The Miniature Schnauzer (pronounced as Miniature SCHNOW-zer) is a compact robust dog. It is naturally small in size, has whiskers, shaggy beard, and arched spiking eyebrows. This squarely proportioned breed also has long mustache that is regularly sheared to play up with its figure.  Its hair coat colors vary from black, salt and pepper, to white or black and silver coat, and now the rare or new colors of liver or chocolate, parti colors and even wheaten.  This dog's tail is typically cropped and its frontal legs are neatly straight. The miniature schnauzer's head is long and egg-shaped, dark eyes. Its v-shaped ears naturally fold frontward or shorten to a point.  The Schnauzer's size enables it to adjust to both small urban districts and country boroughs.

Personality
The miniature schnauzer is a fantastic companion and family pet. It is an affectionate dog who likes to be around people including kids. Some can be suspicious and aloof with strangers, yet the majority enjoys being with a group. It is docile, smart, bouncy and a good watch dog.
Origin and History
The actual origin of the Miniature Schnauzers is quite unclear, though speculations declare that the German Terrier, Wolfspitz, and black Poodle are the dog breeds that possibly have took part in the first evolution of the Miniature Schnauzer. This breed was nurtured by means of breeding the Standard Schnauzer with several small dogs, probably with Affenpinschers and Poodles. These dogs were largely employed for hunting, droving, pulling farm carts, stock tender, as well as watching kids and herds. They have a somewhat distinctive personality than other terriers.In 1492, Albrecht Durer crafted a painting called "Madonna with the Many Animals". In this masterpiece, a Schnauzer was portrayed as a domestic buddy. All Schnauzers are believed to have developed in Bavaria and Wurttemberg kingdoms. The Miniature Schnauzers became recognized in Germany as "kinder watchers" and was chiefly utilized to look after children and farm animals. Eventually, these dogs were also utilized to catch mice since they're good at it in addition to its petite stature which was ideal to slip into snug areas to seize mice.In those days, the German Pinscher and Schnauzer were of similar breed with only distinction is by their fur. Wire-haired dogs were dubbed as "schnauze" which means "beard". Smooth coated ones were called "pinschers". These two dog types were born in the same brood.Before the year 1910, the Schnauzer is only recognized in Germany. However following World War I, it grew to be admired all over the globe. In the course of the war, giant schnauzers were espoused as messengers and police. In 1925, the Schnauzer was transported to the United States America and was categorized under the Terrier Group. The next year, they were recognized by the American Kennel Club and became famous in the country as well as other parts of the world.The schnauzer is categorized into three separate breeds and sizes--the Miniature Schnauzer, Giant Schnauzer and Standard Schnauzer. The Standard Schnauzer is the earliest, archetype breed while the Miniature Schnauzer is considered the smallest and newest breed, and within the miniature size are the toys and teacups.  The chic Miniature Schnauzer now belongs to the top 10 of the most prevalent dog breeds in the States.

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Schnauzer sizes...
Teacups:  Range in size from under 7 pounds.
Tiny toys:  Range in size from 6-8 pounds.
Toys:  Range in size from 7 to just under 12 pounds.
Regular minis: 12 to 24 pounds.

Because schnauzers have been down bred so much to get first the miniature schnauzer and now the toy and even teacup sized schanuzers, it makes calculating size a challenge!  This is because even the tiniest parents still carry that larger gene and even a mini sized parent can throw a teacup sized pup, so yes we can get almost any size pup out of almost sized parent!  It makes it all interesting but also fun. 
Because of this challenge, we try very hard to make a close calculation on size when a pup leaves here at 7-8 weeks of age...we take into consideration weekly weight gain, size and bloodlines of parents, history of parents past litters and of course bone structure on each puppy.
We chart every puppy each week on weight gain right up to the time you take your new baby.
Sometimes we will adjust price on a pup before it leaves depending on whether it ends up a teacup or toy or mini, but once you have made a deposit on a particuliar pup, you will not be charged more if the pup ends up being smaller than we thought, however if a pup ends up looking like it will be bigger than what you paid for you will have the choice to choose a different pup or we will adjust the price down...we want to be fair in everyway we can!

