New Blog!

We have a NEW SITE minischnauzerhaus.com.
It has some nifty new features. We look forward to seeing you there!

Schnauzer Byte: In the car

Does your Mini Schnau love to ride? A lot of minis love to get in the car and go, go go!

GW Little has some great pet seats and harnesses. Also, here are some at Drs. Foster and Smith.

Always remember to safely restrain your furbaby in your vehicle.
GW Little has a Dog Car Safety Video featuring their Lookout Car Seats.

(Pic from GW Little)

Schnauzer Byte: Choosing a Breeder

When choosing a miniature schnauzer breeder, be sure to take your time.

Do your research. Remember no puppy mills, no backyard breeders.

Two things (out of about 50) to look for in a mini schnauzer breeder:

1. A five year health guarantee against serious genetic defects.

(I'd run away from one-year guarantees, it can take three to five years for some mini schnauzer genetic disorders to present themselves.)

2. The breeder will take back the dog for any reason during its lifetime.

(A sign that the breeder cares about their dogs and not just the money they get for them)

Here are some good breeder criteria, though, they are not mini schnauzer specific.

For your viewing pleasure:

Flickr Pool of Mini Schnauzers

Schnauzer Byte: House Breaking with Bells On

If you are housetraining your Mini Schnauzer and don't have a pet door, check out these Dog Doorbells. Your Mini Schnauzer would ring the bells when they need to go potty, and you would simply let them out (or, if you don't have a fenced-in yard, grab the leash.)

Or the very crafty could probably make their own, since they seem to consist of sleigh bells and ribbon.

Schnauzer Byte: Cool food & water bowls

Does you mini schnauzer like to soak you with their wet beard after drinking? Do they suck down their food like it's their last meal? G.W. Little has a neat solution for these problems. (But it isn't cheap.)

Schnauzer Byte: Barking

Miniature schnauzers are great watchdogs because they inherently bark at anything that moves!!

Be sure to teach your schnauzer to "be quiet" after acknowledging their alert. They learn any command fairly quickly, so this shouldn't be a problem if consistently enforced. A mini schnauzer that is not taught the "quiet" command will never shut up!