The earliest records surrounding development of the Miniature Schnauzer in Germany come from the late 1800s. They were originally bred to be farm dogs in Germany, to keep the rats and other vermin out of the barn. In the breed's earliest stages, several small breeds were employed in crosses to bring down the size of the well-established Standard Schnauzer, with the goal of creating a duplicate in miniature.Crossing to other breeds, such as the Affenpinscher and Miniature Pinscher, had the side effect of introducing colours that were not considered acceptable to the ultimate goal - and as breeders worked towards the stabilization of the gene pool, mismarked particolors and white puppies were removed from breeding programs.

The earliest recorded Miniature Schnauzer was in 1888, and the first exhibition was in 1899. With their bold courage, the Miniature Schnauzer was originally used for guarding herds, small farms, and families. As time passed, they were also used to hunt rats, because they appeared to have a knack for it, and its small size was perfect to get into tight places to catch them.

The AKC accepted registration of the new breed in 1926, two years after they were introduced to the United States. The American Kennel Club groups this breed with the Terriers as it was developed for a similar purpose and has a similar character to the terrier breeds of the Britain and Ireland. The Miniature Schnauzer was recognized by the United Kennel Club in 1948. The United kingdom Kennel club however, does not accept the Miniature Schnauzer as a Terrier and lists it in the utility group for shows such as Crufts.

The Miniature Schnauzer is a small, squarely-proportioned dog with a long head, bushy beard, mustache and eyebrows. The thick, prominent eyebrows and long mustache are often trimmed to accentuate the dog's square cut shape. The front legs are very straight. The tail is usually docked. The oval eyes are dark colored, and the v-shaped ears fold forward when left natural or are cropped to a point and stand erect. It has a long head, strong muzzle, a well-developed black nose and a scissors bite. Coat colors include salt & pepper, black, white or a harsh black & silver outer coat with a soft undercoat.

Miniature Schnauzers are quite distinctive in appearance. They should be compact, muscular, and be "square" in build (the height at the withers should be the same as the length of the body). They have long beards, eyebrows, and feathering on the legs. In the USA, ears are sometimes cropped to stand upright and the tail is normally docked short. British Schnauzers have uncropped ears, as ear cropping is illegal in the United Kingdom. Since April 2007, docking has also been banned in the UK.

Their coats are wiry (when hand-stripped) and do not shed, which adds to their appeal as house pets. Miniature Schnauzers that are shown at dog shows needs to be hand-stripped to achieve the wiry texture that the breed standard calls for. Pets that are not shown, can be clippered. This will however turn the coat soft and make the dog lose color. The AKC, CKC and the KC (UK) recognizes only three colours: black, salt and pepper, and black and silver. The FCI, however, also recognizes white Miniature Schnauzers. Some breeders cross-breed Miniature Schnauzers with other breeds to try and introduce new colours, a practice that is discouraged by all major Schnauzer breed clubs. Height is 12 to 14 inches at the withers (American standard) or 30-35cm (FCI, German standard) at the withers, and they generally weigh 10 to 15 pounds (4.5 to 7 kg).

Very perky and bright-eyed. Loving and intelligent. Energetic, affectionate, and obedient. Playful, happy and alert, they like children. The Miniature Schnauzer demands time and companionship from its owner. It can be feisty and fairly dog-aggressive - putting on a show of superiority without necessarily intending to fight. This can be fairly dangerous for the Miniature Schnauzer, who will challenge even large dogs, sometimes bringing more trouble on himself than he really wanted. Socialize this breed well with other dogs when it is still a puppy. If properly introduced, the Miniature Schnauzer will get along with another dog, but will not accept every dog that comes its way. Since the temperament of this breed can be quite variable, select a puppy from parents whose temperament you enjoy. They make good companions and family pets. Schnauzers tend to bark a lot, but it does not have a yappy bark and is not as annoying as one may think. Most of the time the dog's bark sounds like it is talking to you in a low carried-out voice. They make good guard dogs and mouse catchers. They are excellent watchdogs and are great to travel with. Some can be reserved with strangers, but most love everyone.

Miniature Schnauzers are prone to diabetes, bladder stones and pancreatitis. They are occasionally genetically disposed to ideopathic hyperlipidemia (high levels of triglycerides, i.e. fats, in their blood). Hyperlipidemia makes pancreatitis much more likely for the affected dog. With proper care, without feeding the dog sweet or fatty foods, it can usually be avoided. As with many other types of dogs, mini schnauzers are not to be given any chocolate, since in their breed, it can act as a poison. Miniature Schnauzers with uncropped ears are prone to ear infections and deafness later in life if the ears are not checked regularly or dried out after swimming. They should not be overfed since they gain weight easily. They can also develop a type of skin allergy, which shows up as a 'hot spot' often around the neck area, which can be tender for the animal forming a hard crust after weeping.

The Miniature Schnauzer is a good dog for apartment life. It is fairly active indoors and will do okay without a yard. About 15 years. It shows no signs of age until quite late in life.