Breeding can also be an absolute treat, even though it's a lot of work, if you do it right. I have a lot of videos to make and such; but most of them I'm going to make next spring, so make sure you call me if you have questions. Besides, I love to teach how to make perfect care packages and talking is the best way to do that.
Basics of Breeding:
Know if you really like this breed. Schnauzers have hair instead of fur which equates to less shedding. It also means grooming (hair cuts) which can get pricey. I went to a petsmart groomer and had her teach me and point out her favorite clippers ($150) although I started with cheap $30 dog clippers. They have to be dog clippers, btw.
Miniature Schnauzers are a mix between poodles and standard schnauzers, which is why their hair is more fine. Unfortunately the AKC and the CKC really don't like rare colors or anything that deviates from their standard which has created a lot of very poor health dogs. Miniature schnauzers have a delicate stomach, are prone to hip displasia if not well cared for, and they get ear infections easily if you don't pluck their ears and they tip over at all. We don't crop, so we suggest people get ear drops if any of our pups have tipped ears.
Cropping ears, dew claws, and docking tails is ridiculous. It started for legitimate reasons (well at least the tails) because Miniature Schnauzers were bred to catch rats. Hunting dogs have their tails docked in order to prevent a predator from biting it. It is now illegal in the UK to doc tails, so we figure that this silly ritual is un-needed. We also love their expressive tails and we have always found homes for every puppy we've put up. We kept one (even though people offered on him) and we have a new litter out right now, so that is 23 out of 27 puppies homed with tails. Our owners love those tails. In fact, the few owners that had docked schnauzers before were surprised at how much they loved the tail. It's a selling point of cuteness, I tell ya.
If you do following the doc/crop trend realize that you are going to need eo's to prevent infection for about 2 weeks because secondary infections are very common. We almost lost one puppy to being docked (my MIL specifically paid for him to be docked...and I'll never do it again. He almost died.) and the dam wanted to pick at the stitches. It was rough.
There is also a possibility that a puppy could die. You need to be prepared for that, because it gets emotional. We've only had one puppy die in our home and one die with a new owner. It was really hard both times. You become their second mom and they will be close to your heart.
If you are looking for a puppy and you want to breed you don't have to have AKC or CKC certification; but I do suggest getting a puppy that has a known pedigree. It is important to breed responsibly and not accidentally inbreeding with a puppy's father. That'd be horrid. Papers are just from a stuffy club, pedigree is rather important.
Realize that there are some really bad breeders out there and you can't reform them all. If they are a puppy mill there isn't much you can do other than educate buyers.
1. Miniature Schnauzers must stay with the breeder until exactly 8 weeks or more.
2. Toy Miniature Schnauzers must stay with the breeder until 12 weeks or more.
3. It's dangerous to breed teacup schnauzers because their health is rather fragile. They may be darling; but they can also cost thousands of dollars in vet visits.
Having the right food for the dam during pregnancy (that you want to space out to once a year or year and a half) is crucial. Use the same puppy food that you're going to feed the pups at 3.5 weeks. I have a page on food, I don't suggest doing home-made food, personally. It is really time consuming and if you don't have a degree in dog nutrition it's really difficult to get in all the vital nutrients for health.
Always use eco-friendly soaps. That's where calling me comes in. I can teach you about the best treats, deoderizer, shampoo and sanitizer.
I will be back to add more tips :)
Until next time, enjoy reading!
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