Mini pinscher and mini Schnauzer mix...is this a good breed?

Great dog.... if you have had a puppy before. Mini-pins are known as the king of the toys, basically because he thinks he is a king, and he is darn good at being a leader.

It is hard to tell how the breed is going to mix unless your friend has had the same parents breed before. Here is some idea though:

- They will be good watchdogs, but that may mean they will bark a lot. This can be minimized by good, early, and immediate training

- They will need a lot of exercise for a toy breed, but don't worry, as long as you do a half hour walk every day, they will be fine

- Both were originally bred for hunting small animals. This means that you are likely going to have a lovely playful pup on your hands that will like the game fetch.

- It will likely have a bit of a stubborn streak, which will be annoying sometimes during training, will also be super cute sometimes when they give you attitude. Just like a two year old lol.

- It will like to be in the middle of things.... schnauzers love being the family dog, involved with whatever you are doing and mini-pins are always in motion

- One condition that may run in both breeds is Legg-Perthes so be sure to be on the watch

I think that as long as you have trained a dog before you will love having this mix. Based on breed she will likely be a lot of fun. If you get a chance and your friend doesn't mind, try the tests described on this site: http://www.huntersheart.com/puppy_testing.html

I can't guarantee that they are always accurate, but it will give you a chance to predict what kind of training you will need for your pup and to confirm if she is right for you lifestyle/family!

I have to disagree with the whole adoption campaign in some ways. Where I live it is nearly impossible to find a small dog (under 40 pounds) that is up for adoption, and by near I mean within the province. Also, since this is your friend, you may have more of a chance to spend time with the puppy before you take it home.

We adopted our MINI-Pin / Schnauzer mix from the Humane Society 3 years ago. We were told she was a Carin Terrier mix. We could see the Terrier..but was not sure what kind of terrier or what else. Had DNA test and found out she goes back 5 generations of Min-Pin and 5 generation of Mini-schaunzer. So we are assuming her parents were mixed to achieve this combination. She was 9 months old when she moved into our home. She was "instant" dog! All house broke and didn't chew things and loved a lot of attention and enjoyed playing. By the end of the summer she became a gifted pool surfer and swimmer. A total joy of a dog. Until one night I was working a midnight shift and my husband had to go to the hospital and was admitted. When I came home the house was trashed I was amazed at how much damage she could do in a few hours. We had left her alone for 3-4 hrs in the past without any problems...but that night there was hell to pay. After that we crated her and she did very well and since has been great when left in the house alone. In the last year though she goes through periods of staring at the ceiling and become fearful and will hide under a chair or under the bed for hours at a time. this behavior will go on for about a week or two and then she becomes her usual self. She also obsesses grooming herself like a cat , licking her paws and washing her face..2 years ago she licked a hot spot on her front leg and had to have surgery and endure the "Cone of Shame" for about a Month. The vet has put her on prozac and Xanax. The Xanax snows her and we didn't see any difference with the Prozac after she took it for 2 months. She's 4 years old now and of course the light of our lives. I would like to get another one for company for her..but I don't think she can take the competition.

Schnauzer Mix

Miniature Pinscher Mix

The person who said u would end up with a mutt is right. It's like saying these 2 people would have cute kids or smart kids. The genetic mix is not man's choice. Two smart people can have one genius and one person with a mental disability. Two stupid people can have a genius child.

The min-pin breed is very appealing and, if it is properly fed and disciplined, it should please anyone who wants a toy dog.

The other things that were said about where NOT to buy dogs is also very good advice. People who breed dogs to make money are NOT true dog lovers.

If u really want to understand animals, especially domesticated ones, read Temple Grandin's book "Animals in Translation." It is fascinating, revealing, surprising, funny, and more.

you can mix all the pure bred dogs all you want and all you're going to get is a mutt. if you're buying this pup from anyone else but a rescue or shelter you're a sucker. this is a mixed breed dog, the breeder has no standard to breed toward. so i can't tell you if it's a good breed. that's because it's mixed. both breeds have their issues, which one's your pup will get no one knows. the kind of breeder who will breed this mixed litter is the kind that won't genetic test for possible medical issues with the puppies or temperment test. so no this isn't going to be a good mix. you might get lucky you might not. same chane you take going to the shelter and actually saving a mixed breed puppy. buying these designer mixed breed dog's of the day is doing nothing but adding to the ability for scum breeders to make more money to breed more dogs, etc......

It's not a breed.. It's a mutt.. Who knows if it's a good mix.. You have no idea which genes your puppy will end up with.. The dog might be calm, might be wild, might be sweet, might be vicious.. It's a mixed breed dog, there is no consistency to the breeding, it's a crap shoot as to what you are going to end up with.. Rescue a dog if you want a mutt. Do NOT buy one from a petstore, newspaper, byber, puppymill, or any so called breeder of mixed breed dogs.. These people who pretend to be breeders and are mixing breeds are only doing it for the cash.. There is no good reason to mix breeds..

I have a mini pin, schnauzer mix, "Lola". She was given to me at six weeks. I wasn't looking for a dog/puppy and wasn't sure i was up for the task. It has been six months now and "Lola" has had no professional training. I potty trained her with the normal newspaper, or so i thought, she didn't go on the newspaper, she would whine to go outside. She is playful, watchful, and extremely smart. One afternoon walk she learned the command "sit" and listens to whom ever tells her. She gets along w ALL dogs and is a lover. She has made my world a better place and couldn't imagine life w/out her. The only thing i notice is she is not to fond of "small children/babies" wanting to pet her on the street, she won't bite, but will try to take cover. Kind-of-like me..haha

Mixed breed dogs are known to be very smart because of the mix in genetics of both types of dogs. The others are right, don't buy a dog, ADOPT one. You can get a great dog and at the same time give a homeless one a home.

That's a lot of money to spend on a mutt without shots or altering! Rescues and shelters charge less than that, and that's with shots, and often alteration and sometimes microchipping!

Wow.