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Puppy vaccinations, etc...
Puppies need 4 sets of shots to be fully covered and protected from disease. These are given at around 6,9,12 and 15 weeks of age. Rabies shots are given after 13 weeks of age. All of these are VERY important!  Do not take your new puppy into any places where other dogs or animals go until they have had all of their shots, other dogs can be carriers of disease even if they are healthy, DO NOT TAKE CHANCES with your new baby! 
Our babies are all wormed every 2 weeks until they are 12 weeks of age and then they are wormed monthly.
All of our babies are started on Revolution at 7 weeks of age, this protects them from heartworm, fleas, ticks and mites, then monthly after that with Interceptor as are all of our adults.
At 6 and 8 weeks of age our puppies are wormed for 3 days with Safeguard, which takes care of all types of worms and parasited so they will come to you healthy and parasite free.

Parasites...
Parasites are common in puppies but also very frustrating and they can be life threatening if not taken care of. Coccidia, Giardia and worms are the main culprits. For this reason we have done extensive research on the best ways to prevent and/or treat puppies for parasites so you can rest assured your new baby will be parasite free when it leaves for it's new home.  Our treatment for Coccidia starts at day 4 of a newborn puppies life and continues until the puppy leaves at around 8 weeks of age.
Our treatment for the prevention of Giardia starts at 6 weeks of age and repeated at 8 weeks of age. 
We have worked with a nationly know vet who specializes in the prevention of parasites and follow his proven plan for the treatment of puppies so they leave here healthy and parasite free.
It is very important to follow your vets recommendations for regular worming and parasite prevention along with monthly heartworm meds for the life of your dog!
If your puppy does contract Coccidia sometimes during it's life, the best treatment is Albon and this must be given for at least 28 days...this is because Coccidia takes 13 days to infect your pup after it comes into contact with infected feces or from a dog who is a carrier...then after 13 days the parasite bursts into thousands of parasites all feasting on your puppies intestines...once you see the diarrhea, the parasites have already ran their cycle and the pup is now shedding the Coccidia oosyts into the environment..ammonia is the only thing that will kill the ooysts.
Most vets will tell you to give Albon for 5-10 days, this is not long enough! 
Coccidia is everywhere so do not be alarmed if you puppy ends up with it sometime, it can be cured of course but do so as soon as possible because Coccidia can be fatal to puppies if left untreated.
Giardia it cured by treating with Panacur or Safeguard, usually for 3-5 days.   
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 Dog food...
There are so many different kinds of dog food out there!  Please research for high quality brands so that your puppy will have the best chance at a long life!  You would not feed yourself the cheapest food,so do not do the same for your puppy!
There is no good dog food that can be bought at your local grocery store or big box store, you need to go to a pets store to get the best food.
There are several good websites out there that rank and rate dog food, and also Whole Dog Journal puts out a yearly list of the best foods, so take the time to find out what is the best for your puppy.  Whole Dog Journal is the 'go to' source for everything that is good for your dog and one of the best resources for excellent rating and reviews!  We use a mixture of Dick Van Pattens Natural Balance and Wellness dog food for our adults and all of our puppies are raised with Wellness Puppy food...both of these foods are consistently rated in the top 10 best foods and it shows in the quality of our dogs hair and vitality, a good food is well worth the price and will give your dog the best possible chance at good health and a long life.
We include a list of the best dogs foods in our Puppy Package to help you make a great choice.
NOTE: You DO NOT need to give your puppy/dog any supplements if you are feeding a high quality food, in fact you maybe giving them an overload of vitamins if you do give them a supplement when you are feeding a good dog food! 

Treats...
NEVER, NEVER give your dog rawhide!  It is dangerous and can cause blockage in your dogs intestines that could lead to death!  Only give your dog fresh veggies and fruits and we also recommend Bonies, Booda Bones and Nylabones and occasionly Greenies for treats.  There are also some great recipes out there for wholesome homemade doggies treats, just go online and check them out.

