Miniature Schnauzer Puppies for Sale

Toy, teacup and micro are not separate breeds or varieties. A dog under 12 in is an undersized Miniature Schnauzer and cannot compete in AKC conformation shows. The Miniature, Standard and Giant Schnauzers are three separate breeds, and the Miniature is the smallest.

The Miniature Schnauzer is a terrier and has always been in the AKC Terrier Group, while the Standard and Giant Schnauzers are in the Working Group. In countries that follow the World Canine Organisation (FCI), it is grouped with the pinschers and schnauzers instead.

White is a standard color under the FCI, the UKC and The Kennel Club (UK), but it is outside the AKC breed standard. Parti-color, liver or chocolate, and merle are outside the AKC breed standard and the other registries' standards.

The AKC standard calls for small, dark, deep-set eyes, so blue eyes are outside the AKC breed standard.

Colors often lighten with age and clipping. Blacks and black-and-silvers can fade toward dark gray, and salt-and-peppers get lighter.

Ear cropping is a choice, because the AKC standard allows cropped or uncropped ears. The AKC standard calls for a docked tail, while the UKC accepts natural ears and undocked tails without penalty. Where it is done, tail docking happens at about 3 days old and ear cropping at 7–12 weeks, before the puppy goes home.

Miniature Schnauzers sit in the middle, with moderate energy. A daily mix of walks, play and training keeps that energy in check, and scent and search games that use the old ratting instinct are a good outlet.

Most are very people-oriented and want to be with their family, joining in whatever it is doing. The breed is friendly by nature and never meant to be timid.

The breed is alert and a natural watchdog. It should never be overaggressive, so early socialization matters.

Miniature Schnauzers are alert and can be vocal. Early socialization reduces reactivity and excess barking.

Miniature Schnauzers are generally good with children, especially when they grow up together. Supervise play with young kids.

It depends on the dog, because the breed has a strong urge to chase small animals. Keep any pet rodents safely out of reach.

Plan on about an hour a day of walks, play and training. Keep it on a leash or in a fenced yard, because the urge to chase small animals is strong.

Keep walks short while your puppy is growing, and wait until about 18 months, when growth is complete, before jogging together. A puppy's growth plates stay soft while it grows, so agree an exercise plan with your vet and avoid strenuous exercise until growth is done.

The breed adapts well to apartment and city life, as long as it gets daily exercise. Early socialization helps keep alert barking in check, which matters with close neighbors.

A Miniature Schnauzer does best with company, because it wants to be with its family and take part in what they do.

It can be a good choice, because the breed is quick to learn and adapts to apartment or city life. Plan for regular professional grooming, a moderate-fat diet and early socialization.

Plan on brushing and combing at least weekly, plus a professional groom every 5–8 weeks. Most pets are clipped, which softens the wiry coat, while hand-stripping keeps the texture for the show ring.

Miniature Schnauzers are intelligent and quick to learn, and many go on to obedience and agility competition. A basic obedience class, such as AKC S.T.A.R. Puppy, plus ongoing socialization is a good foundation.

Start with the crate and potty routine the breeder already uses, and keep it going from the day your puppy comes home. Put the crate in a room where the family spends time, or in your bedroom at night. A crate routine with meals at set times makes house-training fairly easy for this breed.

A common rule of thumb is about as many hours as its age in months, so a 3-month-old can usually wait about 3 hours. The rule works up to about 9 months to 1 year of age. Take a young puppy out first thing in the morning, after naps and last thing at night.

Your dog is most likely in adolescence, which often begins around 8 months and can last until about 2 years. Young dogs in this stage test limits and may ignore commands they already know. Consistent training, patience and plenty of exercise for body and mind carry your dog through it.

Games that echo ratting suit them best, such as scent and search games, flirt-pole chasing and dig games. Miniature Schnauzers also compete in AKC obedience, agility, rally, earthdog, scent work, Fast CAT and trick dog events, and in barn hunt.

