With that beard and those eyebrows, a schnauzer is bound to be the perfect dog for any household. But looks can be deceptive, and the not-so-great traits of a schnauzer that a sweet face can successfully hide are myriad, making them one of the worst breeds to own.
Before deciding to adopt a schnauzer effectively, one of the essential aspects that one should take note of is why their particular dog may not necessarily be the best for everyone. Here are 18 reasons why Schnauzers are the worst dogs to have, particularly if you're looking for something easy and no-fuss.
1. Stubbornness Beyond Belief
Schnauzers have a mind of their own, and when they have fixed it, you will have one heck of a time to change it again. This kind of trait can be very irritating to cope with while in training, and it might be the straw that breaks the camel's back for new dog owners.
This will be very time consuming and exhausting since training for schnauzers requires firm, consistent, and long-patient training compared to other yielding breeds. Their obstinate character may prompt them to not always respond to commands, which may, in the long run, become a safety concern.
If your schnauzer chooses not to come when called, it may even risk their lives if they happen to be in unsafe or unfamiliar surroundings. This stubbornness is one of the biggest reasons that Schnauzer makes the worst dogs around for people who like their dogs to be better behaved and obedient.
2. Excessive Barking
Schnauzers howl very loudly and are famous for their constant barking, which sometimes may turn out to be very irritating to handle or listen to. This breed barks at the slightest provocation, be it a passing car, a squirrel in the yard, or a leaf just blowing in the wind.
Their tendency to bark at anything and everything makes them one of the worst dogs to have if you value peace. That continuous barking can easily put a person in conflict with the neighbors, maybe inside apartment settings, as the noise can travel.
With any dog, some barking is quite normal, but Schnauzer's insistent vocalizations may test the patience of even the most dedicated dog owners. You may come to regret this choice quickly if you are not prepared to spend the time to train and manage this behavior.
3. High Maintenance Grooming
Schnauzers need high-maintenance grooming as they have a ruff coat that is said to be brushed frequently to avoid tangling, requiring professional grooming every 4-6 weeks to avert tangling and to sustain its distinctive beard and eyebrows. All this is time-consuming and involves a high cost, making the Schnauzer one of the very worst dogs to have if you want a pet with low maintenance.
Aside from regular grooming, schnauzers can be susceptible to skin problems, which can add another task to care. Neglected grooming care can leave them with painful mats and skin infections that require costly veterinary care. Its high maintenance needs can easily overwhelm those who prefer a dog that does not need much grooming.
4. Aggressive Tendencies
Are Schnauzers aggressive? The unfortunate answer is yes. This is perhaps the reason that many Schnauzers are sometimes hostile and even act aggressively towards other animals or people. This can make them quite hard to control, particularly in social situations with other animals or strangers.
Aggression in Schnauzers is usually brought on by a lack of proper training and socialization. Deprived of early and regular socialization with various surroundings, strangers, and their canine counterparts, Schnauzers could turn timid or suspicious, hence aggressive. This aggression makes Schnauzers among the least desirable breeds, especially if you are after an outgoing and affable canine pet.
5. Separation Anxiety
This is a breed that does well with human companionship and should be allowed to be around its human family members. When associated with over-dependence, the schnauzer can become very distraught when separated from their human family members. Schnauzers with separation anxiety may become quite excessive in their barking, destructive, or even get-away activities, which can be dangerous to the dog's well-being and also the domicile.
This involves much of the time and effort put into managing the condition of separation anxiety in Schnauzers, for instance, gradual desensitization, an assured and calm-inducing environment, and sometimes the services of a trained professional. An overprotective nature and separation anxiety due to undue time apart or frequent travel are likely to make Schnauzer one of the worst dogs for you to stay with.
6. Over protectiveness
Some people may appreciate the guarding dog that a Schnauzer can be when it comes to that, but he tends to take that to the extreme, in an alarming way. Their natural guarding instinct makes them overpowering, excessively suspicious, even towards strangers or other animals, and can sometimes get them to be aggressive. This may make it hard to take your Schnauzer places; it will just go bad when inviting guests to the house, and taking him to a public place may not go too well.
