The Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix breed dogs are regarded to be a small dog breed. These little dogs have dense, shaggy fur and prominent floppy ears.
The Schnau-Tzu is a mix between a Miniature Schnauzer and a Shih Tzu. This crossbred doggie has a double coat with shaggy fur and floppy ears, thereby requiring regular brushing. You will also find that this highly active dog is mild-tempered, affectionate, and intelligent, thereby making it an ideal companion.
In this complete breed guide, we discuss your canine’s life expectancy, including how to prevent common health issues. We’ll then review the best care practices to adopt, the correct amount and routine of exercises, and the appropriate diet requirements and essential supplements. We will also identify recommended grooming practices, tools, and equipment, evaluate your pooch’s shedding incidence, and discuss the various temperaments. First off, however, how big can your Schnau-Tzu get?
How Big Do A Schnau-Tzu Get?
The Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mixes are smaller than their toy parent breeds. A mature Schnau-Tzu doggie stands between 5 and 8 inches tall and weighs 7 to 15 lbs. Unlike most dogs, male and female Schnau-Tzu doggies have a similar body size.
Physical Appearance
The Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix will resemble as much as its parents. This pooch takes a combination of parental features, either inheriting most physical features from one parent breed or having an equal mix of physical features from both Miniature Schnauzer and Shih Tzu.
The most common features include your pooch’s miniature size, often weighing under 15 lbs, and the curved tail. The doggie may have medium to long hair that is soft, straight, and fine in texture.
Our Schnau-Tzu furry friends also have short legs and drooping floppy ears reminiscent of a stuffed teddy bear. Additionally, these dogs have beautiful brown, green, or hazel eyes and brown or black paw pads to go with their brown or black nose.
Coat Colors And Patterns
The Schnau-Tzu double coat consists of a soft undercoat beneath the wiry exterior and comes in any one of black, brown, gray, white, or silver colors.
Lucky Schnau-Tzu lovers can get canine buddies with the rare red coat that usually comes in an orange and red combination or any of the other darker, more expensive shades.
Like its Shih Tzu parent, your doggie may have a solid-colored coat or various color combinations, including a double-colored mix, tricolor Schnau-Tzus, or brindle.
How Long Do Shih Tzu Schnauzer Mixes Live?
On average, the life expectancy of your beloved Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix doggie is 10 to 12 years.
However, your dog can live longer with a disciplined exercise routine, a high-quality diet, and making regular vet visits.
Common Health Issues
Schnau-Tzu dogs are healthier than most breeds, but every owner must look out for hereditary conditions, allergies, and other health issues likely to plague your canine buddy. The most common genetic diseases include:
Bladder Stones
This common genetic disorder causes different bladder infections. The bladder infections form struvite or calcium oxalate stones in your Schnau-Tzu due to a breed-specific urinary tract weakness. The Schnau-Tzu breed accounts for 47% of the 58% stone-forming likelihood in small dogs.
Patellar Luxation
A congenital disorder in which the dog’s knee cap rides outside its femoral groove whenever the doggie flexes its knee. It may also result from traumatic knee injuries and eventually causes lameness.
Portosystemic Shunts
According to a dog breed study in 2004, this congenital disorder makes your Schnau-Tzu 19.8 times more likely to suffer liver failure during the canine’s lifetime. It is treatable, however, through expensive surgery.
Myotonia Congenita
Common among Miniature Schnauzers, this rare genetic disorder is going to affect your Schnau-Tzu’s skeletal muscle fiber membranes due to its Miniature Schnauzer’s parentage.
This, in turn, results in an exaggerated response to stimulation, also called hyperexcitability. It is curable if detected early.
Other than genetic disorders, protect your pooch from such health concerns as von Willebrand’s disease, pancreatitis and liver problems, hip dysplasia, and epilepsy. Also, address minor, regular issues such as allergies, skin irritations, and bladder infections.
How To Take Care Of Schnau-Tzus?
Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix doggies need adequate exercise, a good-quality diet, and regular medical attention to remain healthy.
High-Quality Diet
Because of its small body, a Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix doggie does not require much food in a day. You should feed your adult Schnau-Tzu between ½ and 1 cup of high-quality dry dog food divided into two equal rations per day.
Pups and younger dogs require 3 to 4 meals a day to support their growth. Do not leave the food bowl sitting about to prevent the doggie from overeating hence obesity and osteoarthritis.
Adopt a diet with 50% carbohydrates, 18% to 27% protein, 2% to 5% fiber, and enriched with multivitamins. We recommend Pet Plate, a high-protein, grain-free beef recipe with human-grade ingredients.
Finally, keep your dog hydrated using clean water. You should avoid tap water and invest in dental water additives that boost oral hygiene.
