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Frequently Asked Questions

Who are you?

I am glad you asked! I am Katie! I wear many hats (wife, mom, homeschool teacher, dog breeder.) I am home full time to devote time to my passion of raising miniature schnauzers.

 

I live with my husband Andrew, and our teenager son, our four Miniature Schnauzers, Oliver, Lucy, Julia, and Violet. We love to go to the park, travel (with our dogs whenever possible of course), play games, and have fun together!

What are your breeding goals?

My goal is to breed puppies that will be healthy (free from hereditary diseases and problems), well socialized, and of a great temperament to be excellent family pets. We breed puppies to fit the AKC breed standard.

Where do your dogs live?

Violet (Dam) live in our home and sleep in our bedroom! Our retired (spayed) moms also lives in our home with us.  Our 53 acre property gives us lots of space to go for long walks.

Are Miniature Schnauzers hypoallergenic?

Miniature Schnauzers are considered low to non shedding. However, they can produce skin dander to which some people may be allergic. You are welcome to come visit our adult miniature schnauzers to see if they bother your allergies before purchasing one of my puppies.

How are puppies priced? What is your Payment Policy?

 Puppies are priced based on our expenses breeding them (health testing for the sire and dam, purchase dam, stud fee, microchipping costs, veterinary costs, etc.) and the time we spend caring for them, socializing them, and training them. Our prices reflect the high quality of puppy we sell. We believe the old saying "you get what you pay for." At Beard and Brows, you may pay a higher price to have a wonderful puppy that will be an excellent family pet for years to come. Our puppies are $1,600. After you fill out our puppy questionnaire, we will contact you if we think you/your family will be a good fit for our program. A $200 non-refundable deposit can be placed when we confirm pregnancy. The remaining balance of $1,400 will be paid when your puppy is picked up either by cash, certified check, or money order. Personal checks are not accepted at puppy pickup. We are required to collect 6% sales tax for all puppies bought and sold in Kentucky. 

Can I visit the puppies/my puppy?
When can I take my puppy home?

 Those with a puppy on hold are welcome to schedule a weekly visit with their puppies after they are 3 weeks old. We also post regular updates on Facebook your puppy, as well as text and/or email you with updates. We also welcome visitors who are interested in getting a puppy from a future litter or who just want to come help socialize the puppies. 

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Puppies will be ready to go to their new homes between 8 weeks of age. A runt may stay with mom for longer.

Do deliver puppies?

Yes! We have several delivery options! Normally, families drive to our home so they can meet their new puppies momma and see where the puppies are raised. We want to meet families and for families to meet us. We realize that isn't possible for everyone because of distance. If you want to fly to Cincinnati, Lexington, or Louisville, we can meet you at the airport with your new puppy. Or, we can fly with the puppy to meet you an airport near you (at your expense.) Or we can arrange to meet up to 3-4 hours away from our home, for an additional fee.

Are puppies sold with full or limited registration?

Most of our puppies are sold with limited AKC registration as pets. We AKC register the puppy to the new owner's name at the time of pickup and the AKC mails the certificate to the new owner. Dogs with limited registration can perform in AKC events such as agility, barn hunts, obedience, etc. They are not eligible for confirmation. Some Violet's or Julia's puppies maybe occasionally sold with full registration (breeding rights) and may be available on request. Lucy's puppies are sold with limited registration only.

Are your puppies microchipped?

Yes. All puppies are microchipped and have a lifetime enrollment in AKC's reunite program. This is part of the puppy package included with every puppy. 

Why do you offer schnauzers with a natural tail?

Miniature Schnauzers tails were originally docked because they were ratters and docking the tail prevented the tail from getting bitten. However, since most of us own minis as a pet, not a ratter, now the tail is docked for only cosmetic reasons in the USA. After reading research about how tail docking causes pain, makes it more difficult for dogs to communicate with each other, and that tails help a dog run, etc. I decided to sell my puppies with natural tails. Both the Canadian and American Veterinary Medical Association are against cosmetic tail docking for dogs. For additional information from the American Veterinary Medical Association click here. I also found this article informational. In the UK, Germany, and other countries, docking a dogs tail is illegal for these very reasons. We would have preferred for our own Oliver and Lucy to have a natural tail, but it was hard to find a breeder who didn't dock their tails just a few days after birth.  Our Violet was born in Ukraine and has a beautiful natural tail. Check out how handsome minis are with natural tails!

Do you Crop Puppies Ears?

