Pets!

[MDS]

Standards are nearly unobtanium in these parts. The occasional Giant will surface, and there are plenty of backyard bred Miniatures that don't come close to being a true Schnauzer, but I know of only one breeder of Standards in the area. He has a waiting list for pups, there is a stringent application and contract process, and last I saw, he got used car money for them.

I had a Miniature as a boy. We were within a month in age, and he died the night before his 12th birthday. He was a truly wonderful dog, and I can only imagine him in a larger package.

We have a small Standard, which my boys absolutely love. He's about 11, so not nearly as spry as he used to be, but still a wonderful pet, especially with the limited attention we have had to spare over the last few years when the boys were infants. Now that we spend more time with him, his age is noticeable but he used to be a great hiking companion.

I just feel like a) he's by far the most stubborn dog I've ever worked with - smart enough to know exactly what I want, and, umm, independently minded enough not to give a rat's ass; and b) I grew up with #75 mutts of all makes and models, did a lot of rescue work in Costa Rica with street mutts - I can't shake the conviction that a dog that you can't wrassle with ain't much of a dog at all... With all the options out there, I don't think I'll do a Schnauzer again.

[Corlissimo]

Standards are nearly unobtanium in these parts. The occasional Giant will surface, and there are plenty of backyard bred Miniatures that don't come close to being a true Schnauzer, but I know of only one breeder of Standards in the area. He has a waiting list for pups, there is a stringent application and contract process, and last I saw, he got used car money for them.

I had a Miniature as a boy. We were within a month in age, and he died the night before his 12th birthday. He was a truly wonderful dog, and I can only imagine him in a larger package.

Yeah, they are very tightly controlled for sure. That's one of the most attractive things about the breed to me.

My breeder has been a great resource and has been doing this for over 45 years with her lines traceable in the US, Europe, and I think she even has a couple in Australia from a while ago.

There's one GS around here, and he's one of my guy's playmates, along with a couple Great Danes and a bunch of Boxers & American Pits. Funny you mentioned the Minis... I was reading a few months ago that in 2010 there were 100,000+ puppies whelped compared to about 500 S. Schnauzers. The SS lines are strong and very healthy. Worth every penny we've spent on the dog and associated expenses, shows, and training.

[Corlissimo]

We have a small Standard, which my boys absolutely love. He's about 11, so not nearly as spry as he used to be, but still a wonderful pet, especially with the limited attention we have had to spare over the last few years when the boys were infants. Now that we spend more time with him, his age is noticeable but he used to be a great hiking companion.

I just feel like a) he's by far the most stubborn dog I've ever worked with - smart enough to know exactly what I want, and, umm, independently minded enough not to give a rat's ass; and b) I grew up with #75 mutts of all makes and models, did a lot of rescue work in Costa Rica with street mutts - I can't shake the conviction that a dog that you can't wrassle with ain't much of a dog at all... With all the options out there, I don't think I'll do a Schnauzer again.

Oh yeah, they'll run the house if given the chance. They are extremely smart, fast learners and have amazing retention. I still haven't been able to "extinguish" a couple commands I used to use when he was just 3 months old. They also need a firm decisive hand at all times, but especially when they are new to a household. If you give them an inch they'll take five miles!

Socialization on all fronts pays big time and the time spent with them does as well. They have an inherent need to be a real family member. Not the breed to have if you can't spend time with them, or if they're left on their own. They're the definition of a "working dog" and get bored (and frequently destructive) if not challenged physically & mentally.

We're very fortunate in that my wife works from home and I am retired. I do all his obedience work and my wife is learning to show him. Even at just 14 months his bonds to both of us are getting stronger and stronger. He's a total goofball whenever he doesn't have to work. He's as close as our kids now, which helps since we just packed the last one off to college.

[jlw]

Yeah, they are very tightly controlled for sure. That's one of the most attractive things about the breed to me.

My breeder has been a great resource and has been doing this for over 45 years with her lines traceable in the US, Europe, and I think she even has a couple in Australia from a while ago.

There's one GS around here, and he's one of my guy's playmates, along with a couple Great Danes and a bunch of Boxers & American Pits. Funny you mentioned the Minis... I was reading a few months ago that in 2010 there were 100,000+ puppies whelped compared to about 500 S. Schnauzers. The SS lines are strong and very healthy. Worth every penny we've spent on the dog and associated expenses, shows, and training.

Oh yeah, they'll run the house if given the chance. They are extremely smart, fast learners and have amazing retention. I still haven't been able to "extinguish" a couple commands I used to use when he was just 3 months old. They also need a firm decisive hand at all times, but especially when they are new to a household. If you give them an inch they'll take five miles!

Socialization on all fronts pays big time and the time spent with them does as well. They have an inherent need to be a real family member. Not the breed to have if you can't spend time with them, or if they're left on their own. They're the definition of a "working dog" and get bored (and frequently destructive) if not challenged physically & mentally.

