Say hi to Kloee, a Mini Schnauzer who is just over a couple years old and a fan of Kaiser’s blog. Here’s a pic of her playing with her stuffed frog. Just further proof that Schnauzers are the most photogenic of all dog breeds.
Tags: Friends, Kloee, Mini Schnauzer, photography, Toys
Our Mini Schnauzer friend, Oskar B. from Louisiana, seems to have recovered nicely from his Mardi Gras partying days.
Tags: Friends, Mini Schnauzer, photography, Schnauzers
Schnauzers can be prone to skin problems as many of you may know. Some of the common hair and skin issues are easily identifiable, like Schnauzer Comedone Syndrome, Seborrhea, or thyroid and gland problems, while others can remain a mystery.
Teddie, a Miniature Schnauzer who is 4 1/2 years old, has a lovely well mannered affectionate personality, but recently has developed two areas on her back where the soft haired coat has deteriorated revealing a coarse hair close to the skin.
The Vet has looked at it and is unsure what the cause may be and has had a culture done which came back negative. The Vet has said not to worry about the bald spot. Not knowing what is causing this hair loss/change is, by its nature, still a concern.
If you have any experience or tips on how to treat a bald spot or if you recognize the condition from the picture please tell us about it in the comment section below.
UPDATE: Some more flattering images of Teddie the Miniature Schnauzer…
Tags: Bald Spot, Dog, Friends, Hair, Health, Mini Schnauzer, Schnauzer, Teddie, vet
Google has a cool new tool out today that you might want to check out. It’s called Google Translate for Animals, and it could really strengthen the bond you have with your pet Schnauzer. No more wondering what our Schnauzers are trying to communicate with us. Simply use your mobile phone and decode their language.
We used it on Kaiser today and he let us know that he was hungry and then wanted to take a nap after chewing his bone.
Tags: Google, Kaiser, Schnauzers
One of our readers recently emailed us about their Schnauzer, McQueen. They are struggling with the decision of whether or not to keep McQueen or allow him to be adopted by another family because of his separation and anxiety issues. Our reader, Adam, gave us permission to post his email and we are hoping that you will comment below with advice.
Hello-
My wife and I have been reading your blog for the last couple of months, and have really been enjoying it. I was hoping you might be able to help us with a decision we’re needing to make.
First a little background, we’re similar to you guys, in that we both grew up with dogs, but haven’t had one since we were in high school. I grew up with Miniature Schnauzers and my wife’s family had Labs. Anyway, we purchased a Miniature Schnauzer at the beginning of March, he was only 7 weeks old, but the breeder thought he should be fine, he wasn’t. He had severe separation anxiety, as soon as we put him in his crate, he’d start to cry. We did everything all the training materials said, we introduced it to him slowly, using treats, leaving him in for short periods. Ignoring him when he cried. But, he wouldn’t stop crying. At nights we’d put him in his crate and set our alarms for 3 hour increments to take him out (the books said take his age in months, add one and that’s how many hours they can hold it). We’d wear earplugs to fall asleep, but he’d be crying when we’d wake up, he eventually went hoarse. I started sleeping in the living room next to the crate. He’d fall asleep as long as my fingers were in the crate.
After a week of this, we were pretty worn out, but still willing to do it, if he’d eventually get better, but our landlord, who we’d convinced to change her no-pets policy, decided she actually didn’t want pets. So, we were forced to give McQueen back to the breeder. My wife also received news that she might need surgery. And, I work from home as a freelance designer, which was great with the dog, as I could be with him during the day, and he could keep me company. But, I wasn’t able to work much with McQueen being so upset. And if my wife was going to need surgery, I’d need to take on a larger work load. So, even though we were devastated, we felt that it was probably the best decision, rather than break out lease.
Now, here’s where this gets murky. We’ve decided to move to a new house at the end of April — for unrelated reasons — that does allow pets. After a couple more tests, it looks like surgery isn’t going to be a problem for my wife. And the breeder emailed us to tell us that McQueen hasn’t resold and she’d really like us to have him if we’re able.
My wife grew very attached to McQueen, as did I, but she’s having a harder time recovering from the loss. I still remember waking up three times a night to take him out, cleaning his crate from his diarrhea (as a result of his anxiety, it wasn’t a regular accident, he was so stressed it made him sick), and how tired we were.
My question is, he’ll be 13 week in May, when we’d get him back, from your experience will he be easier to work with?
I know this sounds like we’re high maintenance, but I want to give this dog the best life possible, and part of that is making sure I can handle taking care of him. I love this dog, but if someone else can provide him a better life, than I’d rather do that.
Like I said, I’m a freelance graphic designer, and I figured he’d be a good excuse to get out couple times a day. Go for walks, there’s a dog park half-a-mile away and many of our friends have dogs, so we have a social network and support. We travel some, but most of the time we’d be able to take McQueen with us, and the other times, friends of ours have volunteered to dogsit.
Thanks so much,
Adam and Diana
Tags: Crating, Dog, Friends, Mini Schnauzer, Miniature Schnauzer, Puppy, Separation Anxiety, Training
