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Breed guide · Dogs
He drips half his water bowl across the kitchen. I've bought a bigger mat.
Last updated 14 October 2026
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What they brought with them.
Tap a card to see what is going on.
At home
The courier, the cleaner and the neighbour, each one treated as a problem to be handled.
What's going onThey were kept to guard the farm, and many Standard Schnauzers are wary of strangers at the door. Teach them that you answer it, and give them a spot to watch from further back. If the guarding turns into growling or snapping, contact your vet.
At home
A walk round the block, and they are home again looking for something to do. Often with your furniture.
What's going onThey were working farm dogs, not lap dogs. They are quick to learn and quick to get bored, so give them a proper walk in the cool hours and a few minutes of training most days.
At home
Locked on to the cats in the car park, the pigeons on the balcony and the geckos on the wall.
What's going onRat catching was half their job, so cats and birds get their full attention. Keep them on a lead wherever cats or birds are about, and give the chase somewhere to go at home.
At home
Half the water bowl, carried across the kitchen floor in that beard.
What's going onThe name comes from Schnauze, German for muzzle, which is where the beard sits. It holds water and some of dinner. Wipe it after meals, and keep their wiry coat groomed so it stays comfortable in the heat.
At home
A young dog who sits down halfway round the walk, or hops on their back legs.
What's going onA poorly fitting hip joint is the first risk for the breed, so they may be sore rather than lazy. Keep them lean, keep long runs on hard ground for later, and tell your vet.
At home
Gums that bleed after a chew, or a nail trim that will not stop.
What's going onSome Standard Schnauzers carry an inherited bleeding disorder, where blood is slow to clot. Most of the time there is no sign of it at all. Ask your vet about clotting tests before they are neutered or have any other operation.
The bit nobody tells you.
Their day
Built for: Working a farm all day, catching rats and guarding the yard.
In Dubai: Often spending the day indoors.
Their walks
Built for: Walking to market and back.
In Dubai: Walking in the dark for half the year.
Their visitors
Built for: Keeping strangers out of the yard.
In Dubai: A stream of couriers they were bred to be suspicious of.
The guarding, the barking and the chewed door frame mostly come from that gap.
You cannot give them a farm. You can give them a job, and the ten things below are how.
Your plan is built around their breed: the risks on a Standard Schnauzer's record at every age, and the care that goes with each one.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Ten things that make their life better.
They will dig either way, and a search game tires their head as well as their paws.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
They will dig either way, and a search game tires their head as well as their paws.
What to do
A sandpit, a tub of play sand on the balcony, or a corner of the garden. Bury a toy or part of their food while they watch, then let them find it. Hide things round the house on hot days. From 7 years, a shallow tray of soft sand is kinder on stiff joints.
They were bred to catch rats, and a cat that runs sets off the same drive.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
They were bred to catch rats, and a cat that runs sets off the same drive.
What to do
Keep them on a lead wherever cats and birds are. Practise recall on a long line in a quiet, fenced place, and keep the lead on near roads until recall works when a cat runs. The drive stays, even when the legs slow down.
They are strong, and the drive to grab and hold needs somewhere safe to go.
Every age, gentler for puppies and from 7 years
Why
They are strong, and the drive to grab and hold needs somewhere safe to go.
What to do
Play tug with a sturdy toy and a flirt pole (a toy on a rope at the end of a stick). Let them win sometimes, and teach "drop" by swapping for a treat. End the game before they get overexcited. Gentle games on a soft floor for puppies, and slower, lower games as they get older.
Guarding the yard was part of their job.
Every age, most of all puppies and 6 months to 2 years
Why
Guarding the yard was part of their job.
What to do
Let them bark twice, say "thank you", and send them to a mat away from the door. Reward them there while you deal with the visitor. New barking, or barking at nothing, in an older dog is worth telling your vet about.
Many Standard Schnauzers are wary of strangers, and forcing a hello makes it worse.
Every age, most of all before 16 weeks and 6 months to 2 years
Why
Many Standard Schnauzers are wary of strangers, and forcing a hello makes it worse.
What to do
Ask visitors to ignore them until they come over on their own. Keep greetings with strange dogs short, and let them meet plenty of calm, friendly dogs before 16 weeks. Growling or snapping is a reason to contact your vet.
They are quick to learn, and quick to find their own entertainment if you do not give them any.
Every age, most of all 6 months to 2 years
Why
They are quick to learn, and quick to find their own entertainment if you do not give them any.
What to do
Five to ten minutes, once or twice a day, paid with part of their daily food. Teach something new every few weeks, and keep going through the teenage months, when they test everything.
They were bred for a working day, and their wiry coat holds heat.
Every age, most of all puppies and from 7 years
Why
They were bred for a working day, and their wiry coat holds heat.
