Since its origination as a rodent hunter in the late 1800s, the German-bred miniature schnauzer has become one of the most popular dog breeds in the United States. Believed to originally have been developed by breeding the standard schnauzer with the smaller affenpinscher (and possibly the poodle), the miniature schnauzer is a hardy, tenacious breed with an energetic, playful personality. Often appreciated for their natural aptitude as watch dogs, miniature schnauzers can be great family pets.
Unfortunately, like most popular dog breeds, the miniature schnauzer is known to develop some inherited diseases that can create difficulties for the breed and the people that love them. Luckily, several inherited diseases in the miniature schnauzer have had their specific genetic mutation identified and can now be prevented in puppies by testing dams and sires and using informed selective breeding techniques. Carriers of recessive genetic diseases (diseases in which the offspring must inherit one copy of the genetic mutation from each parent to show signs of disease) are particularly troublesome for breeders because despite the fact that parents carrying a single copy of a disease causing mutation are not affected by disease, they can still pass the mutation to offspring and produce ...