As of 2022 it is the 17th most popular breed in the U.S.[10] The earliest records surrounding the development of the Standard Schnauzer in Germany come from the late 19th century.

They were originally bred to be medium-sized farm dogs in Germany, equally suited to ratting, herding, and guarding property.

[11][14] The American Kennel Club accepted registration of the new breed in 1926, two years after Miniature Schnauzers were introduced to the United States.

[13] International Kennel Club classifications vary; by the VDH and FCI it is placed in "Group 2, Section 1: Pinschers and Schnauzers", with "Nr.

[21] Schnauzers are characterized by a rectangular head with bushy beard, mustache, and eyebrows; teeth that meet in a "scissor bite"; oval and dark colored eyes; and v-shaped, natural forward-folding ears (when cropped, the ears point straight upward and come to a sharp point).

[6][22] Docking of tails and cropping of ears has become a controversial practice, especially for non-working dogs, and is now illegal or restricted in a number of countries worldwide, including the UK and Australia.

Whether stripped or clipped, the coat is close at the body, and falls into a fringe-like foundation on its undercarriage, called furnishings, which can be left to grow, but must be combed regularly.

[25] The American Kennel Club breed standard describes temperament as "alert and spirited, yet obedient to command ... friendly, intelligent and willing to please... never overaggressive or timid".

Additionally, experts contacted by Coren ranked the Miniature as fifth among top 15 breeds at watchdog barking ability.

[29] A Japanese study found a significant predisposition to gall bladder mucoceles for the Miniature Schnauzer with a 5.23 odds ratio.

[30] A North American study found the breed to be predisposed to congenital portosystemic shunts, with 1% of Miniature Schnauzers having the condition compared to 0.05% for mixed-breed dogs.

vWD in dogs is an inherited bleeding disorder that occurs due to qualitative or quantitative deficiency of von Willebrand factor (vWF), a multimeric protein that is required for platelet adhesion.