What to do
From May to September, walk before sunrise and after dark, and do the long walk then. Put the back of your hand on the pavement for five seconds: if you cannot keep it there, they cannot walk on it. Carry water, and keep their coat stripped or clipped.
Dental disease is a risk for them from 4 years onwards.
Every age, most of all from 4 years
Why
Dental disease is a risk for them from 4 years onwards.
What to do
Brush once a day with a small, soft brush and dog toothpaste, starting with a few seconds and a reward. Wipe their beard after meals. If their gums bleed easily, tell your vet. Your plan covers a dental evaluation (a teeth and gum check) as a puppy, and professional dental cleanings between 4 and 7 years.
A poorly fitting hip joint is the first risk for the breed, and it can lead to arthritis later.
Every age, most of all while they grow
Why
A poorly fitting hip joint is the first risk for the breed, and it can lead to arthritis later.
What to do
Keep them lean. While they are growing, save long runs on hard ground and jumps from height for later. Put rugs down on marble, and get a ramp for the car as they age. Your plan covers an orthopaedic evaluation (a joint and bone exam) between 6 months and 4 years.
Allergies, eye problems and an underactive thyroid all run in the breed, and their coat hides a lot.
Every age
Why
Allergies, eye problems and an underactive thyroid all run in the breed, and their coat hides a lot.
What to do
Part their coat and look at the skin, check between their toes and look at their eyes in good light. Brush them several times a week as you go. Weigh them once a month: a heavier, slower Schnauzer can be a sign of a slow thyroid. Tell your vet about a new lump the same week you find it. Your plan covers thyroid screening (a blood test) between 6 months and 4 years, and an ophthalmic evaluation (an eye exam) between 2 and 4 years.
Three of these are in your plan. The rest you can do at home.
Join the founding families. AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199.
Their health, at every age.
How old are they?
Their age
the first six months
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
6 months to 2 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
2 to 4 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
4 to 7 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
7 to 10 years
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Their age
10 years and over
What to watch for
The care that goes with it
Breed predispositions indicate an increased risk rather than certainty of disease. What is right for them always comes from their own history and an evaluation.
Before they come home.
Standard, Miniature or Giant
The medium-sized farm dog the other two came from. The Miniature was bred down from them, and the Giant is the biggest of the three. They are separate breeds, not sizes of one dog, so make sure your breeder is breeding Standards.
Colours
Most people picture the pepper and salt coat, dark and light hairs that read as grey from across the room. Standard Schnauzers also come in pure black, beard and eyebrows included.
The first six months
Their vaccinations, microchip and Dubai Municipality registration come first, with baseline screening for their hips. Keep play gentle and on soft floors while their joints form, and get them used to having their mouth and paws handled from the first week.
Puppy health, 0 to 6 months
Getting the home ready
Put rugs or runners on marble where they turn and run, and set up a tub of play sand or a corner of the garden where digging is allowed. Find a groomer who knows wiry coats early, too.
Ten things that make their life better
Before you commit
Ask the breeder what the puppy eats now, and book their first vet visit for the first week home. Before any operation, neutering included, ask your vet about clotting tests.
Before the clinics open
AED 1,999 of essential care for AED 199. No payment now.
For a new puppy: First 30 days with a new puppy · Puppy vaccinations in the UAE · Heatstroke in dogs
When it is not behaviour.
He'll keep flooding the kitchen. If he starts drinking twice as much, call your vet.
Before they were yours.
The farm years
The Schnauzer began as an all-round farm dog in southern Germany: catching rats in the stables, guarding the yard, and going with the farmer's cart to market. One of the breed's old names meant rat catcher.
What they still carryThe rat drive, a watchful eye on strangers, and a dog who wants a job.
1879
At a dog show in Hanover, a wire-haired dog called Schnauzer won first prize, and the name stuck to the breed. It comes from the German word for muzzle, which is where the beard is.
What they still carryThe beard and eyebrows, and a wiry coat that needs stripping or clipping.
Early 1900s
The breed reached America around 1900 and arrived in larger numbers after the First World War, as a guard, a worker and company.
What they still carryA clever dog who expects to be part of everything the family does.
Today
In the UAE the Standard Schnauzer is a rare dog: a farm guard and ratter living in a flat or a villa, in a wiry coat made for German winters.
What they still carryA guard's eye on the front door, and a beard full of water.
The ones you type at midnight.
If the Standard Schnauzer suits you, so might these.
Miniature SchnauzerThe same kind of dog: the smaller Schnauzer, bred down from this one, and far more vocal.
Miniature PinscherAnother German dog with the same spirited nature, much smaller, in a smooth short coat.
Shiba InuThe same alert, reserved and spirited temperament, in a smaller spitz from Japan with a short coat.
DachshundThe same flat or villa life, in a smaller German hound with a long back to protect and a louder bark.