An overprotective Schnauzer might bark excessively, growl, and, at times, even snap at perceived threats, which is something that makes such dogs very difficult to control while meeting people. Their protectiveness levels do need careful training and socialization to avoid moving to aggression. People who need dogs friendly and welcoming to people regard the overprotective nature of a Schnauzer as a major disadvantage.
7. High Energy Levels
They are very lively dogs and need to do daily physical and mental activities. They are quick to become bored and then quickly destructive without all the time spent running and exercising them. This makes them one of the worst dogs to have if you're looking for a more relaxed and low-energy companion.
Daily walks, playtimes, and problems to solve will be important to keep Schnauzer entertained and well-behaved. Not everyone has enough time and energy to keep them busy. If they are not given proper outlets to vent energy, the Schnauzers become known to develop disturbing behaviors like bad barking, digging, and chewing.
8. Digging Obsession
Schnauzers like to dig, it is an inborn breed of nature and would rapidly turn into a big problem if you have perfect landscaping in your yard or garden. Their love of digging can turn your backyard into something straight out of a horror movie in short order with the gaping holes that will appear in your lawn, the flower beds that are upended, and the general unkempt look your environment will take on.
Schnauzer's delight in digging can make him one of the worst dogs to have for folks who take pride in keeping a nice lawn or garden. This is usually done from boredom or needing to release pent-up energy, so even if you exercise your Schnauzer, they may still have this urge to dig. The best way to stop this behavior is through exercise, supervision, and giving alternative solutions to his pent-up energy like good interactive toys or properly designated areas to dig.
9. Prone to Health Issues
Most dogs of this breed tend to suffer from a variety of health problems, which turn into frequent vet trips and expensive medical bills. Prominent health issues a schnauzer may be faced with would be hip dysplasia, pancreatitis, and bladder stones.
Another condition to which schnauzers are prone is diabetes, which would last a lifetime and very expensively determine one's quality of life. Mainly, schnauzers die of cancer, and this is something that interests cautious potential owners.
This breed is prone to a lot of health problems that rank high on the list of the worst dogs to own if you are not prepared financially and emotionally to treat chronic illnesses. Constant vet check-ups, restricted diets, and awareness of their health needs are just some of the things required to keep Schnauzer healthy.
10. Territorial Behavior
Being a territorial breed, schnauzers can pose problems for the owner if kept with other pets. They can become possessive of their toying material, food, or any other sleeping area and may even become aggressive towards other pets or worse, towards their human family members. It can also be taken to the `house' where they tend to bark at passersby, the mailman, or even delivery motorists.
Mostly, schnauzers can be territorial, otherwise, such a behavior can be managed through training and proper boundary setting. However, proper management notwithstanding, the need to protect their territory can still bring about issues: hence, ranking them among the worst dogs to have if you prefer having a laid-back and easygoing pet.
11. Not Suitable for First Timers
Mostly, the stubbornness, high energy, or potential aggression levels make Schnauzers a breed quite a challenge, especially for first-timers. If you are a first-time dog owner, then you may find all the peculiarities of Schnauzer's needs and behaviors very challenging to handle, which can be frustrating for both you and your pet.
First-time owners find it tough to train and control Schnauzer's willfulness; this translates into behavioral problems that can be very tough to retrain later on. For those with little experience in dogs, a Schnauzer can easily be overwhelming, hence one of the worst dogs to have for an inexperienced owner.
12. Attention Demanding
Schnauzers are pretty attention-demanding dogs. They like to be involved with everything and can become pretty jealous or anxious that they aren't getting enough of your time.
Such a need for ceaseless attention becomes tiring over time, especially as one's daily routine is normally very tight and there are other pets to take care of. Schnauzer's demand for attention can translate into being clingy wherein they stick close to you, getting agitated if you stay away for too long.
