The standard schnauzer is an active, naturally athletic breed that loves to exercise with you. Watching our dogs at full stretch playing with other dogs, their speed is well beyond mine as is their endurance. An under-exercised dog will cause you grief as they’ll invariably get up to mischief. Do yourselves a favour and get your pup out and about as soon as they’re clear from their vaccinations and incorporate daily exercise into their, and your, schedule. It pays dividends! A simple fetch exercise works well, although some are more inclined to fetch than others (you may need to teach them); many love to swim, some at the beach, some prefer the calmness of the river. Surprisingly, not all schnauzers are natural swimmers; I’ve needed to teach a few but they get the hang of it quickly and it’s wonderful exercise for them.

Don’t expect your schnauzer to be reliable off lead until you train them to be so. It takes work. More about this in the Obedience section!

An extendable lead is a helpful addition to your equipment arsenal as it gives your schnauzer an ability to have more room to move but still be under control. Do however be aware that certain councils have limits on the length of lead a dog is allowed to be on to still be considered “under control”. Do your homework and know the rules and regulations for the places you exercise your dog.

I find it best to exercise schnauzers hungry. Load yourself up with treats and reward them for behaviour you like and want more of. For example, when they return after being called in the park (‘recall’) give them two or three treats every time. Treats can become intermittent in the future (more to be said about that!). Do be mindful of the quality of the treat – many are fattening and not good nutrition. Take the treats into account in terms of your overall feeding regime. An overweight dog is more prone to health complications and it’s not fair on the dog (as well as being a drain on your wallet, both in food costs and potential vet bills).