PART 2 Considering buying a Miniature Schnauzer dog? Here's why you should.

PART 2
...of my Schnauzer dog post series. If you have not yet read PART 1, here is the link for it.
http://mysteriousrosegabs.blogspot.com/2015/02/considering-buying-miniature-schnauzer.html

TRAINABILITY & INTELLIGENCE
All Schnauzers are extremely smart dogs! They are in no way, stupid. They are incredibly easy to potty train (also called housebreaking your dog). I will make another blog post soon for first time dog owners, on how to potty train your dog effectively and quickly with little to no accidents and I will address the number 1 potty training mistake that 70% of new and existing dog owners make, those of you that wonder why your dog just will not stop peeing indoors despite constant efforts to train him. But Schnauzers, if you know how to train them the right way, it literally only takes them 4-12 days to be fully house trained and know that going pee-pee on the carpet is bad. Now, when they're a baby, one or two accidents can be expected. They are just like human babies, they don't know any better yet and if you ignore the signs that your dog needs to go outside, puppies cannot hold it in like mature dogs can. Their bladders are tiny. They also don't know how to "tell" you they need to go out like older and already trained dogs can so, you have to work with them and learn their body language to effectively interpret their way of communicating with you.

As for other training efforts and tricks, Schnauzers are well disciplined and will mind you 98% of the time. Occasionally, they do get a "I don't care what you say" attitude but with a little verbal scolding they are quickly reminded that YOU are the boss. Because they pay so much attention to verbal commands and they have excellent memories, it's not very hard to teach them how to give you their paw, how to sit, lie down, stop and stay, roll over, get in your cage. With repetitious teaching, they can learn these tricks within a few days to a few weeks. Beyond that, a really well trained Schnauzer can learn many more tricks just for fun. My dog knows how to play dead when I point a toy squirt gun at him. When I pull out the dog treats I say "where you supposed to be to get a treat?" and he goes straight to his pillow and waits on me to walk over there. I also taught him to shake the snow off his back and paws when I sing the Taylor Swift song "Shake It Off". That trick was actually a piece of cake, he caught on after 2 attempts. I will make another post in the future to teach you how to train your dog to do that trick as well.

PLAYFULNESS
Schnauzers LOVE to play. They have a ton of energy. When they are babies they are a bit hyper but not annoying hyper, it's actually really cute to watch. As they age, this tones down on its own a bit, and after you get your dog neutered or spayed, they really calm down. But a bit of advice, like I said, they love to play and they love affection. So if you are a work-a-holic or everyone in your home works and is gone most of the time, don't get a Schnauzer. They need lots of attention and lovins!

They also like to chew. As a puppy, you will probably have to take a shoe or one of your child's stuffed animals away from them on occasion but once they are taught that shoes, your kids toys, clothing, etc. are off limits, that won't be an issue, but they still like to play. Do yourself and your dog a favor, buy him a rope toy, a squeaky rubber toy, and as an occasional treat a plush toy. Allowing them to burn off some of their energy by rolling around with and chewing on their own toys, keeps them from having too much bottled up energy. Also, they eventually learn which toys are THEIR toys, just for them to play with. Eventually, they will only touch just their toys and will not try to steal your children's stuffed animals or chew on household objects. They need their own toys for multiple reasons.

GROOMING & HAIR
The absolute best thing about a Schnauzer (whether a short haired miniature breed or a long haired full size breed)? They do not shed fur, not one single ounce! You'll be amazed. No matter what kind of pillow or blankets they sleep on, when it's time to wash their bedding you won't find a single hair anywhere. Which is good news for your washing machine and any allergy sufferers in your home. They are really good dogs to own if you or your children have allergies. Many people have horrible dog allergies but honestly, I've have had dozens of people in my home with really bad dog allergies and they are shocked that they pet my Schnauzer and do not sneeze one time, no watery or red eyes, no stopped up nose. Why is this? Schnauzers produce little to no dog dander, which is what is mainly responsible for triggering allergic responses in certain people.

As for grooming. Their hair grows pretty quickly. Shave it all off and it's long n curly again within 4-6 months but with the soft texture of their hair, it can be shaved off really easy, it never gets rough and matted, and it never tats unless they get wet food in their beard and it dries in their beard. But grooming is easy for these dogs. I will also make a video the next time I groom my dog, and show you how to trim or shave your Schnauzer's hair at home without hurting him and to save you from making costly trips to a professional groomer. If you've ever trimmed or shaved a human male's head, you can groom a Schnauzer.

Thank you for reading PART 2 of my Schnauzer dog blog post series.
Here is the link to PART 3: http://mysteriousrosegabs.blogspot.com/2015/02/part-3-considering-buying-miniature.html