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Puppy Care...
*Remember that your new puppy is a baby and needs lots of sleep along with playing, so keep their crate handy, they love the quiet security of a crate.
*Crate training is the best way to teach your puppy potty training and we include a great article and schedule with all of our puppies along with a new crate.
*Remember LOVE it the best solution for everything and give it freely to your new pup and he will return it 10 times over!
*Keep up to date on vaccinations and wormings and regular vet visits.
*For preventing upset tummies never give your pup anything but their dog food and only the best treats, no rawhide and NO PEOPLE food!  We include a great list of foods and items to avoid that could be fatal to puppies and dogs with your new puppy.  Keep canned pumpkin on hand, it is a natural supplement to give to your pup/dog in case of diarrhea or constipation and they love it. If you switch foods, do it gradually.
*Did we mention LOVE!
*Keep your new pup away from any public place until they have had all their shots, many diseases are airborn, even at the vets keep you pup in her carrier away from people wanting to touch, etc.
*Some things to look for in a healthy pup:
     1.Bright, clear eyes, no discharge.
     2.Ears are clean and not red and do not smell bad.
     3.Coat is clean and soft and bright with no flakes or itchy spots.
     4.Bottom is clean of any feces and is not swollen or red.
     5.Pup is active and full of puppy kisses, not lethargic or overly quiet.
     6.Pup is healthy looking, not overly thin or overly bloated and eats well.
*Remember that LOVE is the most important thing!
 
***HYPOGLYCEMIA...is a condition where when a pup gets overly stressed from things like being sick, or scared or whatever and it's blood sugars drop to dangerously low levels. To prevent this we include a tube of Nutri-stat with every pup, this is a great supplement that we give to puppies when they leave here, especially to be shipped to prevent hypoglycemia...we also instruct new puppy owners to give their new baby some as soon as they pick them up or to keep on hand for any future issues that can bring on hypoglycemia....we give it to our new moms while they are whelping or to any pup or dog that is sick or hurt or is stressed to prevent this from happening. Nutri-stat is like us eating a candy bar, it brings up sugar levels in the blood and is excellent to keep on hand.  A pup can actually die from hypoglycemia if left untreated...also Karo syrup does the same thing if you do not have Nutri-stat on hand.
*Remember that LOVE! 

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What is a Super Coat or Mega Coat, etc...
Schnauzers come in different degrees of coat or hair quality and/or thickness and the coats that are extra lush or thick are called Super Coats and then some dogs will have an even more extremely thick heavy coat and these are classified as Mega Super Coats or Ultra Super Coats.
Traditional coats are coats that are also nice and they are usually soft although some will be born with slightly more wirey or courser coats as the first schnauzers were with course wirey coats as many terriers are.
Some coats are very pretty and soft and nice and alot of people prefer these over super coats because the upkeep is so much easier.
Here at P.V. we breed for very soft,silky coats and we have some with regular coats that are nice but not heavy and thick, and we also have alot with super coats that are very thick, lush and heavy.
So it is a matter of preference and what look you like and how much time you are willing to spend on keeping your pup/dog looking nice.
Here are some cons and pros of a super coated dog:
   Cons: Brushing often to keep mats out, grooming some heavy coated dogs every few weeks to keep them looking great, extra cost of more frequent groomings and when it rains or snows dealing with a quick brush to keep it from matting and oh those pesty snowballs all over their coats!
    Pros: Having a ton of silky, thick hair to show off to everyone and just loving that gorgeous heavy coated look.
So yes, it is all preference and what you like...we price our puppies accordingly, as the heavy coated super coats we ask more for and the lesser coated ones we price less depending on coat thickness, color and quality.
Many people prefer that less work and upkeep of a tradional coated pup/dog and for busy families this is often a better choice.

