Do Schnauzers Kill Mice and Small Pets?

Miniature and Standard Schnauzers were both historically trained, and genetically bred, to hunt small farm rodents. As such, there always seems to linger in the back of many pet parent’s minds, the questions: Are my small pets safe with a Schnauzer? Will our Schnauzer give in to his predator instincts and attack our pet gerbil or ferret? Those are fair questions given the Schnauzer breed history. I’ve wondered those things myself and wanted to know for sure. Here’s what I found.

Do Schnauzers Kill Mice and Small Pets? Yes and No. Standard and Miniature Schnauzers were bred specifically to hunt small rodents and do have a hunting instinct. Giant Schnauzers, while not bred specifically as hunters, can be territorial and weigh upwards of 110 lbs., potentially making them threatening. All three breeds have become very domesticated, but socializing Schnauzers early and keeping an eye on them around small animals is wise.

The Hunting History of Schnauzers

Schnauzers were bred as watch dogs and guard dogs to protect livestock and families. They were also bred to hunt and get rid of vermin around German farms. It is this innate nature that is evident even in modern Schnauzers who may chase, and sometimes kill, mice and even small pets.

The Standard Schnauzer was bred first mainly as working dogs to catch mice and rodents, among other herding and protection jobs on a farm. They were also later used as police dogs. German breeders decided to standardize this breed in the mid-1800 yielding the Miniature and the Giant Schnauzer.

The Giant Schnauzer was primarily a guard dog, and due to its sheer size, helped to work on the farms and protect livestock and families.

The Miniature Schnauzer, the most recent Schnauzer breed, was very specifically bred to hunt small farm rodents. He has a small, muscular body build. He can chase mice and other rodents, and go deep in their burrowing spots. They can even hunt down larger creatures like badgers and foxes.

This innate urge to chase small animals means you can’t always trust the Miniature and Standard Schnauzer around small, furry family pets like cats. They seem to tolerate sharing a home with cats if they have been introduced to them early on.

It also explains why you should avoid buying Schnauzers from the pet store, puppy mill, or a breeder who does not have pedigree guarantees. Instead, look for a reputable breeder who sells breeds of sound temperament.

Domestication of Schnauzers

Over the years, Schnauzers have become very domesticated, and as a result, much more accepting of other animals and pets, including mice. However, since each breed was bred for slightly different reasons, you may find their temperaments a little different when relating to other animals.

The Miniature Schnauzer, for example, were primarily bred to hunt rodents on German farms. As a result, they will always have a genetic instinct to prey on small animals like birds, cats, gerbils, and mice.

It explains the need to socialize and train them how to interact with small animals. Keep in mind that Schnauzers were not bred for aggression instead as strong guards, leaders, and hunters. As such, they are confident, intelligent, and have a territorial nature that causes them to prey on small animals. It is essential to introduce the Miniature to these kinds of pets slowly and consistently.

The Standard Schnauzer was also bred to hunt mammals and small rodents. You need to keep this in mind if there are small pets in your home. However, the Standard Schnauzers are known to respond pretty well when given the appropriate socialization early on. They can also seem aggressive and territorial towards strange dogs and may never warm up to them completely, but can be socialized to handle other animals generally well.

The Giant Schnauzer is equally territorial and protective towards its caretakers. On the flip side, he can be incredibly loving if trained and socialized early on to accept other animals. One of the primary risks with a Giant Schnauzer is his size. Male Schnauzers can weigh up to 110 pounds, and even gentle Giants can be dangerous at that weight!

However, even with excellent training and socialization, there is always the caution against leaving any Schnauzer alone with small pets. Your Schnauzer will have its own temperament and may be very accepting of all small animals, but keep in mind that their instinct will always be a potential factor.

Steps To Introduce Your Schnauzer to a Small Pet

With early socialization and consistent obedience training, you can control a Schnauzer’s hunting behavior.

You will become very familiar with your Schnauzer’s tendencies and temperament, and you may not have any concerns about him being aggressive or dangerous. Some Schnauzers may be more hunt-oriented than others simply due to their pedigree.

