Author: Ronel

Klardyn aka Klara, Zulu, Zulie and Zuligan

First… The story behind Klaradyn’s name… I was searching for a pitch black girl and being on a waiting list, I waited a few months for her. I never name my dogs “just a nice name”; I wait for their names to be ‘given’ to me, so each one’s name has a very special meaning. The litter black puppies were born and I had to choose one, so I chose the one that had the most black fur but still I didn’t have a name for her.

At the same time, I was busy writing an article about our hearts that has to be clean and pure for the Lord to use us for His purposes. Psalm 51:10 says: “Create in me a clean heart, o God, and renew a right spirit within me.” For a few days (or weeks) I wrote about this subject and one night I woke up in the early morning hours with the name ‘Klaradyn’ crystal clear in my mind. I searched on the internet what the menaing of the name was, and believe it or not… Klaradyn means: “Create in me a clean heart, o God”. I was overwhelmed by joy and I no longer had to wonder what my black girls name was, as the Lord already named her Klaradyn.

So Klaradyn is pitch black with a heart of gold and her personality reflects the meaning of her name perfectly. She is a soft-hearted, friendly, loving, talkative and spirited girl. She has loads of energy and she LOVES to swim, which is sometimes problematic because she learned to climb into the tree, high enough to jump over the wall… and off goes Klaradyn to take a swim in one of the dams. She is very submissive towards other dogs with no aggression at all.

Oliver is usually dad of her puppies as their temperaments form the most amazing puppies with wonderful temperaments. The can be playful, wild, silly and very loving! She usually has 3-4 pitch black puppies as well as outstanding black and white puppies. Underneath are photos of Klara’s previous litters…

They’ve got it all in one small package: intelligence, affection, mischievous, an extroverted temperament, humor, and a personality that’s twice as big as he is.  Throw in that walrus moustache and quivering enthusiasm, and they’ll make you laugh every day.  They always have to be the center of the action and attention…

Mini Schnauzers are incredibly loyal to their family — and they require a great deal of attention. They are very protective of their people and make excellent watchdogs… sometimes to your frustration…  They will alert you to visitors, burglars, and blowing branches and their bark can be piercing.  Some of them can be noisy.

A bored Mini Schnauzer is an unhappy Mini Schnauzer.  Because he’s intelligent and energetic, he thrives on varied activities and exercise. Make sure that you give him both, or he’ll become destructive and ill-tempered.  They enjoy going for brisk walks and love running around and frolicking without their leash.

Mini Schnauzers learn quickly, but at the same time, can be stubborn.  Really stubborn! Their favorite way of rebelling is to pretend that they doesn’t hear you when you try to make them do something.  To maintain order in your household, you must be in charge. If you let them get by with something even one time, they’ll remember it forever and you’ll find the behavior escalating. This is one of the downsides of living with a dog who might possibly be smarter than you are.

They usually play well with other dogs — they are not one of those terriers who can’t play nicely with others. They typically aren’t as aggressive toward other dogs as many other Terriers are, but they are brave and fearless around large dogs, a trait that can get them into trouble.   

Health

Miniature Schnauzers are generally healthy, but like all breeds, they’re prone to certain health conditions. Not all Miniature Schnauzers will get any or all of these diseases, but it’s important to be aware of them if you’re considering this breed.

Cataracts: Cataracts cause opacity on the lens of the eye, resulting in poor vision. The dog’s eye(s) will have a cloudy appearance. Cataracts usually occur in old age and sometimes can be surgically removed to improve vision.

Entropion: Entropion, which is usually obvious by six months of age, causes the eyelid to roll inward, irritating or injuring the eyeball. One or both eyes can be affected. If your Schnauzer has entropion, you may notice him rubbing at his eyes. The condition can be corrected surgically.

Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA): This is a family of eye diseases that involves the gradual deterioration of the retina. Early in the disease, affected dogs become night-blind; they lose sight during the day as the disease progresses. Many affected dogs adapt well to their limited or lost vision, as long as their surroundings remain the same.

Urinary Stones: These can cause your Miniature Schnauzer to start straining to urinate, pass blood in the urine, need to urinate more often than normal, and have cloudy or foul-smelling urine. While small bladder stones may pass on their own, your vet should be consulted. Dietary changes can’t get rid of existing stones, but they can prevent more stones from forming.

Myotonia Congenita: Only recently discovered in Miniature Schnauzers, this is a hereditary skeletomuscular disorder similar to muscular dystrophy. Symptoms begin when puppies are a few weeks old. Their muscles contract easily and they have prominent muscles in the shoulders and thighs. They have difficulty getting up, their coats are stiff, and they bunny-hop when running. Their tongues are enlarged and stiffen when touched, their lower jaws are peak-shaped, and they have difficulty swallowing. All breeding stock should be DNA-tested for the gene that causes it.  (All our dogs are DNA tested for this illness and all clear)

Von Willebrand’s Disease: Found in both dogs and humans, this is a blood disorder that affects the clotting process. An affected dog will have symptoms such as nosebleeds, bleeding gums, prolonged bleeding from surgery, prolonged bleeding during heat cycles or after whelping, and occasionally blood in the stool. This disorder is usually diagnosed between three and five years of age, and it can’t be cured. However, it can be managed with treatments that include cauterizing or suturing injuries, transfusions before surgery, and avoidance of specific medications. (All our  dogs are tested for this disease and all clear)

Congenital Megaesophagus: This is a condition in which food and liquid are retained in the dog’s esophagus, causing him to regurgitate his food. As a result, dogs can get aspiration pneumonia or their esophagus can become obstructed. Diet can be adjusted to provide for the least regurgitation. The disease itself can’t be treated, only resulting conditions such as pneumonia; and the prognosis tends to be poor.

Mini Schnauzers are also prone to heart diseases, please click on the link for more info:  Heart disease

Please make sure you will have enough time to spend with your Mini Schnauzer!