How Do You Train a Stubborn Miniature Schnauzer?

Miniature Schnauzers are great dogs. They are loyal, smart, and full of energy. However, this energy can also scare a lot of dog owners. But don’t worry; if you train your Miniature Schnauzer properly, you can channel their energy properly and form a close bond with the dog.

With that said, since these dogs are smart and hyper, they can also be stubborn. Many Miniature Schnauzer owners struggle when training their dog, but if you take your time and approach it properly, you’ll have a well-behaved and well-trained family dog.

And in this article, we’ll look into the personality of Miniature Schnauzers to help you understand why they may be stubborn and difficult to train.

On top of that, we’ll discuss some tips for training stubborn Miniature Schnauzers to make it easier to welcome the new dog into your home. Learn more below.

Understanding Miniature Schnauzers

Miniature Schnauzers are incredibly cute dogs. However, sometimes, their temperament can be an issue. These small dogs can be pretty snappy and spunky, especially around dogs they don’t know. This is why proper socialization and training are crucial in instilling good habits in your Miniature Schnauzer.

With that said, these dogs are also very smart and loyal. They also have a ton of energy and can be very playful, which is why Spot & Tango provides a guide on specific nutrition to this breed.

This is why they are a great choice as a family dog for well-behaved kids. However, when you bring this dog into your home, train the dog and your kid on the boundaries to keep everything safe.

Since these dogs are smart, they can learn a lot of commands and build strong bonds with their humans. However, training them can be challenging since they have an attitude. So, make sure to stay patient and don’t give up on training your Miniature Schnauzer if you want to build a life-long bond with the dog.

Tips for Training a Stubborn Miniature Schnauzer

Miniature Schnauzers are unique dogs. Their personality can be a lot to handle, which is why first-time Miniature Schnauzer owners can have difficulty training these pets. But to make your life with the dog easier, here are a couple of tips you can use when training your dogs.

Start Early

If you adopt a MIniature Schnauzer as a puppy, you’re lucky. This gives you an advantage when training them and allows you to build good habits early on. One of the most important things to do when you bring in a new pet is to start training them immediately. The sooner they understand the rules, the easier it will be for you and the dog, so make sure to start training once you bring them into your home.

Adopting an older Miniature Schnauzer can be a hit or miss. Sometimes, the Schnauzer is already well-trained and ready to live in a house. Other times, the dog may have some bad habits that they bring to your home which need to be corrected right away. And the sooner you start the training, the easier it will be.

Try Out Reward-Based Training Systems

Since Miniature Schnauzers can be snappy, some people choose to take a negative approach to train the dogs. However, this is a huge mistake and an ineffective way of training Miniature Schnauzers. We recommend using a reward-based training system when training a Miniature Schnauzer for the best results.

This method emphasizes positivity. So, whenever your dog does something good, you reward them for it. This could be through treats, playtime, petting, and even words of affirmation. Schnauzers tend to react best to upbeat training sessions, which is why reward-based training is a great fit for these animals.

Build a Partnership

According to PetMD, training a Miniature Schnauzer, it’s important to remember that you aren’t competing with your dog. The goal isn’t to establish dominance and “break” the dog down. Instead, the goal of training is to build a partnership and healthy relationship with your pet. This mindset will allow you to be more patient with your dog and be positive during training sessions.

The competitive approach to training a dog instills fear. You need to find a way to build trust between you and your pet, which is a much more sustainable and healthy relationship. Remember, having a pet dog is all about a fun and loving relationship; that’s why training shouldn’t be rooted in fear and negativity.

Understand When to Give Your Dog Attention

Your Miniature Schnauzer will do everything possible to catch your attention. Sometimes, this is by being cute and giving you puppy-dog eyes. Other times, this can be by knocking stuff down and barking. One of the things you need to remember when training a Miniature Schnauzer is not to reward them and give them attention when they do something bad.

If you give them attention when they do something wrong, they will think that what they did was okay and an effective way of receiving rewards. This can be hard at the start since Miniature Schnauzers are very hyper and energetic, but it’s crucial to establish the right habits.

Use the Right Tone

As mentioned earlier, Miniature Schnauzers respond best to upbeat training. This is why keeping a friendly and happy tone when training them is important. Miniature Schnauzers won’t respond well to aggressive tones, so keep that in mind when training your dog.

Be Patient

Lastly, it’s important to be patient during the entire process. Even if you apply all the tips mentioned in the article, your dog may not adjust immediately. Remember, every dog is different. So, while some Miniature Schnauzers are easy to train, others will take a little more time.

However, these dogs are very smart and loyal. And as long as you put in the time and effort into making sure they receive the right training, the dog will get there eventually.

Conclusion

Training a dog is very important for a pet owner. This is for the safety of you, the dog, and everyone around you. And while Miniature Schnauzers can be stubborn, they are very smart and trainable. So, if you’re having a tough time training your new puppy, try out the tips above to make things easier for the both of you!