Generally speaking, especially now that all Schnauzer breeds are quite domesticated, they do fairly well with other pets….especially if the other pets were already in your home when your Schnauzer was a puppy.

However, if you need to introduce your Schnauzer to a small pet, these steps should help you:

1. Secure your small pet in a cage and walk your leashed Schnauzer around the cage to familiarize with it.
2. If your Schnauzer doesn’t charge at the pet, give him a treat to reinforce the behavior of acceptance.
3. If he is aggressive towards the pet, pull him firmly to discourage the behavior.
4. Develop a 15-minute routine every day for a week or two until you can walk him near the cage without him prowling or seeming aggressive towards the pet.
5. Reduce the frequency of awarding treats until he no longer needs them to reinforce positive behavior.
6. Do not let him of off the lease, or release your small pet from the cage, until you are confident that your Schnauzer won’t lunge.

Even with these training steps, you should probably contain small pets (gerbils, birds, and the like) in their cage, far away, and at a height that your Schnauzer cannot reach whenever you are away.

While most Schnauzers can learn to do well with other pets, it’s just better to be safe than sorry.

Additional Tips to Keep All of Your Pets Safe Together

Introducing your Schnauzer to a small pet and training him to accept it is just one way to ease them into living well together. The process of teaching pets to cohabitate should involve more than just training your Schnauzer.

As a comprehensive approach to keeping all pets safe and healthy, in spite of your Schnauzer’s built-in hunting instincts, you will want to have as many options as possible.

Here are several other ideas to consider:

• Talk to a professional dog trainer and potentially include her in the process of introducing your Schnauzer to a small pet. You may also want to talk to a trainer about whether introducing a dog sport, such as barn hunting, would be a good outlet for your Schnauzer or if it would sharpen his hunting instinct and put your smaller pets in jeopardy. Standard and Miniature Schnauzers excel at the sport of barn hunting, but there is no killing involved.
• Talk with your veterinarian for additional advice, if you have concerns. For example, can your adult or senior Schnauzer adapt well to a small pet or will it be too stressful? Is your Schnauzer puppy still in a good, early development stage to adjust to smaller pets? Are there any health concerns at all with combining Schnauzers with the small pets you currently have, or want to include?
• Designate a separate room for each pet, along with their own bed, crate, food, and toys. This will become their personal place for retreat. It can be a comforting, calming option for all pets involved.
• Be prepared with separate crates to contain and separate the pets. Each pet should have an enclosed crate or cage that serves to keep them both safe and apart from each other, especially when you are not at home.

How to Train a Schnauzer to Kill Mice

There may be situations when you want to take advantage of your Schnauzer’s hunting instincts, (however undeveloped they may be) to rid your own home, yard, or farm of small rodents such as mice.

Truth be told, modern Schnauzers may lack a strong instinct to chase and kill mice, rats, and other small rodents or pets because they have become extremely domesticated. While Schnauzers may pursue other animals around the house, they fail to differentiate animals they need to hunt and kill, and friendly animals with which they need to cohabit.

As such, if you want your Schnauzer to kill mice around your home or yard, you will most likely need to introduce him to the process and potentially even train him.

It would help if you bought a live mouse or mouse trap and a feeder to familiarize him with the rodent before he embarks on a full hunt. In addition, make sure you are stocked up on treats to reward him for a job well done.

Here are some techniques to help you train him.

Familiarization Method

The idea is to familiarize your Schnauzer with the rodent to activate his natural preying instinct.

1. You can begin by placing the mouse in a cage and putting the Schnauzer in the same room and observe his behavior.
2. If he shows signs of preying on the mouse, reward him with a treat and continue encouraging any display of aggression toward the mouse. However, if he looks scared of the mouse, you need to help him to play and feel at ease around it.
3. Change the setting and take the caged mouse outside. Release the mouse to a vast area where it will struggle to escape to allow the Schnauzer to chase it. Avoid releasing the mouse from the cage until you are confident your Schnauzer is eager to chase it. If your Schnauzer catches the mouse, reward him with a treat.
4. Continue reinforcing the behavior by giving him treats each time he catches a mouse. Such positive reinforcement should help him get accustomed to the hunt.

