How Much Does It Cost to Own a Miniature Schnauzer? 2026 Price Guide

If you have your heart set on a Miniature Schnauzer, you need to know exactly how much it will cost to purchase your pet and how much it’ll cost to take care of. When purchasing a Miniature Schnauzer, you must consider more than just the price. There are one-time costs that include supplies for your new pet and monthly fees, such as food, entertainment, and pet insurance.

The Miniature Schnauzer can initially cost anywhere from free to $3,000, and up to $120+/month for maintenance, training, food, etc. However, they are intelligent, loving, and have a bigger personality than their size suggests. If you’re considering giving this breed a forever home, it’s well worth the price you pay to purchase one. In the guide below, we’ll discuss everything from the purchase price to the monthly costs of owning a Miniature Schnauzer to help you make an informed decision.

Bringing Home a New Miniature Schnauzer: One-Time Costs

The one-time costs discussed below are divided into four sections: free Miniature Schnauzers, adoption, purchasing from a breeder, and initial supplies and setup. Join us as we tally up the one-time costs below.

Free

While it’s very unlikely, you may find a Miniature Schnauzer for free. It’s possible that a friend or family member may find themselves having to rehome their pet, or you can check social media platforms, such as Facebook, that often have free dogs.

However, you need to be extremely careful when accepting a free dog. You need to make sure that the dog is indeed a Miniature Schnauzer and that the dog is in good condition. With a free dog, it’s very possible they won’t have the vaccines and required medical checkups, so you could end up paying more in the long run than you would pay with a breeder.

Adoption

Adoption is also an option, but Miniature Schnauzers rarely show up at shelters. You can expect to pay $300 to $400 for your Miniature Schnauzer from a reputable rescue shelter. However, the price varies based on the shelter, the location, and what has been done for the dog since it was surrendered.

Miniature Schnauzers have quite a few needs, which can make it more expensive to adopt one from a shelter. However, it’s worth the cost if you’re determined to give this adorable dog a forever home.

Breeder

Breeders are much more expensive than purchasing a dog from a rescue shelter, or certainly getting one for free. You’ll pay $600 to $3,000 for your Miniature Schnauzer from a reputable breeder. You’ll spend more on a Miniature Schnauzer that has show-quality bloodlines.

When choosing a breeder, you need to tour the facilities to ensure they’re sanitary and make sure that the breeder has a good reputation.

Initial Setup and Supplies

The initial setup and supply costs should be taken care of before you bring your furry friend through the front door. These items are important to have in your home before the dog arrives, as it’ll make it easier for both of you.

You want the dog to be cozy, comfortable, and happy in your home. We’ll give you a list of the one-time costs and supplies in the table below. You can expect to pay between $80 and $155 total to set your furry friend up for success in his new home.

List of Miniature Schnauzer Care Supplies and Costs

How Much Does a Miniature Schnauzer Cost Per Month?

Everything from healthcare to food, grooming, and pet insurance must be considered in the monthly costs of owning your dog. You can expect to spend $80 to $120 to care for your furry friend every month. The sections below show a breakdown of the monthly costs to care for a Miniature Schnauzer.

Health Care

You’ll need to set some money aside for health care for your Miniature Schnauzer. This will probably run you between $70 and $110 a month. Vaccines and vet visits are important to your furry friend, and you never know what will happen. Your pet will also need supplies to keep their teeth healthy, such as a toothbrush, toothpaste, and dental chews.

Food

It’s important for your Miniature Schnauzer to have high-quality food filled with protein. Whether It’s canned food or dry kibble, you want the food you feed your dog to be high-quality. This means that you need to check the ingredients of the food you choose to make sure it has the right amount of protein, carbs, and other nutrients needed to keep your pet healthy and happy.

High-quality food for your Miniature Schnauzer shouldn’t run you more than $70 to $100 a month. The one thing you don’t want to skimp on is your dog’s food.

Grooming

Your Miniature Schnauzer will be expensive to groom. The dog has a two-layer coat, and their fur is wiry and coarse. You want their fur to remain wiry and coarse, which requires frequent grooming, roughly once every 6–8 weeks. While it’s better to groom your dog yourself, as it’s a great bonding experience and is better for your budget, if you don’t have the time or the inclination to groom your pet, there are professional groomers that can help. They’ll charge you $50—$60 (or more) every time they groom your furry friend.

Medications and Vet Visits

While your Miniature Schnauzer might not need frequent vet visits or must be on any specific medications, they will require everything from heartworm to flea and tick medication. You’ll also need prevention for parasites, such as tapeworms, roundworms, and whipworms, which can make your pet very sick and even prove fatal if they aren’t treated right away. You’ll spend $30 to $150 monthly on vet care and medications for your furry pal.

