Standard and children under 7

The Standard Schnauzer is a working or utility dog and is the original breed of the three sizes. Standard Schnauzers are generally a robust, squarely built, medium-sized dog with aristocratic bearings.
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nycas21
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Standard and children under 7

Post by nycas21 »

Hello all.
I need some advice about getting a standard schnauzer .
1st I'm an experienced dog owner. I currently have no pets.
I have 2 kids one is 4 and 7 years old.
I have a cemented small yard that's fenced in.

How are standards in terms of children under 7? Are they better behaved then the miniature schnauzer?

Are the standards jumpy as they say when they are young?

Taking the standard out on the leash 4 times a day for 15 min will be enough?
I dont mind dog parks for an hr or 2 weather permitting.

Or will I need to have it for few hours in the doggy daycare while everyone is at work?

Also if the dog stays at home alone for 4 to 5 hours and has toys and bones to chew will this satisfy.

Are standards as good watchdogs as the miniature?

I owned dogs under 9 kg but never a larger dog in my lifetime.
I'm debating between the mini and standard.
I'm also looking from the point of the dog which dog will be better for the children now and long term.
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BeeBee
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Re: Standard and children under 7

Post by BeeBee »

I'm certainly no expert only ever having minis but a good friend has 2 standards and I know her children were quite young when she had her first standard - around 8-10 years old. He has always been a handful, she has always exercised him well, lots of brain games as well as physical activity, and he is still a dog that is not easy going. But he's just one dog of course and generalisations I suppose should be avoided. My understanding is that standards have quite high demands in terms of activity, far different from minis and it's a mistake when it's assumed they are just variations in size - their characters and needs are distinct. Good luck with whatever you decide.
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Re: Standard and children under 7

Post by zeta1454 »

From knowing people who have standard schnauzers and watching experienced dog owners in training classes with standard schnauzers, I would say they are hard work, require a lot of patience and careful handling. As the original of the schnauzer breeds, the breed traits of watchfulness and strong prey drive are also things to bear in mind as well as the fact that the standard is a strong, well built dog quite different in size and character to the miniature schnauzer. As said above, they are a different breed not just a larger size.

As with any puppy / dog you introduce to your family, a standard schnauzer will need you to be there in the first few weeks 24/7 to establish routines and house training. Dogs are companion animals who thrive on company and want to have their family around. Although you may be able to use dog walkers or doggy daycare in the future months, you cannot rely on these as a replacement for training your puppy and getting them settled into your family home. All puppies require less leash walking initially as their bones are growing and they are maturing to avoid damage to joints and ligaments. Most of their early exercise should be free exploring (off lead) in interesting environments with plenty of scents to follow and enjoy. If you only have a cemented back yard, you will need to find safe places to take your puppy to play off lead on grass and enjoy exploring fallen branches, animal scents etc. You also will need to include plenty of mental exercise, through training and also "brain game" type activities as standard schnauzers are intelligent and easily bored.

Just leaving a puppy or dog (of any breed) for hours alone with just toys and chews is not recommended especially in the first six months or so. As said previously, dogs are social and companion creatures who do not do well left alone for long periods and 4-5 hours is most definitely too long for a puppy which will need someone to feed him or her, let them outside to toilet and generally engage with them.

Miniature schnauzers can be easier to train and are possibly a better size in regards to small children, however all the above points re exercise, training, and leaving them alone still apply as with a standard.

The absolute priority whichever size or breed of dog you decide on is always going to be finding the best possible breeder. This will make an immeasurable difference to how well the puppy settles in your home, the likelihood of good health and therefore reduced vet bills, the benefit of lifetime support and advice from a breed specialist, and someone who will select a puppy from their litter to best suit your family as not every puppy in a litter is a clone of the others and different temperaments will be found in every one. This is particularly important with your children as you need to find a breeder that has raised their pups with love and care, chosen healthy good temperament parent dogs and carried out the necessary socialisation and initial training with the pups to try and ensure self confidence and resilience.

With children too, you need to be sure that they understand the puppy is not a toy, needs his or her space respected and is not teased or rough handled in any way. If the breeder has children, this is also something to bear in mind as early experiences are so important and a puppy that has been abused, neglected or teased when young will be affected by this long term and, if it is children who have done this, the puppy may have real difficulties trusting any children as a result.

Getting a family dog is a huge commitment financially, in terms of time, energy and patience and needs considerable thought before going ahead but, find the best breeder of whichever breed you finally choose has to be your number one goal :-)
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Riesen16
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Re: Standard and children under 7

Post by Riesen16 »

I often wonder why people want Standard Schnauzers, especially when they have young children. Not that this is a danger, it isn't.

The Standard Schnauzer is trainable (but only with intensive training.) The Giant Schnauzer is also trainable. I have problems with people who want to buy the dog without finding out its origins.

We have a Giant Schnauzer bitch. We have had dogs for years: Fila Brasileiro, Landseer, Briard, German Shepherds und we now have Giant $chnauzer Enya. She is very friendly to people but needs a firm hand when walking with her. I thought a female would be good for us "Oldies". She needed much training but it was worth it.

Schnauzer: small, medium and large are not necessarily dogs for "Everybody". Intensive training, maybe more as with many other breeds, they can become wonderful companions.
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Riesen16
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Re: Standard and children under 7

Post by Riesen16 »

I often wonder why people want Standard Schnauzers, especially when they have young children. Not that this is a danger, it isn't.

The Standard Schnauzer is trainable (but only with intensive training.) The Giant Schnauzer is also trainable. I have problems with people who want to buy the dog without finding out its origins.

We have a Giant Schnauzer bitch. We have had dogs for years: Fila Brasileiro, Landseer, Briard, German Shepherds und we now have Giant $chnauzer Enya. She is very friendly to people but needs a firm hand when walking with her. I thought a female would be good for us "Oldies". She needed much training but it was worth it.

Schnauzer: small, medium and large are not necessarily dogs for "Everybody". Intensive training, maybe more as with many other breeds, they can become wonderful companions.
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