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50 free Miniature Schnauzer trivia questions with answers — nature quiz, new questions added Aug 2026.
This Miniature Schnauzer trivia quiz covers the bearded little ratter from the stables of southern Germany to the AKC top twenty. History questions follow the rough-haired Pinscher and its Rattenfänger nickname, the 1879 Hanover show where a dog called 'Schnautzer' won the wire-haired class, the 1880 stud book, Ludwig Beckmann's five Pinscher varieties, the Pinscherklub of 1895, the 1917 renaming from Rauhaarige Pinscher to Schnauzer, FCI acceptance in 1955 and the first American imports of 1924. The breed section covers the four international colours and why North America refuses white, the square outline, cat feet, wiry double coat and show trim, the AKC standard's temperament wording, why the breed sits in the Terrier Group despite having no British terrier blood, Stanley Coren's 12th-place ranking, and health notes from gall bladder mucoceles and portosystemic shunts to Schnauzer comedo syndrome. The Standard and Giant Schnauzers and the Affenpinscher make guest appearances. Questions run from easy to expert with a difficulty score on each, so it suits a family quiz or a devoted Schnauzer owner. Every answer was checked against Wikipedia and breed references and each question carries its citation. Also try our Dogs and Poodle quizzes.
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Q 01The Miniature Schnauzer originated in which country in the late nineteenth century?
Germany
Farmers wanted a small, efficient ratting dog and bred down from the Standard Schnauzer, possibly with Affenpinscher, Miniature Pinscher and Poodle blood.
Q 02The German word 'schnauze' means what?
Snout
Schnauz and schnauzbart both mean 'walrus moustache', which suits the breed's face perfectly.
Q 03Which smaller breeds may have been crossed with the Standard Schnauzer to create the Miniature?
Affenpinscher, Min Pin and Poodle
Or it may simply have come from the smallest Standard Schnauzers, bred together for size.
Q 04How many colours are internationally recognised in the Miniature Schnauzer?
Four
They are solid black, black and silver, salt and pepper, and white, though white is barred from North American show rings.
Q 05Where did the Miniature Schnauzer rank among US breeds in 2022?
17th
It is the most popular of the three Schnauzer breeds worldwide, prized for temperament and handy size.
Q 06The word 'schnauzer' first appears in an 1842 book by which Swiss author?
Jeremias Gotthelf
The book was Bilder und Sagen aus der Schweiz; 'Schnauz' was also simply a common dog's name.
Q 07At the 1879 international show in Hanover, a dog named 'Schnautzer' won first place in which class?
Wire-haired Pinscher
The German name for the class was Rauche Pinscher; the breed would not be officially renamed Schnauzer until 1917.
Q 08Rough-haired Pinschers, the Schnauzer's stable-dog ancestors, were also known by which German nickname?
Rattenfänger
It means 'rat-catcher'; the dogs were also called Stallpinscher, or stable pinschers.
Q 09Which German society entered the Pinscher in its stud book in 1880 and wrote its first standard?
Verein zur Veredelung der Hunderassen
The colours described for the rough-haired type included iron-grey, silver-grey, grey-yellow, corn-yellow and rust-yellow.
Q 10Ludwig Beckmann's 1895 description listed how many varieties of Pinscher?
Five
They were the rough- and smooth-haired Pinscher, the rough- and smooth-haired Miniature Pinscher, and the Affenpinscher.
Q 11In which year was the rough-haired breed's official name changed from Rauhaarige Pinscher to Schnauzer?
1917
It came with the sixth edition of the stud book; the Pinscherklub and Schnauzerklub München merged the next year.
Q 12The Schnauzerklub München was formed in 1907 by breeders of which Schnauzer?
Mittelschnauzer
Mittelschnauzer is the German name for the Standard; the merged body became the Pinscher-Schnauzer-Klub 1895 e.V. in 1921.
Q 13In which year did the FCI definitively accept the Miniature Schnauzer?
1955
In a 2013 FCI census it was the tenth most registered breed worldwide with 45,263 dogs.
Q 21As watchdogs, Miniature Schnauzers are more inclined toward what?
Barking than biting
They are aloof with strangers until the owner welcomes the guest, then typically very friendly.
Q 22Why is the Miniature Schnauzer placed in the Terrier Group in North America?
Its rat-catching background
It has no common ancestry with British terriers and is more laid back and less dog-aggressive than they are.
Q 23In which group is the Miniature Schnauzer shown in the UK, Australia and New Zealand?
Utility
North America puts it among the terriers, though cynologists say it lacks terrier temperament, coat and head shape.
Q 14In which year were a small number of Miniature Schnauzers first exported to the United States?
1924
The Wire-Haired Pinscher Club of America followed in 1925, splitting into separate Standard and Miniature clubs in 1933.
Q 15Under the international standard, how tall is a Miniature Schnauzer at the withers?
30 to 35 cm
Body weight runs 4 to 8 kg, most commonly 4.5 to 7 kg, and the outline is roughly square.
Q 16In 'pepper and salt' colouring, individual hairs are banded in which shades?
Black, grey and silver
The colour fades to grey or silver at the eyebrows, whiskers, underbody and legs.
Q 17A Schnauzer's short, round paws with thick black pads are named after which animal?
Cat
The front legs are very straight and rigid, and the tail is naturally thin and short.
Q 18How do a Miniature Schnauzer's natural, uncropped ears sit?
V-shaped and folding forward
When cropped, they point straight up to a sharp point.
Q 19Which Miniature Schnauzer colour is recognised by the FCI but refused by the AKC?
White
The American club argues the original German standard never included it and the other two Schnauzer breeds have never come in it.
Q 20The AKC standard says the Miniature Schnauzer should be 'alert and spirited, yet' what?
Obedient to command
It continues 'friendly, intelligent and willing to please... never overaggressive or timid'.
Q 24Where did Stanley Coren rank the Miniature Schnauzer out of 140 breeds in The Intelligence of Dogs?
12th
That put it among the 'excellent working dogs', and his experts also ranked it fifth for watchdog barking ability.
Q 25Coren's experts ranked the Miniature Schnauzer where among the top 15 breeds for watchdog barking?
Fifth
Its territorial instinct makes it a natural alarm system.
Q 26A UK study gave the Miniature Schnauzer what life expectancy?
13.3 years
A Japanese pet-cemetery study found 13.4 years, below that country's 13.7-year average.
Q 27A Japanese study found the breed strongly prone to which gall bladder problem (odds ratio 5.23)?
Mucoceles
The breed is also prone to atopic dermatitis and von Willebrand disease.
Q 28What share of Miniature Schnauzers had congenital portosystemic shunts in a North American study, vs 0.05% of mixes?
1%
The condition diverts blood past the liver.
Q 29Schnauzer comedo syndrome, unique to the Miniature Schnauzer, causes comedones where?
Along the back
It is a follicular keratinisation defect resembling nevus comedonicus in humans and can lead to hair loss and crusting.
Q 30Von Willebrand disease, to which the breed is prone, is a deficiency of a protein needed for what?
Platelet adhesion
It is an inherited bleeding disorder seen in several breeds.