Red Schnauzer Puppies

Q&A About Red Mini Schnauzers

What is a Red Mini Schnauzer? 

The early German breeders of Standard Schnauzers wanted a smaller version for the purpose of ridding their property of small animals like rats and rodents. They wanted the same appearance, temperament, markings, and colors – which were primarily salt & pepper and black.

To reach their goal of a smaller version of the Schnauzer, breeders crossed their smallest Schnauzers with little Poodles and Affenpinschers. When they did this, new colors resulted. (Red Schnauzers are the rarest color available today and come from the Poodle and Affenpinscher colors bred into the Schnauzer lines many years ago.)

When they are born, black & silver Miniature Schnauzers look so much like salt and pepper; the early breeders thought them to be a salt & pepper variety and therefore accepted them immediately. Later, with the understanding that DNA tests provide, it became clear that black & silver Schnauzers are a separate color. At that point, the newer black & silver color was already widely accepted so no further consideration or controversy arose around the color differences.

Unfortunately, the German breeders did not understand DNA the way we do today. It was assumed by these early breeders that light colored (red and white) Miniature Schnauzers were defective. Most of them were killed after birth because of their light color causing them to be very rare now. This color in DNA is known as “recessive red” or “ee.”

The recessive red Schnauzer can be registered and shown in obedience and agility. However, at this time, red schnauzers are not accepted for confirmation showing by two well-known breed clubs: the American Kennel Club and Canadian Kennel Club.  

All 4 Miniature Schnauzer colors — salt & pepper, black, black & silver, and white (recessive reds) — can be registered with all the major registries. Not all registries, including the American Kennel Club (AKC) and the Canadian Kennel Club (CKC), allow these recessive red dogs to be shown in their beauty-focused confirmation shows. This causes controversy and confusion for light colored Schnauzer lovers. All Miniature Schnauzers colors can be shown in events such as Agility, AKC Canine Good Citizen, Obedience, or Earthdog trials, just not in confirmation competitions.

Early breeders create a written standard outlining what the breed will include. For many years the Miniature Schnauzer was only to be the original colors: salt & pepper and black — and sadly breeders would kill the puppies of other colors. However once you understand how the DNA works in this breed it becomes clear that the light recessive red schnauzers “ee” is not a genetic fault! It is time to recognize the rare red Mini Schnauzer is as beautiful as all the other colors!

What health challenges do Red Schnauzers have and how can these be avoided?

At SVCC Toys LLC, we do Embark DNA tests on all our breeding dogs so we understand and know what to expect from our puppies. Mini Schnauzers are very healthy dogs. Please keep them on a low fat diet as high fat diets can cause health issues such as diabetes, pancreatitis, bladder stones, schnauzer bumps and weight gain. None of our dogs have had any of these issues. Our puppies do not have the three Embark identified DNA issues in mini schnauzers.

What is the Mini Schnauzer temperament?

All Miniature Schnauzers are easy to train and very intelligent. It is important that owners learn how to train their dogs. Mini Schnauzers love to learn so they are obedient dogs for owners who know how to train them. Schnauzers are extremely loyal and loving to their family. When they are well socialized at a young age they will get along with people, dogs, and cats. We provide a manual for how to care for and train your mini schnauzer puppy. We also offer puppy manners and socialization classes to help you and your family create a great companion.

Do schnauzers get along with other pets and family members?

This breed does very well with children, teenagers and adults as long as they are socialized when they are young. Miniature Schnauzers who were raised as puppies with small children from the beginning do well with children. No breed, including the Miniature Schnauzer, does well with very young children pulling and jumping on them so supervision will be needed with young children and any dog.  

Schnauzers get along very well with dogs and cats. They were bred to kill rats and vermin. So if you have hamsters, Guinea pigs, or rabbits, your Schnauzer should not be able to play with them.

What are the grooming needs of the Miniature Schnauzer?

They have hair not fur! As a result, they will need to be combed or brushed daily. A bath every 3 - 4 weeks with shampoo and conditioner is also good for them. Watch Amy Leigh, the Go Groomer, on YouTube and learn to groom your Mini Schnauzer yourself or go to a professional dog groomer.

How much exercise do Miniature Schnauzers need?

The toy variety does not need long walks. The larger the size the higher the need for exercise outside. A twenty pound schnauzer will need frequent walks and opportunities to run and play outside. A six to ten pound mini schnauzer can be very happy indoors playing with you and their toys.

Which is better a male or female schnauzer?

When you have a male neutered and a female spayed (Pets, not breeding dogs) the differences between them are not significant. Both will be loving, quick to want to please you and a beloved family pet. Let’s talk about the temperament you are looking for in a pet so we ensure we match you to the right dog - that is more important than the gender of your schnauzer. For example, do you want a relaxed, easy going lap dog or do you want a dog that will enjoy long walks and hikes with you? The only noticeable difference is a male will lift his leg to do his potty business and a female will squat.

If you are part of our guardian program and we co-own a breeding dog, we will discuss how that works with breeding for a stud male or having a female come back to live with us to whelp her puppies and care for them in our home.

Is the Miniature Schnauzer good with apartment living?

Yes! The toy size do especially well in apartments and living arrangements where they use potty pads instead of going outside.

I heard Mini Schnauzers bark too much – is that a problem?

At SVCC Toys LLC ours do not bark too much because they have been taught to bark to alert us. When we acknowledge what they are wanting us to see, then they stop barking. We say, “Thank you. I can handle this!”

We make it clear whatever is happening we can handle it - we are the pack leaders and don’t need them to be responsible for us. They will be great alert dogs and if you behave as the pack leader they will be calm and easy going.

Do I need AKC papers to ensure I have a red Mini Schnauzer?

At SVCC Toys LLC, our dogs are AKC registered.

AKC registration papers are a record to show who was bred to whom, and they do not say anything about the health or wellbeing of the dog.

A more accurate way we use to know we have a 100% pure bred schnauzer is to use the Embark DNA test. You will know you are getting a healthy well-bred dog using science when you get a puppy from us.

If you want AKC breeding rights on your puppy please understand you will be paying more for the breeding rights. Also if you buy a puppy from us that is a pet and not to be bred we will not likely provide AKC papers unless you make that known to us that it is important to you.

Where are you located?

We are in Bethlehem PA. And we are local to all areas of PA, NJ, NY and we can deliver puppies to anywhere in the US, United States with flight nanny services.

If you are looking for a well-bred, DNA tested, mini or toy Schnauzer, visit us in the Lehigh Valley, PA and at www.SVCCToys.com!