Exercise Routine
A Schnau-Tzu is hyperactive with high energy that needs at least one daily walk to stay fit and mentally stimulated. Its small size means a 70-minute-a-day exercise regime is sufficient for the Schnau-Tzu to stay healthy without fatigue or overstimulation.
However, do split the daily runabouts into 2 or 3 sessions to include any other interactive exercises, so as to keep each session interesting and mentally stimulating for your pooch.
The best exercises suit your doggie in terms of physique, health, and other physical characteristics. Include indoor playtime, visits to the dog park, or more demanding games like fetch.
We also advise against unsupervised playtime with other dogs, as Schnau-Tzus are more likely to be picked on, while your pooch will try digging their way out of the yard if unmonitored.
Does Schnau-Tzus Bark A Lot? Temperaments Of Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mixes
Expect your Schnau-Tzu to bark a lot like its Miniature Schnauzer parent. However, you’ll only witness incessant barking when the pooch is hungry or depressed, frightened, bored, or when asserting dominance.
Understanding your dog’s behavior and specific event-triggered reactions is important, as inter-breed personality variations will mean that your pooch or some other Schnau-Tzus may bark a lot more than others.
A Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix will also make a reliable watchdog, thanks to its event-triggered and frightened barking tendencies. Read on to find out more about the other temperaments of this Schnau-Tzu.
Companionable
The Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix breed is perfect for seeking companion dogs comfortable at home for extended durations. These four-legged furry friends are especially popular with celebrities because they make great family dogs and require minimal space.
Affectionate And Energetic
The various Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix temperaments are reminiscent of the parental breed characteristics. As such, your Schnau-Tzu is a friendly, intelligent, and affectionate dog that thrives on human connection. Your canine is thus easy to potty train, while their energetic nature allows for good bonding sessions.
Expect your doggie to be loyal, hyperactive, and very playful in a bid to expend its energy, while the superior social skills make a Schnau-Tzu good with children and other dogs. Therefore, the core Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix temperaments include:
- Friendly
- Intelligent
- Affectionate
- Energetic
- Hyperactive
- Loyal
- Playful
- Social
The friendly nature of a Schnau-Tzu means it suffers boredom and anxiety when left alone for more than 8 to 10 hours and can trigger its stubborn streak to become destructive.
Does Schnau-Tzu Shed? Grooming Tips For Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mixes
A Schnau-Tzu is a low to moderate shedder, and the shedding occurs continuously throughout the year. Thus, it is not considered to be hypoallergenic.
This Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix breed has a double-layered coat with a soft but dense undercoat lying tightly to the skin covered by a wiry outer coat with long and fluffy hairs all through to the doggie’s feet.
Grooming
The dense, long hairs are prone to matting, so your dog will require regular brushing to avoid this. We recommend brushing your doggie 2 to 3 times each week to reduce the matting incidence, aerate the coat, and spread natural oils.
Use specialized tools like the FURminator Undercoat Tool to keep loose hair in check and prevent long hairs from matting.
Cleaning And Trimming
Trim the tail and clip or hand-strip every other month. However, inspect and clean the pooch’s floppy ears every week to avoid cases of ear infections and skin infections.
Because small dog breeds suffer frequent dental issues, we advise that you brush your Schnau-Tzu’s teeth 1 to 2 times each week.
Bathing
Furthermore, bathe your Schnau-Tzus at least once every two weeks, but a lower bathing frequency is advisable for dogs that mostly stay indoors.
Your doggie has no odor but will benefit from high-quality bathing products like the Mighty Petz 2-In-1 Oatmeal Dog Shampoo And Conditioner for natural relief of sensitive, itchy skin and for a well-moisturized coat.
Alternatively, you may do comprehensive grooming every 4 to 6 weeks, including all the grooming needs of your canine buddy.
Related Questions
How Much Is A Schnau-Tzu? Depending on the breeder’s location and pedigree, a Schnau-Tzu puppy will cost about $150 and $600. Always remember to obtain a record of vet tests for possible congenital health issues before the purchase. Feeding your pooch one cup per day, you will spend about $20 to $30 on dog food every month, while medical costs range between $300 and $500 per year.
Can Shih Tzus Get Along Well With Miniature Schnauzers? A Miniature Schnauzer can get along well with a Shih Tzu. Miniature Schnauzers are very friendly and coexist with other smaller dogs amicably. On the other hand, Shih Tzus have a high tolerance for other dogs and can even thrive in a household with multiple dogs.
Can A Schnau-Tzu Swim? Schnau-Tzu dogs are not natural swimmers and don’t enjoy the water, similar to their parent breeds. However, you can train your Miniature Schnauzer Shih Tzu Mix to swim while in water under strict supervision. In addition, do limit their time in the water to prevent fatigue, even though you know that your canine can swim.