No. Ear cropping is very painful cosmetic surgery for puppies. It serves no purpose except to change the way the dog looks. Contrary to claims, the American Veterinary Medical Association says that cropping ears does NOT prevent ear infections. In fact, it puts the puppy unnecessarily at risk of receiving an infection as a result of surgery. Both the Canadian and American Veterinary Medical Association are against cosmetic ear cropping for dogs. For additional information from the American Veterinary Medical Association click here. I also found this article informational. In the Australia, Scandinavian countries, some parts of Canada, and other countries, ear cropping is illegal for these very reasons. If a buyer crops a Beard & Brows puppy's ears after purchase, they void their 7 year health guarantee!

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If you love the look of upright ears, there are several small terrier breeds that are non-shedding similar to Miniature Schnauzers with Prick (naturally upright) ears! Check out Westies, Norwich Terriers, Scotties, Cairn Terriers, and Australian Terriers. They all have naturally prick ears!

What health testing is done on  the dam and sire?

Our standard practice is to test for all the recommended testing by CHIC. This includes DNA testing for Myotonia Congenita, Mycobacterium Aviam Complex, an OFA Cardiac Exam by a Cardiologist, and an OFA eye exam by an Ophthamologist. In addition, all our breeding dogs are DNA tested for a panel of 170 genetic conditions by Embark. 

What colors of puppies will be available?

The  AKC Miniature Schnauzer Breed Standard recognizes 3 colors as correct for Miniature Schnauzers, black, salt & pepper, and black & silver. Any other color is considered undesirable in a Miniature Schnauzer. Violet is black & silver and carries only black & silver genes. Julia is salt & pepper and carries only salt & pepper genes.

 

Salt and pepper is recessive to black but dominant over black and silver. Black and silver is recessive to both black and salt & pepper. A puppy must receive a black and silver gene from both parents to be black and silver. With our black & silver stud Thatcher, all Violet's puppies will be black & silver. With our black & silver stud, Thatcher, Julia who carries dominant salt & pepper only, will have all salt & pepper puppies. 

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White, liver, wheaten, parti, etc. are possible in purebred Miniature Schnauzers, they are undesirable in Miniature Schnauzers and we do not breed these colors. Blue eyes OR merle are not purebred. They are the result of mixed breeding (probably with a Pomeranian our Australian Shepherd. If you are looking for a small non-shedding or low-shedding dog of a certain color, there are lots of options out there! There are other terriers similar to Miniature Schnauzers in all sorts of colors! If you want a solid white terrier, may we suggest buying a West Highland White Terrier? Sealyham Terriers may be all white or white with patches on the face or ears. Norfolk and Norwich Terriers come in Red, Wheaten, Black & Tan, and Grizzle. Scotties come in Black, Wheaten, and Brindle. Cairn Terriers have 11 standard colors! Other small terriers similar in size to Miniature Schnauzers include Welsh Terriers, Lakeland Terriers, Australian Terriers, Glen of Imaal Terriers, and Cesky Terriers. 

To what size will the puppies grow? Do you breed toy or tea cup size schnauzers?

We breed to produce miniature schnauzers that meet the AKC Miniature Schnauzers standard of 12 to 14 inches at the withers (where the neck and shoulders meet). The standard states that Miniature Schnauzers are never to be toyish. If you wish for a toy/teacup size dog, the miniature schnauzer might not be the right breed for you! Occasionally, I may have a runt in a litter. A runt will be sold only with limited AKC registration (no breeding rights). 

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Terriers similar to miniature schnauzers, but smaller include: Norfolk Terriers, Norwich Terriers, Cesky Terrier, Australian Terrier, Cairn Terriers, Yorkshire Terriers, Scottish Terrier, and West Highland White Terrier. A teacup size dog that is non-shedding is Maltese.

What comes with my puppy?

Your puppy will be vet checked, dewormed, dew claws removed, natural ears and tail, have its first parvo and distemper vaccines, be microchipped and registered with a lifetime membership to AKC Reunite, registered with the AKC (papers will arrive to you in the mail), and come with a 5 year health guarantee.  New puppy will also have its been bathed and groomed before it comes home. You will receive a folder with vet records, crate training and other helpful information, the results from the Volhard Puppy Aptitude Test and a copy of your puppy contract & guarantee. Your puppy will come with a zipper-seal bag of puppy food and a soft blanket with its mother's scent.

 

Because your puppy was raised in our living room, it comes socialized to the normal sounds in a home like: TV, people talking , the vacuum, etc. Your new puppy will be used to being held by adults, teens, and children. They will experience riding in a car. We will litter box train puppies which makes house breaking much faster and easier. We will begin crate training and house training. 

