Are Schnauzers Smart? Everything You Need To Know

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Are Schnauzers Smart?

Yes, Schnauzers are smart dogs and research has shown that of all the breeds of dogs tested, the schnauzer consistently ranked in the top 10%. They’re curious and if you let them investigate how something works, they’ll quickly figure it out for themselves. Their straightforward and agile intelligence makes them a popular choice to work as guard dogs or even K-9s with police agencies around the world.

Are Schnauzers One of the Smartest Dogs?

Yes, schnauzers are one of the smartest breeds of dogs because they require a lot more attention than more low-maintenance breeds. They’re super smart and snappy, which means that they’re always ready to learn new tricks.

You probably see a lot of people trying to train their schnauzers at dog parks with varying levels of success.

Are Schnauzers Smart, Schnauzer Expert, www.schnauzerexpert.com

Why are Schnauzers so Smart?

Schnauzers can learn quickly and with much focus. They tend to be intuitive and flexible in their ability to solve problems. Schnauzers have a high general intelligence which makes them easy-going pets who get along well with everyone.

In 1994, a well-renowned canine psychologist with a team of North American ranking judges did many tests and experiments on close to about 100 dog breeds. Schnauzers were part of the dog breeds evaluated.

What a dog is bred for is largely determined by its instinctive intelligence, meaning the dog’s inborn ability. A standard schnauzer has the highest instinctive intelligence among the three different variations of schnauzers. It has the strongest multipurpose personality among them as well.

The ability of dogs to learn things on their own without human assistance is called adaptive intelligence. All schnauzers possess this, and their rankings based on this factor are pretty high for schnauzers. 

With regards to intelligence, the following list provides a summary of how he ranks each of the Schnauzers:

  1. The number of times a dog must be told the same command before it obeys.
  2. The success rate, by breed, of a dog successfully carrying out known commands on the first attempt. Dogs with higher success rates are more intelligent and obedient

There are tons of different breeds of dogs in the world Some of those are very rare. Because of this, many of these dog breeds did not have enough data available to rank for obedience and work intelligence. Only breeds that had enough data qualified from Coren’s list.

Along with having enough data, the dogs that were evaluated were also only pure breeds. No mixed breeds were represented in the tests.

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Schnauzers have been recognized as a pure breed since the 19th century and all three sizes had enough data to make the cut to be included on the list.

Based on Coren’s method, here is how the Schnauzers stack up:

Are Miniature Schnauzers Smart?

The Miniature Schnauzer is the smallest of three variations of the Schnauzer and the most popular. They are around 11–14 inches tall, and 10-15 pounds in weight but their intelligence is not affected by their size; they’re just as intelligent as larger breeds of dogs.

According to research, the Miniature Schnauzer performed the best out of the three variations, ranking as the 12th most intelligent dog out of the 138 breeds.

What does this really mean? Miniature Schnauzers scored well enough to be included in the “bright dogs” group. Breeds that make this group are capable of learning a new command in about 30 minutes using between 5-15 repetitions.

Miniature Schnauzers are not only one of the smartest dog breeds but they’re also one of the most obedient dog breeds. Miniature Schnauzers will obey the first time a command they know is given a whopping 85% or more of the time.

Are Standard Schnauzers Smart?

The Standard Schnauzer is the medium size of three variations of the Schnauzer. They can be up to 20 inches tall and weigh between 30-45 pounds. Standard Schnauzers are the second smartest of the schnauzer group placing 22nd on the list of the top 100 smartest.

Despite where the Standard Schnauzer is ranked on the list, it is in the same class as the miniature schnauzer when it comes to intelligence as they can learn commands in about the same amount of time.

Are Schnauzers Smart, Schnauzer Expert, www.schnauzerexpert.com

Are Giant Schnauzers Smart?

The Giant Schnauzer is the largest of the three variations of the schnauzer breed. They also come in last in the intelligence of the three sizes. The Giant Schnauzer generally weighs between 60-80 pounds and stands up to 28 inches tall.

The Giant Schnauzers are not very far behind their smaller counterparts as they rank at number 35 on the scale of smartest dog breeds. Even though they come lower in the rankings, they are only one level below the Miniature and Standard and instead of being listed as “bright”, they are listed as above average.

Learning-wise, the Giant Schnauzer can learn a command between 15-25 repetitions and obey a command 70% or more of the time.

You can check out the AKC website for more information on Schnauzers.

Are Schnauzers Easy To Train?

Schnauzers are really easy to train because they are intelligent dogs with good temperaments that love pleasing their owners. They are clever and eager to learn new things which makes them very fun to teach.

Schnauzers have a high level of intelligence and should be trained from an early age. Dog trainers with lengthy experience agree that standard schnauzers are on the top list of the easiest dogs to train.

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You will have to be patient when training schnauzers as their high intelligence can sometimes cause them to be distracted during training.

Crate training is highly recommended to reduce the level of distraction while training them. Ensure that the training sessions are short and consistent, not too repetitive, and don’t be too hard or harsh.

Reward them with treats and affection for good behavior and training successes.

We have found that having the proper crate is essential to effective training. Our Schnauzer struggled at first until we got the ECO Flex Dog Crate and she seemed to settle down. I think it was due to the partially closed design compared to our old metal kennel where she could see every little thing.

It is also very important to adjust the length of the training session to the age of the schnauzer so that it can be productive. 

In Conclusion

Schnauzers are one of the most loyal and intelligent breeds of dogs. They’re always happy to be around people and they can also be trained easily. They are playful, energetic, and caring, schnauzers are a great choice for anyone looking for a pet dog that will love them unconditionally!  

Do you think your family would benefit from owning this breed? Let us know in the comments and be sure to check out our other articles.

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