Miniature Schnauzer Size Chart – Growth & Weight Chart

For Miniature Schnauzer puppy owners, it is easy to look at their small size and wonder how big he will get when he grows up.

Luckily, there are several things that you can do to get an idea of your pup’s final weight, including using a Miniature Schnauzer size chart.

A weight chart works as an estimate based on averages and your dog’s current size, allowing you to get a prediction for his final weight.

We have broken down everything that you need to know about your growing Miniature Schnauzer, from development stages to the Miniature Schnauzer growth chart.

When Do Miniature Schnauzers Stop Growing?

The first question that you might have is when you can expect your Miniature Schnauzer to stop growing.

While a Standard Schnauzer will grow beyond a year, the same is not true of a Miniature Schnauzer.

Typically, a Miniature Schnauzer reaches about 50% of their final height and weight when he is only 4 months old.

By the time that he is 6 months old, they are 75% fully grown. So, he has the majority of his growth within the first 4 months of life.

He should be fully grown by his first birthday. These are smaller dogs and won’t grow beyond a year.

Miniature Schnauzer Size Chart

A Miniature Schnauzer weight chart can help you get a good idea about how your puppy is growing and can also give you good insight into how big your Miniature Schnauzer will be when he is done growing.

As this is a small breed, you can generally expect that your Miniature Schnauzer will not suddenly wind up as a big dog; however a weight chart can still help you see whether your puppy is the right weight.

For example, if you look at the chart, if your Miniature Schnauzer puppy is smaller than average, weighing 5 pounds at his 3-month checkup, you can anticipate that he will be about 11 pounds by 10 months, reaching a final weight of about 12 pounds when fully grown.

The growth chart can help you know if your puppy was on the larger side but has fallen off his growth curve and is outside of the averages, you will know to check in with your vet to make sure he’s growing well.

Do remember that puppy’s weights can fluctuate depending on growth spurts but checking in is always best.

Miniature Schnauzer Weight Chart

Miniature Schnauzer Puppy Development Stage

Birth – 2 Weeks

When Miniature Schnauzers are born, they are very small and do not weigh more than a few ounces. They will be completely reliant on their mother for milk.

It is the sustenance from this milk that will help them grow very quickly. Their eyes will be closed at first and they will not stray from their mother. They really cannot eat puppyfood or anything else for weeks to come.

3 Weeks – 12 Weeks

The biggest amount of growth for a Miniature Schnauzer happens between 3 weeks and 12 weeks of age.

You will want to routinely watch your puppy’s weight to ensure that he is growing as well as he should be.

This is a good place for you to start using the Miniature Schnauzer growth chart to monitor whether your pup is growing steadily.

By 8 weeks old, your puppy will be on puppy kibble rather than mother’s milk, so weight checks will be helpful.

4 Months – 9 Months

The bulk of the puppy’s weight happens by the 4-month mark as they are a small dog breed.

At 4 months, you can expect that your puppy will be up to a lot of mischief and be getting into things.

You want to be sure that your pup isn’t getting into the wrong things, so watch what he is trying to eat or chew on. You should really go dog training at this point as well and socialize your pup.

10 Months – 18 Months

By 10 months old, your pup should be fully sexually mature. While this might be a nightmare for some breeds, Miniature Schnauzers calm down at this point of time and will be much less likely to be destructive.

Your pup will also be fully grown right around 12 months old, which you will be able to see on the Miniature Schnauzer weight chart.

Your pup should not gain any more weight after 12 months, so their growth should be over.

Adult

When your Miniature Schnauzer is fully grown, his weight could fluctuate slightly, depending on genetics, activity level, diet, and overall health.

They will not generally change size at this point and excessive weight gain or obesity can be dangerous for a Miniature Schnauzer.

They have a lot of trouble losing weight if they are overweight. This is why it is still a good idea to weigh your dog routinely, even in adulthood. It will help you keep tabs on your dog’s weight.

How Big Do Miniature Schnauzers Get?

There is not just one way to work out how big your Miniature Schnauzer will get when he is fully grown.

