Standard Schnauzer puppies

About the Standard Schnauzer

The Standard Schnauzer is the original of the three schnauzers, a German farm dog used to guard the cart on the way to market and kill rats around the yard. They stand 44 to 50 cm and weigh 13.6 to 22.7 kg, with a harsh wiry double coat in pepper and salt or solid black, a heavy beard and a square outline. The character is alert and busy: fast to learn, fast to bark at anything unusual, and happiest when included in whatever the household is doing.

Expect a dog that wants a job. Daily exercise plus training or a canine sport keeps one out of mischief, and being left alone in a garden does not count. The coat sheds very little but needs regular hand stripping to hold its texture, since clipping softens it and puts more hair in the house. They are watchful and will announce visitors. The AKC rates them five out of five with children, with supervision. Allow plenty for grooming if you want to avoid having the coat clipped down.

What to expect at eight weeks

At eight weeks a Standard Schnauzer puppy is sleeping around 18 to 20 hours a day, is not house trained, and cannot hold on for more than an hour or two at a stretch. A medium breed puppy at eight weeks is a manageable armful that will not stay that way. Most of the growth happens between now and six months, so buy for the adult dog where you can. Expect moderate energy, in short bursts separated by long naps. Grooming needs are moderate, so build the brushing habit now while the coat is still short and easy. The socialisation window is open and closing: everything they meet calmly now, from vacuum cleaners to men in hats, is easier for the rest of their life.

Health worth knowing about

Conditions this breed is reported to be predisposed to. Predisposed does not mean inevitable, it means ask about it.

• Dilated cardiomyopathy (DCM), detectable by DNA test
• Hip dysplasia, screened under the BVA/KC Hip Dysplasia Scheme
• Cataracts, detected by veterinary eye examination
• Progressive retinal atrophy and retinal dysplasia, detected at breeding or puppy eye examinations
• Pulmonic stenosis, detected by cardiac evaluation including auscultation and echocardiogram
• Hypothyroidism, detected by a blood test of thyroid hormone levels

Your Standard Schnauzer puppy's first six months

• Vaccination schedule, dated for your country.
• Worming and parasite schedule.
• Feeding calculator. Set expected adult size to Medium for a Standard Schnauzer.
• Adult size predictor, to check growth against the 13.6 to 22.7 kg adult range.
• Puppy names and the first week checklist.

Kit sizes: crate 36 inch (36 x 24 x 26 in, 91 x 61 x 66 cm) for an adult of up to 22.7 kg; chew toys made for medium breeds. Worked out the same way as the crate size calculator. PetMD bases a crate on the dog's own measurements, not weight or breed alone, so measure once the puppy is home.

Buying guides for this

• Best crate for a puppy: wire, plastic or soft, and how to size one with a divider

Other medium breeds

More on the Standard Schnauzer

Previous: Staffordshire Bull Terrier · Next: Sussex Spaniel

Sources

• akc.org for adult weight and height, life expectancy, energy, grooming, shedding and the temperament ratings, coat type and health notes
• fci.be for country of origin
• Health notes from Standard Schnauzer breed information at https://www.akc.org/dog-breeds/standard-schnauzer/. Discuss any of these with your own vet.

Photo: Pleple2000, CC BY-SA 3.0, via Wikimedia Commons, cropped. All photographers are listed on the photo credits page.