Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer (Miniature Schnauzer & Wire Fox Terrier Mix): Info, Pictures
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Height:
13 – 17 inches
Weight:
15 – 20 pounds
Lifespan:
12 – 15 years
Colors:
Black, red, silver, grey, white, pied, and brindle
Suitable for:
Families, apartments, small homes
Temperament:
Friendly, loyal, protective
The Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer is a mixed breed created by a cross between the Miniature Schnauzer with the Wire Fox Terrier. It’s a small breed that usually doesn’t get more than 15 inches tall. Its coat is rough and wiry, and it has a rectangle head with a long muzzle. It also has a black nose with large round brown eyes with long bushy eyebrows.
The Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer is a relatively new breed without much of a history to tell about, but the parent breeds have been around quite a long time. The Miniature Schnauzer is the most popular of all the Schnauzers. It has been around since the 1800s when its main job was killing rats. The Wire Fox Terrier is even older, and you can trace it back to the 1700s, and it also hunted rats and other small vermin.
Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer Puppies
Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer PuppiesThe cost of a Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer can vary dramatically. This will all depend on your location, cost of the parents, quality of breeder, and tests that the breeder runs on the pup to make sure it doesn’t have any genetically transmitted health problems.
Adoption is another way you can bring down the cost considerably. These dogs might be a little older, but they are desperate for a home and usually cost only a few hundred dollars at most.
3 Little-Known Facts About the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer
3 Little-Known Facts About the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer1. The Wire Fox Terrier parent is known for its energy and crazy antics.
2. The Miniature Schnauzer is the most popular of the three Schnauzer breeds.
3. Martial arts celebrity Bruce Lee owned a parent Miniature Schnauzer.
Temperament & Intelligence of the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer🧠
The Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer is a small and friendly dog with plenty of courage. It loves to be around family members and cuddle on the couch, but it will also fiercely protect you against anything it views as a threat, no matter how large the adversary is, which can be dangerous when you’re out on a nice walk. The Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer is also susceptible to small dog syndrome, which makes them stubborn and demanding.
The Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer is a smart dog that learns quickly and likes to please its owner. It’s happy to learn new tricks, and you can teach them almost anything.
Are These Dogs Good for Families?🏡
Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzers are excellent family pets, and they get along with children very well. It will also make a great watchdog that will fiercely protect your home from any intruders, including squirrels and rabbits. Their small size may make them unsuitable for toddlers because they tend to play rough with small dogs. Otherwise, your Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer will get along great with family members of all ages.
Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets?🐶 😽
Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzers have a strong prey drive due to their rat hunting heritage. You will need to do a lot of early socialization and possibly attend puppy school to make them compatible with your other pets, especially if they are on the smaller size like cats, rodents, or birds. Larger dogs tend to get along better with the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer. Still, if there is a conflict, the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer will not back down, and a fight could escalate quickly.
Things to Know When Owning a Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer
Things to Know When Owning a Miniature Wire Haired SchnauzerHere are some overall considerations you need to think about before purchasing or adopting a Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer.
Food and Diet Requirements🦴
Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzers are small dogs, so they won’t eat a lot, but that means it all the more important to purchase high-quality food that provides a complete and balanced meal. We recommend avoiding any foods with a lot of strange chemical ingredients, especially if one of them is the harmful preservative BHA. High-quality protein like chicken or turkey should be the first ingredient, and it’s always a good idea to look for foods fortified with antioxidants and omega fatty acids.
While there are plenty of brands that make a puppy and small breed food, we recommend consulting with your vet before switching to a specialized diet.
Daily Exercise Requirements🐕
Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzers are hardworking dogs that will require about an hour of exercise each day. Because they are so small, they may get a lot by running around the house. However, you should still set aside time each day to help them burn off any excess energy, or they may become anxious and overexcited, which usually leads to excessive barking and bad behavior.
Training🦮
As we’ve mentioned earlier, these dogs are smart and eager to please. They can pick up on most of the easier tricks in a day or two, and with patience, you can teach them complex multi-step tasks as well. Consistency and positive reinforcement are the keys to a well-trained pet. Plenty of praise and treats when your pup does something right will keep them interested in learning new tricks. Consistency will help your dog recognize training sessions as a time to learn and will come to expect and even look forward to them.
Grooming ✂️
Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzers don’t require too much maintenance, and brushing once or twice a week with a pin brush should be sufficient to keep your dog’s coat looking neat and tidy. They don’t shed much but may require a bath once a month to get the fur clean and to reduce odor. The nails will also require trimming about once a month or when you hear them clicking on the floor when your dog walks.
- Related Read: 16 Wire Haired Dog Breeds
Health and Conditions❤️
Mixed breeds like the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer suffer from far less genetically transmitted health problems than their purebred parents because good breeders can remove the risks through selective breeding. However, there are still a few health conditions that should keep you on the lookout.
- Cataracts
Cataracts are a condition that affects many dogs, especially in their old age, but it can occur in younger dogs as well. A dog with this condition will develop a blueish fog over the pupil of their eye. This fog will get worse over time and make it increasingly difficult for your pet to see. If left untreated, the cataract can become disconnected from the eye, which is a condition that often leads to glaucoma, an even more serious condition.
- Distichiasis
Distichiasis is very common in many dog breeds, including the Miniature Wirehaired Schnauzer. Distichiasis is when extra eyelashes grow around the eyelid margins. In some cases, the eyelashes are soft and don’t bother the dog or produce any noticeable symptoms. In other cases, the eyelash can be hard and cause inflammation and pain. You may notice tears or other discharge coming from the affected eye, and if the condition is left alone, it can damage the cornea.
- Pancreatitis
Pancreatitis is a condition that affects your dog’s pancreas, and symptoms may not always be present or easily identifiable, so it helps to educate yourself about this condition early on. Pancreatitis is a swelling of the pancreas, and a veterinarian must treat it. Attempting DIY remedies can waste valuable time and cause the situation to get worse. A hunched back, repeated vomiting, diarrhea, dehydration, and fever are all signs of pancreatitis, and if you notice more than one at the same time, you should take your pet to the vet to get checked immediately.
- Sick Sinus Syndrome
Sick Sinus Syndrome is a heart condition where the sinus node does not send a signal for the heart to beat, causing it to stop beating. If there is no heartbeat or eight seconds, the dog will collapse. Normally, the sinus node will start again, but the condition produces a heartbeat with many long breaks. These dogs usually need to have a pacemaker surgically implanted to keep the heart rate steady.
Male vs Female
Male vs FemaleThe male Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer is often friendlier and more affectionate than the female. They are also more attentive and more likely to demand attention, while the females tend to be more aggressive and territorial. Females are also typically more focused during training and like to present a dignified appearance. Both exes are about the same size, but a trained eye will show the female is slightly smaller.
Summary
The Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer makes a great family pet. It loves to cuddle on the couch and watch TV, and it’s never far from a family member. It’s fiercely protective and makes a great watchdog, but you may need to do a lot of socialization to get them to cohabitate with other pets.
We hope you enjoyed reading this guide to the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer and have found it helpful for deciding if it’s the right breed for you. If you think it can help others, please share this complete guide to the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer on Facebook and Twitter.
Featured Image Credit: Janine Kaufman, Shutterstock
