10 seconds and cut small pieces into her food, raw and frozen about 1 tsp worth daily. she is doing very well. her cortisol levels are normal, then you have to deal with the histamine/allergy aspect. I use benadryl dye free with a small dropper or chlortrimetron ( you can buy equate walmart brand) 1/2 tablet. when needed as far as allergies. hope this helps someone who has this problem! ( she gets all natural treats, teenie greenies, dried chicken breasts ( costco is the cheapest) no more rawhide etc. all natural. Liver is compromised with this disease..also all my dogs take alfafa powder in their food, very inexpensive and helps digestion and is very good for alot of things!