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Kennel raised dogs vs home raised dogs from a breeders point of view...
We feel we are often defending how we raise our dogs here at P.V. so we just want to say a word about our facility because we are a kennel.
Many breeders are arrogant enough to put down breeders who have outside kennels and we take offense to this!  Yes we agree that there are some really bad breeders out there that have given a bad name to those of us who keep a really clean, nice kennel and this is sad.
Here we keep a nice, clean heated and cooled indoor kennel for our dogs when they choose to go inside...all of our dogs have FREEDOM to go inside or outside 24/7, we do not crate our dogs!  This is the big difference in breeders who seem to imply that home raised dogs are better off...many of the most well known breeders who claim to have only dogs who are kept in their homes do not let you know that their dogs spend many hours locked in crates or cages.  Now do not get us wrong, many of our good breeder friends do keep their dogs inside and they do spend time in crates and there is nothing wrong with this at all as long as the dogs are allowed out often, and taken care of, this is the line that some cross...there are many who just leave their dogs in crates for hours and hours and yes they claim they are home raised and put down kennels when in reality their dogs spend most of their lives in crate or cages.
We do not want to offend anyone, there is a place for crates of course and for a pet owner they are wonderful and we recommend them, however in our instance where we have many dogs, we feel the best situation of them is to have the FREEDOM of being indoors or outdoors and so for this reason this is how we have chosen to be set up.
Our dogs have a clean, bright indoor kennel where they sleep on toddler beds with mattress's or for our guys, cots....here it is warm and clean and they have toys and chew treats and of course we are interacting with them all day as our kennel is 10' from our back door and incompasses most of our yard...we can see all of our dogs whenever we look out our windows.
We have 3 different sections in our yard for our dogs to play in, all grass covered with huge shade trees and a play ground and sand box and lots of toys, we do not keep our tiny dogs with bigger dogs, we monitor how they get along and the tiny dogs have their own separate yard while the guys have their own separated from the girls of course! We have 8-10 of our smallest dogs that live inside our house in their own room as they are small we want to make sure they are extra protected and they do not live outside in the kennel at all.
Because we live way out in the country, in fact in the hills right below the mountains, we have lots of wildlife, including deer, elk, moose, mountain lions, skunks, racoons, coyotes, mice and everything else imagineable, we have a 6' high chain link fence around our entire place to protect our dogs and grandkids too!  At night we bring the dogs in out of the yard and into our dog runs where we have another 6' high chain link fence for protection...here our dogs have the option of being outside or going inside to sleep all safe and sound.
When our mothers are expecting their babies, they are brought into our home into our nursery where we spoil them with orthopedic beds to sleep on, all the food and water and treats they want and here they have their litters in our custom made whelping beds...the beds have heated floors and lots of soft bedding for the new babies and mom and each mom has her own separate run to go outside whenever she wants with no worries from other moms or dogs.
Our nursery is attached to our family room and kitchen and so we are with them all day, I personally do not work out of our home and am here most of the time so our dogs get lots and lots of attention at all times and are extremely well cared for!!!
So bottom line, again we do not wish to offend anyone, we as breeders all have our best ways of taking care of our dogs depending on the circumstances...one way is better for one breeder than another and we are not here to put anyone down but only to explain our way of raising our dogs...we simply love the idea of having so much freedom to go in and out, no crates here!  It is totally fine that other breeders keep their dogs in their homes, it is the ones that claim this and keep them in crates too much that we take offense to and also those who put breeders with kennels down, we are proud of our set up even as humble as it is, but we are clean, happy and our dogs are extremely well cared for, so for those out there that put kennels down, you need to get your information and opinions straight before you classify all kennels as bad.
   


Finally, we want you to know how much we love our schnauzers!  We live with them and associate with them on a daily basis. They are part of our life and we want to share this amazing breed with everyone!  We offer a 5 year health guarantee, that is how strongly we feel about the health and vitality of the miniature schnauzer.  We would be happy to give you the name of our vet if you would like his/her reference in the quality of care we give our dogs and puppies.  Our mothers are right here in our home during the birthing process and mom and pups stay in our home until the pups are weaned and on their way to their new homes. Puppies come very well socialized and have a great start on the potty training process with puppy pads. All of our puppies come with UTD vaccinations and wormings starting at 2 weeks of age.


So if you are searching for the perfect, most amazing breed of dog for your family, look so further!  Choose a Teacup, Toy or Miniature Schnauzer at Paradise Valley Schnauzers!!!