Puppies travel only once they are at least 8 weeks old and weigh at least 2 lb. Most Miniature Schnauzer puppies go home at about 12 weeks, usually between 9 and 22 weeks.

Set up a crate in a room where the family spends time, and ask the breeder about the crate and potty routine your puppy already knows. Plan two measured meals a day with no greasy scraps, and book a vet visit for the first day or two. Have a brush and comb ready, since time on the grooming table starts early.

Socializing matters most in the first 3 months of life, so start with calm new people, places and sounds as soon as your puppy is home. Puppy classes can start as early as 7 to 8 weeks, as your vet advises, in a clean class that keeps sick dogs away. After the first vaccines, visit friends and dog-friendly public places, but skip dog parks until adulthood.

Most puppies finish teething by about 6 months, when the adult teeth are in. Baby teeth start to fall out from about 12 weeks, and chewing is strongest in between. Keep a few safe chew toys out at a time and rotate them, and supervise chewing.

Most puppies finish their core vaccine series at about 16 weeks, as your vet advises. Until then, visit friends and dog-friendly public places after the first vaccines, but skip dog parks.

Feed two measured meals a day of a moderate-fat food, with no free feeding and no greasy or spicy table scraps. High blood fats and pancreatitis run in the breed, so ask your vet which food suits your dog. Before your puppy comes home, ask what it is eating now.

Breeders on Pawrade report a typical Miniature Schnauzer litter of 5 puppies, usually between 3 and 7.

Breeders report that 96% of Miniature Schnauzer litters placed through Pawrade were socialized with small-breed dogs, 83% with younger children and 82% with older children. Most litters also get used to everyday household noise before going home. Breeders report that 59% of litters heard a vacuum cleaner and 57% heard loud music or TV. These figures come from the breeders' own litter forms.

The Veterinary Health Report is the written record of your Miniature Schnauzer puppy's health exam before it goes home. The breeder's licensed veterinarian examines the puppy to PetPay's exam standards and records the results in the report. It is a full hands-on exam of your puppy itself, not a record of the parents' health.

The breeder's own licensed veterinarian examines every Miniature Schnauzer puppy before it goes home. The vet follows PetPay's exam standards and records the findings in your puppy's Veterinary Health Report. A hard copy of the report travels with your puppy for your records, and a digital copy is in your PetPay account.

The breeder's licensed vet gives each Miniature Schnauzer puppy a full hands-on exam before it goes home, to PetPay's exam standards. The vet checks the eyes for discharge and signs of vision problems and listens to the heart for a murmur. The vet also weighs the puppy, compares its growth with its littermates and, in a male, feels for both testicles. Those checks match the breed, which is at increased risk of a liver shunt.

Before travel, every puppy follows PetPay's vaccination and deworming schedule as far as its age allows: deworming at 2, 4, 6, 8, 10 and 12 weeks, and the distemper, parvo, adenovirus and parainfluenza combination shot at 6–8, 9–11 and 12–14 weeks. Bordetella and corona are given at the vet's discretion, and no vaccine is given within 3 days of travel. Rabies is given by a licensed vet on the schedule your state requires. Your own vet completes the series. Your puppy's vaccination and deworming records are separate documents that travel with your puppy. Bring them, with the Veterinary Health Report, to your first visit so your vet starts from the same record.

If the vet finds something that could put your puppy at risk during travel, your puppy stays with the breeder until it's resolved. Problems that can be treated before travel are treated by the breeder's licensed vet first. Anything else the vet notes is shared with you.

Puppies grow and change quickly, and their immune systems are still developing, so no exam can find everything. The pre-travel exam by the breeder's licensed vet is a strong early indicator and a documented starting point. Your own vet builds on it at the first visit and at every checkup after that.

Every Pawrade puppy comes with a health guarantee administered by PetPay, independent of the seller. The terms are on the health guarantee page.

Miniature Schnauzer buyers rate their Pawrade experience 4.8 out of 5 on average across 333 reviews, and 84% of those reviews give the full 5 stars.