While the Miniature Schnauzer weight chart is one of the best and easiest methods, it is not the only one.

Another thing that you can do is look at the parents, if you have access to them or know them.

Dogs, much like humans, are often the same size as their parents, so knowing the spectrum of sizes of the parents can help you get a range for your own pup.

With larger dogs, you can use paw size as a gauge to know how big your dog will need to grow in order to be proportional, but this will not work well with a Miniature Schnauzer. The dogs are small and will naturally have small paws.

Finally, you could always get a DNA test done to see where your dog ranks genetically. These do not always work perfectly, but still can be a guide.

Male vs Female Miniature Schnauzer Growth Chart 

While the Miniature Schnauzer is a small dog breed, there is still a difference in size between the males and the females, although it is slight.

A male Miniature Schnauzer will weigh between 11 and 20 pounds when he is fully grown. Meanwhile, a female Miniature Schnauzer will weigh between 10 and 15 pounds fully grown.

Height-wise, males are still taller, standing between 12 and 14 inches where females stand between 11 and 13 inches.

You can measure your dog’s height with a tape measure, starting from the upper back down to the ground, while your dog is standing on all-fours.

Lengthwise, the sexes are about the same, with a length roughly between 18 and 21 inches.

Regardless, it is still best to use a separate Miniature Schnauzer size chart for each sex to be able to accurately determine your dog’s size and adult size.

Will Neutering/Spaying My Miniature Schnauzer Affect His Growth?

It is a common practice to spay and neuter your pup when he is around 6 months of age. This age was chosen for two reasons.

The first is that 6 months is a safe time to give a puppy anaesthesia without as many risks.

The second is that a dog normally has not reached sexual maturity at 6 months, so you will be able to prevent unwanted pregnancies.

When a dog has not been fixed, he or she will be prone to wandering, looking to mate.

This can put them in other dangers, beyond the unexpected pregnancy. Females need to be confined during this period to keep them away from males.

In recent years, it was shown that waiting until a dog was fully grown and matured was safer in the long run.

This is because large breeds have been shown to suffer joint issues if spayed or neutered too young. A Miniature Schnauzer is not large, so ask your vet for her recommendation.

Miniature Poodle Vs Miniature Schnauzer Size

Since both the Miniature Poodle and the Miniature Schnauzer are considered mini dogs, you might think that they are the same size.

While both are small, there are some differences. The Miniature Poodle is slightly heavier in its average range than the Miniature Schnauzer is, weighing between 15 and 17 pounds, where the Miniature Schnauzer has larger range between 11 and 20 pounds.

The Schnauzer is slightly taller with an average height of 14 inches, while the Poodle is between 11 and 15 inches, putting its average lower. Generally, they are about the same size, however.

Factors That Affect Miniature Schnauzer Growth 

Genetics & Gender

The biggest determining factor in your Miniature Schnauzer’s final size is genetics and gender.

As we mentioned above, female Miniature Schnauzers are smaller than males, so gender or sex definitely is a big factor.

The other is genetics. If your dog has smaller parents, he will then be small. The Miniature Schnauzer weight chart can help you home in on your dog’s weight and size by helping your monitor size, beyond genetics, which is good if you don’t know your dog’s origin.

Nutrition

Nutrition is essential to any growing mammal. Getting the right calories, fats, vitamins, and other nutrients can set your dog up for a long life of good health.

It might not affect a Miniature Schnauzer’s size as much given they are already small, but proper nutrient can prevent physical ailments that might come into play later if he has been neglected and not properly cared for.

Outward stunted growth is not a factor, but internal damage is possible.

Physical Activity & Health

Finally, physical activity and health can definitely affect your Miniature Schnauzer’s growth.

Unfortunately, Miniature Schnauzers are prone to obesity, which means you need to keep them physically active and on a healthy diet.

It might not make them smaller in height to be overweight, but the extra pounds will put undue pressure on the growing joints, resulting in a more bent appearance.

How Much To Feed A Growing Miniature Schnauzer Puppy?

All puppy breeds need to be feed well in order for them to grow well. But, knowing how much to feed your Miniature Schnauzer puppy will help you keep your puppy’s weight on track.

