Sandypaws was established in 1988. The name was chosen because many sandy paws tracked through my house!In 1985, I purchased by first Miniature Schnauzer from the newspaper. She was scrawny, ill-tempered and had a shrieky, high pitched voice, but I loved her in spite of herself.
She made me realize I wanted more quality, so I started searching for a black & silver (B/S) bitch. After being introduced to the Schnauzer pipeline, I was contacted by a breeder who has since become my good friend. I purchased a nice bitch from her and was introduced into the show world. My friend was very patient with me and tried to teach me how to groom and strip over the phone. She was in the north and I was in the south.
In the course of my journey, I have been lucky enough to meet many wonderful, helpful people who allowed me to pick their brains and share their bloodlines.
I'm not fond of dog shows or the show ring, but love to raise beautiful, sound quality puppies and then turn them over to someone who knows what they are doing to finish their championships. My dogs are raised in my house and sleep on the bed. They are loving, intelligent and easy to live with, which, in my opinion, is what a Schnauzer should be.
Why a Schnauzer?
There are so many reasons to own a Miniature Schnauzer. They are lively, loyal, intelligent, entertaining and funny. They think they are the sole reason people come to your home. They don't shed. They want to be included in everything you do. If you want to be a couch potato, they can lounge right along with you. If you want to run or walk on the beach, they are ready to go. Miniature Schnauzers are like having a big dog inside a little, compact, sturdy body; but a warning, they are like potato chips - you can't have just one.
Why Not a Schnauzer?
The only reason I can come up with is that they have to be groomed about every four to six weeks and they bring debris in your house which has attached to their furnishings.