Collection: Personalised Miniature Schnauzer Gifts

The exact origins of the Miniature Schnauzer are not known but it is thought they evolved from crossing the Standard Schnauzer with a smaller dog like the Pomeranian or even a Poodle.

The breed was originally used as guard dogs in their larger form and then for vermin control when they were smaller. The first known and recorded Miniature Schnauzer was called Findel and born in 1888. The dog’s ears were cropped reputedly for cosmetic purposes.

The Miniature Schnauzer’s history is all bound up with the Standard Schnauzer whose past accounts for 90% of the origin of the miniature version. The Standard Schnauzer is thought to possibly have been created by using a cross with the Dogue de Bologne and the Spitz.

The original standard Schnauzer was intended to be a multi-purpose medium-sized farm dog for a range of purposes including shepherding, guarding and controlling pests. It is thought the smaller breed was created by outcrossing smaller Schnauzers and other mixed breeds.

And the name? That didn’t appear until 1879 and is thought to have come from a Pinscher who was called Schnauzer! The actual breed of Miniature Schnauzer was officially recognised twenty years later and made it to America in the 1920s although under a different name. The UK was slower to endorse the breed and it did not become Kennel Club registered until 1948.

Intelligent, portable, smart, amusing, the Miniature Schnauzer has it all and consequently, a devoted breed following. For such a small breed of dog, the Miniature Schnauzer is incredibly extrovert and thrives in a busy home where there is lots to do. For a small dog, they do require a lot of exercise.