You are a fortunate person indeed if you have been adopted by a schnauzer. I am mom to FIVE spunky little miniature schnauzers! I love to talk about my furbabies and share things I have learned. I hope you enjoy my stories and find my tips, tricks and product recommendations helpful.
Having five dogs and being a natural problem solver, I am always on the lookout for good tools and information on dealing with problem behaviors. Listed below are several tools I have personally used and recommend: (1) Pet Corrector - I am listing this one first because it is my favorite. When one barking dog sets off my other four, this tool is great to put an immediate squash on all barking. You simply say "No!" or whatever you want your word to be then push the button and it produces a hissing sound which startles your dog into being quiet. From that point on, all you usually have to do is pick up the can and they all immediately get quiet. This works great on four of my five dogs. Note: Don't overuse for many different behavior problems. Dogs can become desensitized if you overuse it. (2) Pet Convincer 2 - This was recommended by my trainer. It is a more professional version of the Pet Corrector above. It also emits a hissing sound to help "reset' your dog's brain when barking, being aggressive, jumping, etc. It is rechargeable with C02 cartridges which can be purchased separately.
(3) Doggie Don't Device - This was also recommended by a professional trainer. It is used to "interrupt" the dog's thought to bring their focus back to you. It emits a "zapping" sound which gets your dog's attention very quickly. This is a great tool to stop jumping, barking or leash reactivity. I stick this in my back pocket on every walk. (4) Dog Dazer II Ultrasonic Dog Deterrent - For whatever reason, my dogs feel the need to scuffle whenever I remove the full garbage bag from the can to take out. This little device stops the fight instantly. You can't hear it because it is ultrasonic, but the dogs jump back like something hit them. The garbage can theatrics are almost a memory now.
(5) ScatMat - This is a mat that you can place on your couch or anywhere else you do not want your pet. I used mine on the bottom step because I did not want my dogs upstairs. If they put a paw on it, it emits a loud beep and believe me, they back off. One of the many purchase options is a thin, narrow mat you can use in a window sill or on a counter top. (6) Sentry Calming Collar - I used this collar on three of my dogs. It worked great on two of them and I saw marginal results on the third. If your dog is high strung or fearful, it is worth giving this collar a try. It's a bonus that it makes your dog smell great too. Amazon's cost for a package of three is way below what you will pay in the pet store. (7) Doberman Security Motion Alarm Detector with Infrared Sensor - This little alarm can be used in so many ways. You can use it to block off any area of your house you do not want your dog in. You can also use it to teach your dog to stay off the counter or furniture. It's also a great way to teach your dog to leave your food alone when you turn your back. I can't tell you how many times I have went to the bathroom to come back to an empty plate. Set them up a couple of times with this sensor and they won't go near it again. If your dog likes to sneak to a certain spot in your house to potty when you aren't looking, you can break that habit with this alarm. (8) Home Security Camera with two-way audio - I have a camera on my dogs in the living room because that is where they spend 99% of their time when we aren't home. I can listen to them and talk to them through the camera. I have on several occasions logged in to find them howling. When five schnauzers howl, it's quite a little party. I spoke to them through the camera and told them to knock it off and they stopped. However, the camera I have cost eight times as much as this little guy. I'm liking what I see about this camera and may purchase one to expand my viewing area. (9) Elevated Pet Bed - I now own five of these beds. If you do not teach any other obedience commands, you should definitely consider teaching "Place". It is the best dog obedience command out there. This hammock is great to designate your dog's "Place". We use the command "Place" several times a day now with our dogs: when someone rings the doorbell, when we have company, when I am fixing their meals, or when I just need them to be quiet, still and get out from under my feet. Here is a link to a great YouTube video about how to teach "Place".
(10) Thundershirt - I have used this on two of my dogs. Abby used it when she was in obedience training to help calm her around other dogs. I use it on Bella when we have thunderstorms because she is terrified of loud noises. It works great for both. If you have a dog who is anxious in the car, this would be great for that too. I hope you can find a solution for your dog(s)' behavior issues within this post. With five dogs, I am always running into something that needs attention and the above tools have helped out tremendously. Here's a video of three of the girls going to their "Place":
My best purchases usually come from recommendations from friends or from online forums. I belong to many schnauzer and dog groups on both Facebook and Google+. I also regularly visit a professional groomers forum. I love being able to research and purchase items from my home, then have it delivered to my door. It saves me from making purchases that I am not happy with. I thought I would dedicate this blog to the items I have recently purchased for my dogs. If you are interested, you can check them out on Amazon and read their reviews as well. I always read through the positive, the negative and the most recent reviews. You can get a great feel for the product that way. *If you buy one of these items by clicking on the pictures below, I will receive a small commission (very small 😏) but it will not change the price for you. 1. Dog Hair Dryer - I groom my own dogs and thought this high velocity dog dryer might be a little more efficient than my own hair dryer. It had over 600 reviews and four stars. I didn't want to spend much over $50 and this was a good buy. I have used this on two of my dogs and both were a little skeptical at the loud noise and the velocity of the air. However, I don't feel it was much, if any, louder than a regular hair dryer. Initially, I held the nozzle a foot away from them when drying until they got used to the feel of the pressure of the air. I am amazed at how fast they were dry with a nice, soft texture to their fur.
