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Mini Schnauzer - Great With Kids?


LamborghiniMurphy
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Hi everyone :)

We have two young kids (1 and 2), and we are looking to get a mini schnauzer in the next 6 months. Does anyone have any experience with them and kids? Are they a jumpy breed?

Also, what size crate would they need?

We had a larger dog (didn't work out as he was very jumpy) and he loved his crate! But we want a much smaller crate for the new pup!

Thank you!

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You need to train a pup not to jump, they don't automatically know not to do it and if your previous dog didn't work out because it was jumpy, its likely a mini schnauzer won't work out either.

What happened to your previous dog?

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We did try to train him out of it. We went to puppy school, intermediate classes, tried and tried everything. He is now rehomed with a retired couple who have ten acres and can spend the time with him he needs. A mini schnauzer might be a lot easier to train out of jumping as I doubt it would be able to knock our kids over like the other dog did!!

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Guest lavendergirl

Have you considered getting an older dog if you don't want to deal with too much exuberance? Sometimes breeders have slightly older dogs for sale already trained.

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Minis are fine with kids who know how to behave around them, they can become over excited/stimulated if the kids are, especially with kids who run around and scream. Some are also not happy with grabby kids.

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Hmmmmm...if you couldn't train the other dog not to jump up, then there is no way you would be able to train a MS either....it's not the dog that's at fault, but the trainer. It's something you have to work on consistantly from the time you get your dog. I'm not a fan of MS's ...all the ones I have met have been snappy. :( but I would suggest you learn how to train a dog, get books, DVD's anything it takes to learn the best way. Dogs arn't born knowing not to jump up along with other things that are socially unacceptable. You can't just keep getting dogs & passing them on when they don't work out, then get another etc. etc. You might find learning a lot more about training...you might enjoy it.....it's can be challenging, but it's not impossible.

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We did try to train him out of it. We went to puppy school, intermediate classes, tried and tried everything. He is now rehomed with a retired couple who have ten acres and can spend the time with him he needs. A mini schnauzer might be a lot easier to train out of jumping as I doubt it would be able to knock our kids over like the other dog did!!

I am doubtful that a new puppy will require less time and/or be easier to train than the previous dog.

This is an owner/trainer issue, not a dog/breed issue

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Have you considered getting an older dog if you don't want to deal with too much exuberance? Sometimes breeders have slightly older dogs for sale already trained.

I agree with this. Yes a new smaller breed pup might not jump and knock the kids over, but they might have other habits that are difficult to train away from that may be equally or more annoying! Going for a slightly older dog will get you past this stage and you will have more idea of what you are getting into.

There are plenty of ethical breed rescues who foster dogs for a few weeks prior to offering them for adoption

Breeders do quite often have older dogs who have retired from their showing/breeding programme. These dogs are hidden gems as you know the dogs history but are beyond the bouncy puppy stage, they should be toilet trained and lead trained.

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Was your first dog by any chance a Labrador? Just curious :laugh:

MS are great with kids, but like any puppy, can be nippy and jumpy and that is a training issue. I find a lot of people put less training into a smaller dog because the impact of inappropriate behaviour is less obvious. So are you prepared to get on top of something that is clearly an issue for you (the jumping) in something so small?

To the person who said MS are snappy, you haven't met the right ones. Gorgeous little feisty breed, full of spunk, great with kids. I have nieces and nephews ranging from 2 months to 7 years and they adore my parent's MS. As do I, and I'm a "big dog" person ;)

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Guest donatella

The grass is always greener n that.... bigger breeds may be jumpier but the smaller ones can be nippier. Of course you can bring a dog up well but there's only so much smaller dogs can take of younger children grabbing and pulling before they can snap. I've always found the bigger breeds to be a lot more tolerant with smaller children.

Just something to think about as well.

Edited by donatella
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my mini schnauzer is good with kids, doesn't jump on ppl but he is a jumpy dog in that he relishes jumping on walls to walk along them, jumping up on picnic tables etc.

i think taking my dog to agility 'gets out' his desire to jump. so he can jump (something he loves) but he only does it in appropriate places. but then i was very strict about him when he was young and prblem behaviours were quickly adressed.

i've not met a 'snappy' mini schnauzer, but then i think i've only met ones that have been well socialised etc anyway. they can have a tendancy to bark, but mine only barks when there's someone not in the family on the property...

but i'd vote 1 for the either the mini schnauzer (well socialised and taken to agility) or an adult dog. i think buying an adult dog is really under-ratted by the general public. no puppy messes, so much less work initially and personality already in place, you know what you're dealing with.

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I would suggest a mini schnauzer pup is not a good choice.

They are a feisty little breed that loves to be involved, they are very clever and require more training and exercise than some other breeds. It is a myth that a dog will exercise itself in a large yard or that a larger dog always needs more space, time or exercise than a smaller breed. If they don't get the right amount of exercise they will be a handful to control and you can get behaviour problems.

Given that you have had a bad experience with basic training in the past, you would be better off waiting until the kids are older or buying a less demanding and energetic dog. There are much worse things dogs can do than push kids over.

It is important to closely supervise and control all interaction between a pup and a toddler, no matter how big or small the dog. Pups often want to contact kids faces, so the smaller the dog they higher it will jump to achieve that aim. It's a dog thing more than a breed thing.

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Small dog means unstable kids falling on them ,the dog won't be an issue it will be ensuring pup is safe from kids & no matter what you say NO child is safe around pups.

Minis are very touchy feely dogs that want to be on you/next to as much as possible & yes when older will still be capable of knocking young toddlers over .

Small should never ever mean less work & you are fooling yourself if you believe that .Small dogs require more work around young toddlers because there actions can be more daunting to a pup that will be no bigger than a Chihuahua when you bring it home .

Our Minis are certainly jumpers because they love to touch,there an agile breed & enjoy leaping into the arms of there owners & anything else that is air borne .

But as already said your training makes or breaks the puppy & unless your prepared to put the time in don't consider getting another pup to just rehome it isn't fair on the pup .

Minis SHOULD not be fiesty they are very much people dogs & should be very social & laid back BUT with young children it comes down to the adults & there effort especially as the breed has eye brows .

Grooming is a must & a mini not groomed with over grown eye brows can be an issue as they can't see.

As a breeder i wouldn't sell an older dog unless bomb proof with children that age

We have big & small dogs here & all are the same work they just need more work in different areas,no pup is easier

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Minis SHOULD not be fiesty they are very much people dogs & should be very social & laid back

I'm saddened to hear they mellow out. The 6 month old we have is feisty as hell and I LOVE IT!! Makes for a fun obedience/agility companion. And yes, she loves to jump and jump high! Edited to add, that I encourage cheeky, boisterous behaviour (as it's what I personally want as a mellow dog to train in sports is harder work!) and she bounces off my Labs like she's on crack.

Edited by RubyStar
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Minis SHOULD not be fiesty they are very much people dogs & should be very social & laid back

I'm saddened to hear they mellow out. The 6 month old we have is feisty as hell and I LOVE IT!! Makes for a fun obedience/agility companion. And yes, she loves to jump and jump high! Edited to add, that I encourage cheeky, boisterous behaviour (as it's what I personally want as a mellow dog to train in sports is harder work!) and she bounces off my Labs like she's on crack.

:laugh: Love it

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