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Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer (Miniature Schnauzer & Wire Fox Terrier Mix): Info, Pictures

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By Nicole Cosgrove

miniature wire haired schnauzer

Adopting a dog is rewarding, but it’s challenging to select the perfect pet when you have so many to choose from. Although purebred canines get the most attention, mixed breeds are becoming incredibly popular. In this article, we’ll discuss the remarkable Miniature Wire-Haired Schnauzer, and you can decide if they seem like the right pup to bring into your family.

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. They’re a small breed that usually doesn’t grow over 15 inches tall. Their coat is rough and wiry, and they have a rectangular head with a long muzzle. They also have a black nose, large, round brown eyes, and long, bushy eyebrows.

The Miniature Wire-Haired Schnauzer is a relatively new breed without much of a history, but the parent breeds have been around quite a long time. The Miniature Schnauzer is the most popular of all the Schnauzers. They’ve been around since the 1800s when their job was killing rats. The Wire Fox Terrier is even older, and you can trace them back to the 1700s. They also hunted rats and other small vermin.

divider 10Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer Puppies

Energy
Trainability
Health
Lifespan
Sociability

The cost of a Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer can vary dramatically. It depends on your location, the cost of the parents, the quality of the breeder, and the tests that the breeder runs on the pup to ensure they don’t have any genetically transmitted health problems. Schnauzer and Terrier breeds primarily raise pure breeds, but some specialize in mizes.

Adoption is another way you can bring down the cost considerably. Adopted dogs might be a little older, but they are desperate for a home and usually cost only a few hundred dollars at most.

Divider 83 Little-Known Facts About the Miniature Wire-Haired Schnauzer

1. The Wire Fox Terrier Parent Is Known for Their Energy and Crazy Antics.

The Wire Fox Terrier is an accomplished show dog, but their feisty temperament allows them to entertain their families at home and make them laugh. They’re brimming with energy, and their Miniature Wire-Haired Schnauzer offspring undoubtedly retain their love of life.


2. The Miniature Schnauzer Is the Most Popular of the Three Schnauzer Breeds.

The Miniature Schnauzer is only a little over a foot tall, but they have enough energy to join their owners on long hikes or patrol the family farm. They can adapt to living in small homes or apartments, but they also enjoy running and playing in a large yard.

 


3. Martial Arts Celebrity Bruce Lee Owned a Miniature Schnauzer.

Like their mixed offspring, Miniature Schnauzers make excellent pets. Besides Bruce Lee, several celebrities and politicians have owned them, including Bill Cosby, Mary Tyler Moor, and Senator Bob Dole.

The parent breeds of Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer
The parent breeds of Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer: Left – Wire Fox Terrier (Chris Curry, Unsplash) | Right – Miniature Schnauzer (Roman Zaiets, Shutterstock)

Divider 3

Temperament & Intelligence of the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer🧠

The Miniature Wire-Haired Schnauzer is a small, friendly dog with plenty of courage. They love to be around family members and cuddle on the couch, but they will also fiercely protect you against anything they view 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. They’re intelligent dogs that learn quickly and like to please their owners. They’re 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 who get along with children well. They also make excellent watchdogs 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 you own 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.

Divider 4Things to Know When Owning a Miniature Wire-Haired Schnauzer

Here are the factors you need to consider 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 it’s vital to purchase high-quality food that provides a complete and balanced meal. We recommend avoiding any brands 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.

miniature wire haired schnauzer white
Image Credit: Pxhere

Training🦮

As mentioned earlier, these dogs are smart and eager to please. They can pick up on most of the simple tricks in a day or two, and with patience, you can teach them complex multi-step tasks. 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 clean their fur and reduce odors. Their nails also require trimming about once a month or when you hear them clicking on the floor when your dog walks.

Health and Conditions❤️

Mixed breeds like the Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer may suffer from fewer genetically transmitted health problems than their purebred parents. However, there are still a few health conditions that should keep you on the lookout.

Minor Conditions
  • Cataracts

Cataracts are a condition that affects many dogs, especially in their old age, but they can occur in younger dogs as well. A dog with cataracts will develop a blueish fog over the pupils of their eyes. It will worsen over time, making 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.

  • Distichiasis

Distichiasis is common in many breeds, including the Miniature Wirehaired Schnauzer. Distichiasis is when extra eyelashes grow around the eyelid margins. Sometimes, the eyelashes are soft and don’t bother the dog or produce noticeable effects. 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.

Serious Conditions
  • Pancreatitis

Pancreatitis is a condition that affects your dog’s pancreas, and the signs 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 signal the heart to beat, causing it to stop beating. If there is no heartbeat for eight seconds, the dog will collapse. Usually, the sinus node will start again, but the condition produces a heartbeat with many long breaks. These dogs usually need a pacemaker surgically implanted to keep the heart rate steady.

Divider 5Male vs Female

The 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 sexes are about the same size, but a trained eye will show the female is slightly smaller.

Divider 3Summary

The Miniature Wire-Haired Schnauzer makes a great family pet. They love to cuddle on the couch and watch TV, and they’re never far from a family member. They’re fiercely protective and make 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 Miniature Wire Haired Schnauzer guide and have found it helpful for deciding if they’re 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

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