How vocal are Mini Schnauzers?

[HereThereEverywhere]

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It's been a while since I was last on here. The last time I posted was sometime in 2023, when I was considering a Jack Russell (still no Jack Russell). I'm still breed-searching, and have been looking into Miniature Schnauzers. I'm just curious about their vocalness, like how barky they are? I know if I go down the terrier route, I'm going to have to deal with some level of noise.

 

[lovemyboy]

My neighbour has one, I wouldn’t say she is more barker than other breeds and it’s really a bark more of a howl.
Someone on here has 2 but unfortunately I can’t remember her “new” name but I am sure she will be a long shortly.

 

[JoanneF]

My neighbour has one, I wouldn’t say she is more barker than other breeds and it’s really a bark more of a howl.
Someone on here has 2 but unfortunately I can’t remember her “new” name but I am sure she will be a long shortly.

It's @mynortiboys

Also tagging @Laco.

 

[Laco]

They are most certainly a vocal breed. Ours barks, though much less now then two years ago when we adopted her, plus she just talks a lot, with many different vocalizations. Listening to her and learning her body language, I'm getting better are interpreting what she is saying. She also always has to have the last word in any conversion. We are just plain amused with all her various sounds.

 

[HereThereEverywhere]

I’ve only had a close interaction with a Mini one time out on a walk, and she was such a gem. So much personality in a small body! She really made me smile.

I’m a bit all over the place with breeds to be honest. I just love too many!

 

[curlydog]

My husband refuses to let me get a schnauzer due to the barking. He grew up with schnauzers living in three houses adjacent to his parent's house. Four years of stereophonic schnauzers put him off the breed forever.

 

[HereThereEverywhere]

My husband refuses to let me get a schnauzer due to the barking. He grew up with schnauzers living in three houses adjacent to his parent's house. Four years of stereophonic schnauzers put him off the breed forever.

Barking/vocalness (as long as it isn't excessive) isn't a big issue for me, but I know my family wouldn't be best pleased. It's a shame because I seem to be drawn to noisy breeds for some reason...

 

[HereThereEverywhere]

A totally different type of breed, but is there anyone here who owns Whippets? I've always had a soft-spot for Sighthounds, and the fact that they don't tend to be super noisy would be a huge pro for my family.

 

[JoanneF]

Yes, there are definitely whippet owners on the forum. I'm sure they will reply shortly.

@RGC is one of our regular posters who has one.

 

[O2.0]

Barking/vocalness (as long as it isn't excessive) isn't a big issue for me, but I know my family wouldn't be best pleased. It's a shame because I seem to be drawn to noisy breeds for some reason...

Just because a breed tends to be vocal doesn't mean you can't mitigate a lot of it with training. I have a terrier, chihuahua thing who definitely has barky tendencies. We've just worked on it from day one, with both teaching her when it is and isn't appropriate to bark and reassuring her when her barking is alert/worry related.

As an example, she travels with us a lot. The first time she travelled and we stayed in a hotel, no one got much sleep because she felt the need to bark (and then grumble) at every single noise she heard - which in a hotel you can imagine was just about every 5 minutes.
Now, 4 years later, we can take her anywhere and she knows that bed time is quiet time no matter where we are. No need to alert us to noises, if we're not reacting to the noise, she knows it's nothing to worry about.

She does still alert bark at home, but she also knows to hush if we ask her to. And of course she will also bark in play, but again we can ask her to be quiet and she will.

 

[JudyN]

How did you train that, @O2.0?

 

[Laco]

My husband refuses to let me get a schnauzer due to the barking. He grew up with schnauzers living in three houses adjacent to his parent's house. Four years of stereophonic schnauzers put him off the breed forever.

Yes they can be barkers, but as I have posted, they also are very smart and can be trained to moderate that barking, They, as a breed just have so many other positive attributes, one of which is their desire to please. That really gives me a powerful tool to use for training. I'm pretty attached to our Schnauzer, and even with her imperfections, she is a pretty cool dog.