We're very fortunate in that my wife works from home and I am retired. I do all his obedience work and my wife is learning to show him. Even at just 14 months his bonds to both of us are getting stronger and stronger. He's a total goofball whenever he doesn't have to work. He's as close as our kids now, which helps since we just packed the last one off to college.

Our Mini was so smart and attentive that he started picking up on certain words in conversation to the point that we had to start spelling certain things, and then he began to recognize the spellings. He and I were four when we moved back to the family farm. The house we had been living in had all tile and wood floors. The house at the farm had some carpeted rooms. He learned in less than a day that he wasn't allowed in the carpeted rooms.

He did have his fair share of misadventures though. He once ate some poison mushrooms that sprouted up in the yard, and when we were living in town, he once chased the animal control officer... and caught him.

The single best thing about him:

He used to quietly sit under my feet at the dining room table and quietly eat all of the foods I didn't like when nobody else was looking. Bless his soul, I went years without actually eating a green bean or an English pea.

[Corlissimo]

Our Mini was so smart and attentive that he started picking up on certain words in conversation to the point that we had to start spelling certain things, and then he began to recognize the spellings. He and I were four when we moved back to the family farm. The house we had been living in had all tile and wood floors. The house at the farm had some carpeted rooms. He learned in less than a day that he wasn't allowed in the carpeted rooms.

Oh yeah, that's a Schnauzer all right. I only use German (Schuthund) commands with mine in order to avoid issues like that. Plus, when he's finished his first championship I'm going to start trying him out in real Schutzhund work. Mine knows that when he hears car keys he's got a shot at going somewhere, and I usually take him everywhere I go, inside any place that will allow him.

He did have his fair share of misadventures though. He once ate some poison mushrooms that sprouted up in the yard, and when we were living in town, he once chased the animal control officer... and caught him.

The single best thing about him:

He used to quietly sit under my feet at the dining room table and quietly eat all of the foods I didn't like when nobody else was looking. Bless his soul, I went years without actually eating a green bean or an English pea.

That's awesome! They are really great. You should get another if your circumstances permit. It sounds like you miss his companionship and intellect.

[Jason F]

...He used to quietly sit under my feet at the dining room table and quietly eat all of the foods I didn't like when nobody else was looking. Bless his soul, I went years without actually eating a green bean or an English pea.

PROOF that every boy needs a dog. (My problem is one of my kiddos is allergic to dog saliva & dander, so his interactions don't usually turn out too well).

[jlw]

That's awesome! They are really great. You should get another if your circumstances permit. It sounds like you miss his companionship and intellect.

I've looked and looked for a decent specimen, and I can't find anything of quality that doesn't come with a lot of strings attached or that isn't the result of terrible backyard breeding. I had one woman tell me proudly that her Schnauzers didn't have that "stiff" hair like other people's. I thanked her for her time and left.

PROOF that every boy needs a dog. (My problem is one of my kiddos is allergic to dog saliva & dander, so his interactions don't usually turn out too well).

That sucks.

[NickA]

Wow, glad to kick off all the Schnauzer love around here! Just to echo others' comments and share some fond memories:
The mother of my SS was a squirrel killing machine, typically letting them get 5 - 6' up a tree trunk then snatching them down.
Mattie (my dog) was as strong willed as you all describe, like having a really smart and independent kid around. Also very protective, she didn't like anyone being closer to me than her, even my mom. One of her favorite tricks was to answer a knock at the door by barking furiously, and hitting the front door at a dead run jumping about halfway up it. We found more than one pizza guy halfway back to the street, expecting a pit bull or something
She was uncanny about picking up signals. When I even thought about getting the flea spray, she was GONE! Ditto the vacuum cleaner.
When she was young and I was out at work or school, she'd get bored. A partial tally of her makeshift "toys" that were destroyed : at least one TV remote, the skirt from the bottom of the couch, a Thanksgiving turkey, and an entire bowl of Halloween candy
Thanks for sharing your stories guys.
Sent from my PC36100 using Tapatalk 2

[LittleLebowski]

My last pooch had this thing about lawnmowers..... He'd drag it across the lawn.

[Corlissimo]

Wow, glad to kick off all the Schnauzer love around here! Just to echo others' comments and share some fond memories:

*SNIP*

She was uncanny about picking up signals. When I even thought about getting the flea spray, she was GONE! Ditto the vacuum cleaner.

When she was young and I was out at work or school, she'd get bored. A partial tally of her makeshift "toys" that were destroyed : at least one TV remote, the skirt from the bottom of the couch, a Thanksgiving turkey, and an entire bowl of Halloween candy

Thanks for sharing your stories guys.

My guy is just like that with the bathroom... He won't go in one for fear of a leg & beard bath. This morning, he pulled down his grooming bag from a high table, got into it somehow, and dragged a bag of liver bait into his crate, sneaking past my wife to do so. Big guilty look on his face when I caught him. I love those expressions.