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.

[14][16] The start of the modern Miniature Schnauzer in the United States is considered to have a beginning in 1924 when four dogs were imported from Germany.

[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".

[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.