About Us

About

Miniature Schnauzer Australia is a small group of ethical dog breeders based in Western Australia. Hi, I’m Dr Meg Howe. I graduated as a veterinarian in 1983, and was awarded a PhD for my research into the relationship between dogs and humans in 1993. I started as a dog breeder with my first Miniature Schnauzer the same year. With 3 small children by then and another on the way, it was the perfect hobby for a stay at home mum. Over the years I continued to research and test ways to optimize the breeding and rearing of puppies to make them better pets. By better pets, I mean, healthier and more fun to live with. Every few years I helped an aspiring breeder get started and mentored them in my methods.

Gradually I built a reputation as the best dog breeder of Miniature Schnauzers in Australia. This attracted a lot more owners than I could possibly hope to provide puppies for personally (I only have a few breeding dogs). I solved the problem by offering not just my own puppies but also those of my associate breeders.

The minimum standards my associate breeders (who are all registered breeders and whose dogs are also all registered pedigrees) must adhere to are:

1. No inbreeding.
Inbreeding threatens the long-term health and longevity of the resulting pups, plus puts them at significantly greater risk of developing inherited genetic diseases. No amount of genetic screening and testing can alleviate this risk. Sadly the incestuous breeding of closely related dogs together is quite a common practice in the dog breeding world. Every week I hear tragic stories of affected dogs who live short lives marred by ill-health and disease that could have been prevented if only they were not inbred.

2. Family rearing.
Breeders also have a massive impact on the lifetime mental health of their puppies, and their success as canine companions. The eight weeks puppies traditionally stay with the breeder represents half of their early childhood! If they are not handled daily and living in close contact with a human family during this time they may find it difficult to fit harmoniously into the families who adopt them. For this reason neither myself nor my associate breeders kennel rear our puppies. We want them to be ready to become part of your family when they
leave us.

So for your peace of mind all our puppies at Miniature Schnauzer Australia are guaranteed family reared and not inbred, plus come with (as basic) first vaccination, microchipping and worming.

All our puppies also come with a “How To Raise a Miniature Schnauzer” puppy manual. This aims to guide and support you in the successful rearing of your puppy, particularly during the all important socialization phase of their lives from 8 to 16 weeks. Other things I and some of my associates also do to optimize the companionship value of our puppies are:

• Dewclaw removal. This is done when they are a few days old and saves them from the risk of very painful injury down the track. Dewclaws (thumb-like toes) are vestigial, don’t contact the ground, and have no clear function in domestic dogs. They are prone to getting caught in timber decking and also get in the way of  grooming.
• Potty training. The way the puppies are reared reinforces their natural instinct to toilet outside and makes potty training by their new owners much easier. By contrast puppies reared without access outdoors or to a clear toilet area soon lose this instinct and are much more difficult to potty train.
• Personality Matching puppies to their best fit owners. Personality Matching involves you completing an Owner Questionnaire so we can ascertain what temperament puppy would suit you best. When the pups are close to 7 weeks old we then them each through 8 personality tests I have tested and honed over the years. This results in them getting a score which reveals their personality. This allows us to match owners with their best fit puppy and ensures that inexperienced owners or those with very small children don’t end up with boisterous, high energy dogs.
  More info, including case studies are here: https://www.dogbreedinginformation.com/puppy-personality-matching/
• First groom and clip. As Miniature Schnauzers are a breed that requires clipping every few months, it is highly beneficial for the breeder to give them their first groom and clip. This way they get accustomed to it from a young age.
• Money back lifetime guarantee against life-threatening inherited disease. I offer this on all my personally reared puppies. I am confident they will live free of such genetic diseases because they are not inbred.
• Crate and chew toy conditioning. This is an additional rearing enhancement I personally offer my owners so their puppies are happy to sleep in a crate (which makes crate training easier) and amuse themselves with chew toys.

For news and photos of our beautiful dogs and happy owners, check out our Facebook page and PM me for more information. I also regularly hold Puppy Open Days so you can come and meet me and our dogs. For an invite PM me via Facebook and send me your best email address. You are also welcome to join the doggies and us on an early morning bush walk almost any day in beautiful bushland near Bullsbrook township.