For those who would prefer a more independent dog, Schnauzers are out of the worst dogs one can have since their neediness levels are overwhelming in a very short time.
13. Food Sensitivities
Schnauzers tend to have sensitivities and allergies to a lot of foods, which creates a problem when it comes to feeding them. Digestive issues and skin problems, among other health-related problems, may follow the failure of such sensitivities. Many a time, finding the correct diet for a schnauzer becomes an exercise in trial and error, where most of these dogs turn out to be best managed on specialized, pricey foods to keep them healthy.
Diet management for most schnauzers requires scrutiny and possible cooperation with a qualified veterinarian in terms of feeding them, often by monitoring their health against ingredient lists. For people who are in love with dogs that have no or little dietary restrictions, the Schnauzer is one of the worst kinds of dogs to keep in their homes, since the breed has a tremendously high nutritional demand.
14. Noise Fear
Schnauzers are very sensitive to loud noises, apart from thunderstorms and fireworks, even to vacuum cleaners. It results in anxiety and trembling, where it tries to either escape or hide during loud activities. Working through Schnauzer's noise phobias calls for patience in a quiet environment and sometimes with the help of antianxiety products, medication even.
That sense of sensitivity to noise is what can make Schnauzers one of the worst dogs to have, especially if you live in a noisy environment or during festive seasons when fireworks and other loud celebrations are common. They are overall fearful and can also translate to behavioral problems in the wrong environment, so they will be an unsuitable option for someone not able to offer that quiet and reassuring lifestyle.
15. Great Need for Mental Stimulation
Unlike other breeds, which just require physical exercise, schnauzers also require a lot of mental stimulation to be happy and well behaved. well-behavedSchnauzers, without daily exercises for their brains through puzzle toys, training as well as interactive games will certainly get bored fast enough and, thus, develop destructive tendencies as a result.
To keep Schnauzer mentally sharp, the owner will need to always take some time and expend some creative energy to ensure that he raises the bar high enough for the dog's mental challenge. That might be a tall order as doing that seamlessly may sometimes be difficult for a very active owner. These are among the very worst breeds to have for people who'd rather bide to walk around the block and be a cuddly bug when they come home.
16. Weather Sensitivity
Schnauzers are also fed up with extremely hot or cold weather conditions, very sensitively. While their unique wire hair is pretty to look at, it does not maintain an even temperature during the cold winter months or provide your dog with any cooling in higher temperatures.
Schnauzers may be reluctant to spend much time outside and may require the use of sweaters or coats during colder months. In summer, they become overheated easily which in turn can also cause walking and outdoor playtime to be dangerous.
Comfort management in changing weather needs to be closely monitored, particularly for a Schnauzer. The weather sensitivity in most schnauzers is one of the biggest cons to this breed and if you live in areas that can become very hot or cold, they could be an exceptionally poor choice for a dog because they do require extra support all year round just to keep them healthy.
17. Hard to Housebreak
First-time dog owners of a Schnauzer might most probably find it very hard to housebreak this type of dog more than any other breed since dog owners for the first time might not have the experience with patience and consistency. Their stubbornness and willful nature tend to be to the opposition's reflex about learning where and when to relieve themselves, leading to accidents in the house.
House training at Schnauzer takes a lot of routine, positive reinforcement, and patience Even with these strategies, some schnauzers will take much longer to be fully house-trained than a dog of some other breed does. This difficulty in house training makes them one of the worst dogs for those who prefer a dog that quickly adapts to household rules.
18. Not Good with Small Children
Although some schnauzers may do well in families with older children, they are generally not recommended for households with small children. Schnauzer is a territorial dog. Couple that with its above-average protectiveness and aggression, this breed may not be a good match for families who have young children.
Understandably, small children cannot understand or abide by the territorial lines that this dog has, oftentimes putting families in trouble with fights or biting accidents. For people with young families, schnauzers may present one of the worst dogs to bring home, since their temperament or behavior would have a hard time coping with the unpredictability and energy of small children.