The Scent Method

This technique involves using a mouse’s scent trail to catch the mouse.

1. You can use mouse dropping or beddings to create a trail to the caged mouse hidden in a bush. Teach him how to sniff the mouse before allowing him to chase the mouse.
2. Then, place a leash on his neck and start walking from the beginning of the scent trail. Encourage him to follow the trail. Schnauzers respond better when they think they are working along with their owners.
3. Be sure to shower him with praise and give him a treat when he finds the caged mouse. Create different scent trails and train him every day to hone his skills to catch mice. Allow him to spend 5-10 minutes every day, sniffing around the cage to help him get acquainted with a mouse’s scent. It also helps him develop an aggressive instinct towards mice.
4. The final step involves releasing the mouse to allow your Schnauzer to chase and catch it. This will help instill the behavior and actively seek them out in the future.

What to Do if Your Schnauzer Eats Mice

While chasing and catching mice is a natural activity for Schnauzers, eating the rodents may present undesirable consequences.

Some dangers include:

Toxoplasmosis

The condition occurs when your Schnauzer gets infected with a protozoan organism called the Toxoplasma after eating mice that have this organism’s cysts. Toxoplasmosis makes your Schnauzer ill and causes a range of symptoms, including liver disease, diarrhea, and pneumonia.

Intestinal Worms

Schnauzers can also get infected with roundworms when they eat mice infected with roundworm larvae. The parasitic worms live in young dogs and compete for nutrients.

If you suspect your Schnauzer has ingested a mouse or mouse, visit a vet to help examine the pet and perform tests. If the pet shows signs of diarrhea, vomiting, or reduced activity, the vet should prescribe medication immediately or induce vomiting.

How to Protect Your Schnauzer from Rodent or Mouse Poison

Sadly, a rodenticide is very appealing to a dog due to its savory taste.

There are different types of mouse poison (liquid, pellets, granules and blocks) in the market with varying levels of toxicity. Most rodenticides have a sugar base that makes them taste good to rodents as well as dogs.

What’s more, the shape and color of mouse poison can’t help determine the active ingredient.

Your Schnauzer also risks secondary poisoning if he eats a mouse that has ingested mouse poison. The level of toxicity depends on the amount, timing, and number of mice ingested.

The different types of mouse poison have different effects on your Schnauzer:

Anticoagulants

This kind contains active ingredients like warfarin, bromadiolone, chlorophacinone among others. It kills by disrupting the body’s ability to recycle vitamin K, an essential component for blood clotting.

Bromethalin

It increases the amount of sodium in the body cells, which is followed up by an influx of water in the cells. The cells swell as a result and die, causing the animal to die. The toxin affects the central nervous system.

Cholecalciferol

The toxin leads to increased production of calcium in the body causing cardiac arrests, acute renal failure, and death. The symptoms are evident within 12-36 hours after ingestion.

It is essential to take the necessary measures to protect your Schnauzer from rodent poison. The best way is to store the poison away from your Schnauzer’s reach. Also, if leaving him indoors for a long time, keep him in a fenced-in yard, or install a dog enclosure.

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So, do Schnauzers kill mice and small pets? Yes and No.

As a question that comes up often, it’s good to know the truth about Schnauzers and their potential to harm your other small pets. Their hunting instincts are probably not completely avoidable, but they have become a very domesticated breed and can be trained and socialized to live well with other small animals.

Keep your Schnauzer and small pets apart and contained when you are not home, and continue socializing them to accept each other. There are many Schnauzers who love other animals and who do not have a well-developed hunting instinct at all. You will need to be the ultimate judge of your Schnauzer’s risk level and temperament.

In general, Schnauzers can be good with other animals and pets, even small ones. The ultimate suggestion, however, is to remain cautious and vigilant when it comes to Schnauzers when they are with any other very small pets you may have.

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