We recommend following Dr. Jean Dodd's Vaccination Protocal. Over Vaccination has been linked to cancer in dogs . Please read the research here.

What Vaccination Schedule Do you Recommend?
What training methods do you recommend?

I am a big fan of crate training. A great book for new puppy owners is Puppy Start Right by Kenneth Martin, DVM and Debbie Martin, VTS, RVT, CPDT-KA. I also like Zak George's training methods. 

Should I spay/neuter my new puppy?

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Spaying and neutering can be a benefit for schnauzer owners. It not only prevents unwanted pregnancy, but can prevent testicular cancer, peri-anal cancers, pyometra and ovarian cancers. However, spaying and neutering are not risk free themselves. They are major surgeries that greatly effect your puppies hormones for the rest of their lives. It can increase the risk of heart cancer, bone cancer, and other cancers, diseases and disorders, and medical problems. IF you decide to spay or neuter, it is important to wait until the puppy is 12 months old so that he/she has went through puberty and is fully matured before fixing your miniature schnauzer. Below is just some of the research to consider. A full booklet containing pros, cons and research goes home with each puppy so that new owners can make an informed decision.

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Early spay/neuter can be harmful to your puppy's health.

  1. CANCER: The following studies have linked early spay/neuter to cancer: 

    • Heart Cancer: A study in the Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine, compiled over 13 years found that "… neutering dogs appeared to increase the risk of cardiac tumor in both sexes”. The results showed that spayed females were five times more likely to to suffer tumours of the heart than intact females (Ware and Hopper, 1999, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/10225598)

    • Bone Cancer: A 14 year study, concluded that sterlisation increased the risk for bone cancer in large breed purebreds two fold. (Ru et al. 1998, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/9691849). 

    • Bone Cancer: A study using male and female Rottweilers spayed or neutered before one year of age, in both sexes early sterlization was found to have 25% likelihood of bone cancer. (Cooley et al. 2002, http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/12433723) 

  2. ABNORMAL BONE GROWTH AND DEVELOPMENT: Testosterone and estrogen are important to muscle and bone growth in dogs. Removing the organs that produce testosterone and estrogen producing organs from dogs before dogs are fully mature, it will effect the dogs height, muscle mass and bone formation. 

    • EARLY SPAY/NEUTERED ANIMALS ARE TALLER: Being taller itself is not a problem. However, the bones grow disproportionately to each other creating problems. Studies have found that early spay/neuter makes dogs taller than intact dogs. As a dog matures, estrogen is released and stops the dog from growing. When estrogen producing organs are removed in spay/neuter, with no estrogen to shut down growth, dogs can continue to grow and wind up with abnormal growth patterns and bone structure. This results in irregular body proportions. The earlier the spay/neuter, the taller the dog. (Preston Stubbs, DVM  & Mark Bloomberg, DVM  Seminars in Vet Med & Surgery, Small Animal, Volume 10, No 1 Feb 1995   Dept of Small Animal Clin Sci, Univ of Florida 1995 AND Katherine Salmeri, DVM, Mark Bloomber, DVM, Sherry Scuggs, BS, Victor Shille DVM, Journal of American Vet Med Association, Volume 198, No 7 1991)

    • INCREASED CRUCIATE RUPTURE: Improper proportions in bone structure due to early spay or neuter can lead to cruciate ruptures. www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11202221 and www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15577502)

    • INCREASED ACL RUPTURES: Spayed and neutered dogs had a significantly higher incidence of ACL rupture than their intact counterparts, regardless of breed or size. Slauterbeck et al. (2004) http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/15577502

    • INCREASED RISK OF HIP DYSPLASIA: A study by the Cornell University's College of Veterinary Medicine and published in the Journal of the American Veterinary Medical Association showed that both male and female dogs sterilized at an early age were more prone to hip dysplasia. (http://avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2004.224.380)

  3. INCREASED RISK OF INCONTINENCE: Early neutering increases the risk of urinary incontinence by 4-20% (http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/11787155)

  4. INCREASED RISK OF DISEASE: Very early neutering increases the risk of disease in dogs. A study of shelter dogs conducted by the College of Veterinary Medicine at Texas A&M University concluded that infectious diseases were more common in dogs that were sterilized at less than 24 weeks of age. (www.avmajournals.avma.org/doi/abs/10.2460/javma.2001.218.217)

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