Go Pet Club Dog and Cat Pet Grooming Hair Dryer
2. Cordless Clippers - I have a pair of corded clippers and was looking for a pair that was not heavy and one that I didn't constantly have to deal with the cord getting in my way. It makes my dogs nervous when the cord lands on their back or head. The research I did on the professional groomer's forum lead me to this one. The pro's tend to buy clippers in the $400 to $500 range, however, this one got mentioned over and over as a lower cost option.
I have used these and am very happy with them. They are very lightweight in my hand and very quiet. It has a run time of about 90 minutes on one charge and stays cool the whole time. It is called a "5 in 1" because instead of having to change the blade for a different hair length, you can just dial it to the desired length. I also bought the snap-on stainless steel combs which turned out to be a great investment because I can use these for my schnauzers' legs instead of having to scissor them, which takes me forever. Their legs looked very even and smooth using these combs.
Wahl Bravura Professional Cord/Cordless Pet Clipper Kit
Wahl Professional Animal 5 in1 Stainless Steel Comb Set
3. Straight grooming scissors - I have several cheap pairs but wanted a good pair of scissors that weren't too long and had a ball tip for safety. This brand recommendation came from the professional groomers' forum. It really does make a big difference using a good pair of scissors.
Geib Gator Ball Tip Straight Shear, 7.5-Inch
4. Dog Cot - My trainer uses these to teach the command "Place". They are a great dog landing spot. I now have three: two small and one medium. I plan to take them with us when we travel this summer to the lake and on vacation. They are up off the ground, therefore not quite as accessible to the fleas and ticks, not to mention dirt and grass. The center of these are mesh and will help keep them cool. They also have a canopy you can buy to shade them from the sun.
I have found all of my dogs napping here at one time or another. Sometimes two will jump on the medium sized one together.
This cot has almost 1000 reviews and is rated 4-1/2 stars.
K&H Manufacturing 17 by 22" Original Pet Cot, Small, Chocolate/Mesh
(5) Earthbath All Natural Shampoo - I bought the Aloe & Oatmeal with the vanilla and almond scent. Mmmmm, heavenly smell and leaves their coat soft and silky. All ingredients are natural, biodegradable, and gentle. This product does not contain anything that would harm your pet or the environment: No DEA, parabens, phosphates, synthetic dyes, or perfumes. This shampoo has almost 2000 positive reviews on Amazon.
Earthbath All Natural Shampoo
(6) Nylabone Advanced Oral Care Liquid Tartar Remover - Schnauzers are notorious for having awful teeth and gums so I am trying to give my dogs every dental advantage. I brush their teeth, give them elk antlers and rope toys to gnaw on and add this tartar remover liquid to their water.
It has a nice wintergreen scent that helps with their breath and I have actually noticed less plaque forming on their teeth. I started with a tiny bit and worked up to the full dose so they didn't notice the taste change.
Nylabone Advanced Oral Care Liquid Tartar Remover
(7) Vetoquinol Ear Cleansing Solution - None of my dogs have ever had an ear infection. My groomer uses this on all the dogs that she grooms and suggested I use it when I groom them at home. It cleans, dries, acidifies, and deodorizes the ear canal.
You just squirt some in their ear after a bath, close the ear and gently rub. They will then shake their heads to clear out any excess.
Vetoquinol Ear Cleansing Solution
(8) Musher's Secret Pet Paw Protection Wax - I noticed my dogs paw pads getting really dry and rough this winter. I knew I couldn't put any lotion on them because they would simply lick it off. This stuff is amazing. You massage a little into their paw pads and it not only moisturizes them, it gives them protection from road salt, hot pavement or sand, and ice. It also does a great job giving them more traction if you have slippery floors.
One of my girls also has a consistently dry, rough nose and I use a little on her nose to soften it up.
Musher's Secret Pet Paw Protection Wax
(9) Personalized Dog Collar - I ordered this for my Daisy. I knew if she ever got lost, she wouldn't allow anyone to get close enough to read her tag. I have her name and my cell phone number printed on it. I ordered black with bright pink lettering and it's adorable.
It is a great quality leather with a metal buckle and still looks new after months of wear.
Personalized Dog Collar
(10) Leather Flower Dog Collar - This collar is just adorable. I ordered the soft pink with flowers and it looks great on my solid black, salt and pepper or the platinum girls. It is actually a faux leather so it is softer than new leather.
Flower Pet Dog Collars
Just hangin out...
Carly has strange phobias. Like walking past the open crate door???? (Note: She is wearing the cute flowered collar in this video.)