A Miniature Schnauzer feeding chart is the best idea to be able to monitor how much your pup needs to eat.

Ideally, your puppy should get four equal meals throughout the day, which can be reduced to three at three months, and down to two at six months, which can be maintained throughout adulthood.

With puppy kibble, your puppy should eat 1 to 1 ½ cups of food a day, starting at 8 weeks, once weaned off of his mom’s milk.

This amount will not change much as your puppy grows up, but you will need to switch to adult food at 12 months old.

How To Tell If Your Miniature Schnauzer Is Underweight Or Overweight? 

The best way to determine whether your Miniature Schnauzer is underweight or overweight is to use the growth chart.

This will give you a starting point and with careful documentation, you can keep track of whether your dog is growing consistently.

Watching the Miniature Schnauzer growth chart can be maddening at times, especially if you cannot really determine whether he has fallen off of his growth curve.

Luckily, there are other ways to see whether your Miniature Schnauzer is overweight or underweight.

The first is a visual check. After the initial puppy phase and the puppy pudge has worn off, your dog should have a visible waist near his hind quarters. If the waist is invisible, your dog could be overweight.

On the other side, you should not be able to see your dog’s ribs or spine poking out. If you do, there is a good chance that your dog is underweight.

You can also do a physical test where you feel the side of your dog’s ribs. You should be able to easily feel the ribs under the skin. If you cannot locate them, your dog might have extra fat padding them.

How To Help Your Miniature Schnauzer Lose Weight If He Is Overweight?

If you are starting to worry that your Miniature Schnauzer is overweight, before you do anything, you need to talk to your vet.

Your dog might have something else going on medically that needs to be handled or it may be that your dog isn’t actually overweight, so asking the expert is the way to go.

After talking to your vet, she should have given you information on the best strategy to help your dog shed a few pounds.

Remember that Miniature Schnauzer’s are not large, so they do not need to lose much in terms of pounds. Instead, they may need to lose only a couple of pounds.

Common weight loss strategies for dogs is to cut back the amount of food that they are given a day or change the type of food they have.

There are weight loss formulas out there that can help a pooch shed some pounds.

Also, you need to make sure your dog is getting adequate exercise. Do not over exercise your dog, but these little dogs still need daily exercise. They do not require running and extended walks, however.

How To Properly Weigh My Miniature Schnauzer? 

You should weigh your Miniature Schnauzer regularly to confirm that he is growing as much as he should be growing. In a newborn puppy, you will want to do this daily, but as he grows, you can slow down to once every other week.

This is to monitor growth and make sure your dog is on his growth curve and you will be able to see when he goes off of it.

To weigh a dog like a Miniature Schnauzer, you just need to weigh yourself, and then weigh yourself again while holding the puppy. The difference in weights is your dog’s weight.

Miniature Schnauzer Genetics And Common Health Problems

Genetics can be a problem when it comes to health conditions for all dog breeds. The Miniature Schnauzer is generally a healthy dog, but even Miniature Schnauzers can develop certain conditions.

The most common hereditary diseases for a Miniature Schnauzer are dental disease, hypothyroidism, and obesity.

Dental disease will progress over time and usually will result in the loss of teeth the older your dog gets. This can make it harder to chew the older he gets.

Hypothyroidism is where the thyroid does not work as it should, which will cause weight gain, leading to obesity.

Thyroid problems can be treated with medication from your vet, but you will need to stay on top of your dog’s weight to prevent obesity.

It is hard to get an overweight Miniature Schnauzer to lose weight and if the weight gain was from the thyroid, it will be even harder to manage.

Final Words

Without a doubt, you will not be disappointed by adopting a Miniature Schnauzer puppy.

But, like all dogs, you will need to monitor his growth in order to be sure that he is growing as well as he should be.

You can use the Miniature Schnauzer growth chart to help guide you, but you will also want to keep your dog well-exercised and on a healthy diet to ensure that he grows up to be as healthy as possible.

As always, talk to your vet about any and all growth concerns that you might have. You vet is going to provide you with the best guidance for a healthy pup.