 

[mynortiboys]

Sorry it's taken me so long to reply.

I have two Mini Schnauzers, Gwylim is nearly eleven years old and Grisha's six years old. I love the pair of them to bits because they're such lovely happy go lucky little characters and an absolute pleasure to own (most of the time!).

And yes Schnauzers are known as a barky breed but although it's something you'll totally never eliminate you can through training, cut it down considerably. Minis must be one of the easiest breeds to train because they're so eager to please. Of my two Gwylim is the most verbal due to his sometimes being nervous around strange dogs and people. He knows though when we're out barking is not allowed, so instead he grumbles and mutters under his breath like a little old man talking to himself which makes me laugh.

Grisha the younger one at 15kg is large compared to his 8.5kg brother and has a much deeper bark than Gwylim. Both of them only normally bark when they are on their own property usually at passers by, which unlike in the UK is considered a normal and acceptable thing for dogs to do in Hungary. I can't remember the last time Grisha barked when we were out. Whenever possible the boys go with me. They know how to behave in shops, hotels and restaurants. Last October we holidayed in Poland which they took in their stride.

If there is a downside to owning Schnauzers it's that so many people want to make a fuss of them with the result my two are quite certain the whole world loves them which means I have to watch they don't go up to people and start pestering them!

 

[Blitz.]

I think Schnauzers are lovely dogs. There are loads of them round me. I was at a show today and there was one , along with its terrier mate, who never stopped barking. Drove me mad.
I hate barking dogs and unfortunately have a poodle that likes the sound of her own voice in the garden. She is brought in straight away.

 

[O2.0]

How did you train that, @O2.0?

Depends on the reason the dog is barking.
The nervous, unsure "what is that" barking goes away with habituation, trust, routine, and a little bit of "It's okay, I heard it too, no need to worry." And of course trusting me when I say "no need to worry, I got it."

Other types of barking I do a lot of incompatible behaviors, and/or asking her to do something else that focuses her attention. An incompatible behavior could be something as simple as getting her to tug when she gets too vocal in play - hard to bark when you're tugging a toy
She also has a really strong "touch" cue, and again, something about touch makes barking much less likely.
Sometimes I simply say "yep, I see it too, thank you all done." And that's all she needs.
I very very rarely use even verbal punishment for barking as it's arousal behavior and responding to dog arousal with human arousal rarely has any positive long-term effects. That said, on occasion I have responded to her with "HEY! that was loud!" When she decides to have an outburst while sitting right behind my head on the sofa.

For really committed barkers, I love the yogurt pot method. You have a yogurt pot at the ready smeared with peanut butter, soft cheese, something the dog will have to lick. Alert barking happens, you offer the yogurt pot and the dog starts licking, in the process rewarding the quiet. With repetition and good timing the dog will start looking for the yogurt pot when they're about to bark and that's when you can switch to a treat scatter or something else to reward them.
If your timing and aim is really good you could just do a treat toss/scatter with the barking too. Mark McAbe of Training Between The Ears calls it punishment by reward or something like it, it's very counter intuitive but I have seen it work amazingly well many many times.

 

[Sarah k9s]

I don't think Mini Schnauzers are noisier than any other small terrier type tbh. I think they can be quite high pitched which is a bit more grating on the ears than some other dogs, but my least favourite breed noise is the screaming cocker spaniel!

 

[O2.0]

I think they can be quite high pitched which is a bit more grating on the ears than some other dogs, but my least favourite breed noise is the screaming cocker spaniel!

Nope, shelties are worse as far as the volume/pitch!

Though I heard a frenchie bark/scream noise on fb or insta the other day that was absolutely awful. The owners were laughing I couldn't scroll by fast enough! Dear gawd!!

 

[magpi]

The thing that I love about greyhounds is they very rarely bark. Mind you we all know about it when Zak does bark. So deep and loud!