With pet health teleservices growing in popularity, you can rest easy knowing you can get instant advice and pet care from the comfort of your home at a fraction of the cost.

If you need to speak with a vet but can't get to one, head over to PangoVet. It's our online service where you can talk to a vet online and get the advice you need for your dog — all at an affordable price!

Click to Speak With a Vet

Pet Insurance

While pet insurance isn’t required in any state, it’s a good idea to invest in it. It costs $20 to $70 a month, which is relatively inexpensive compared to what it would cost to pay for emergency surgery without insurance. For example, Miniature Schnauzers are constantly running and jumping, which can result in them landing wrong and becoming injured. The breed is prone to such injuries, so pet insurance is excellent if you don’t want to deal with the financial burden.

Of course, the cost of pet insurance will vary according to the company, location, and plan you choose for your canine friend.

Environment Maintenance

When it comes to maintaining your pet’s environment, you’ll need pooper scoopers, poop bags, and odor and stain removal spray. These items should run you between $30 and $105 a month, give or take a few dollars, depending on the brands you purchase.

Entertainment

You need to make sure you stimulate your Miniature Schnauzer mentally and physically. Since the Miniature Schnauzer is intelligent, they will get bored if left to their own devices and might become destructive. You’ll pay  $0 to $60 a month to entertain your furry pal. Chew toys, pull toys, frisbees, and more will work to keep your dog happy, healthy, and entertained.

Many pet owners don’t know that there are pet subscription boxes they can customize to fit their Miniature Schnauzer’s needs that will come to their door monthly loaded with plenty of treats and toys. They are worth checking into as well.

Total Monthly Cost of Owning a Miniature Schnauzer

As a baseline estimate, you can expect to spend $80 to $120 a month to keep your Miniature Schnauzer entertained, exercised, healthy, and happy. To reiterate, you’ll pay $300 to $3,000 for the purchase of this dog, according to whether you adopt or purchase the dog from a breeder.

The initial setup will cost you $80 to $155, and monthly costs should run between $80 and $120. This information should help you decide whether you can afford to give this breed a forever home. However, there are additional costs to factor in as well.

Additional Costs to Factor In

To ensure that your furry friend is cozy, comfortable, safe, healthy, and happy in your home, there are a few other costs you need to factor in. For example, if you’re out of town on business or a vacation, you’ll need to budget for a pet sitter or a doggie care center while you’re away.

Also, your dog may damage the carpet, hardwood floors, and furniture. You’ll want to make sure you also budget to fix any damage caused by your pup. Other things to include in additional costs are listed below.

It’s best to save $840 to $1,310 in your budget for these additional costs, just in case.

Owning a Miniature Schnauzer on a Budget

While it may seem that you can’t win with the costs associated with owning a Miniature Schnauzer, there are ways that you can own this dog and still be able to live on a budget. There are plenty of places you can cut corners without sacrificing the quality of life of your little friend. Although you shouldn’t look for discount dog food, you can save money on food by looking for discounts and coupons. Some pet food companies have online promotions with coupons, and you can also check the websites of dog toy companies to see if you can find bargains.

Saving Money on Miniature Schnauzer Care

There are quite a few places where you can cut corners to save money on your Miniature Schnauzer’s care. You can learn to groom your dog yourself, which will save you a ton of money monthly. While it’s time-consuming to do it yourself, it’s really a relatively simple process. You can also shop in bulk for toys and food for your furry friend.

To find the best deal on pet insurance, check quotes from several companies. If you enroll your dog in an insurance program early, you don’t have to worry about being excluded for preexisting conditions if your pet is healthy.

Conclusion

As you can see, adopting or purchasing a Miniature Schnauzer isn’t cheap. You can expect to pay quite a bit initially for buying the dog and setting them up with supplies, but there are also monthly costs involved with owning this breed. You want to make sure that you budget accordingly for pet insurance, health care, toys, food, and more to keep your pet happy and healthy for many years.

Miniature Schnauzers are adorable dogs that are loyal, loving, and kind. They are also a ton of fun to have around. If you adopt a Miniature Schnauzer, it’s essential to know that it’s a full-time job but a rewarding one.

See also:

• Are Miniature Schnauzers Good With Cats? Facts and FAQs
• How to Train a Miniature Schnauzer: 13 Vet-Verified Tips & Tricks

Featured Image Credit: Sebastian Coman Travel, Unsplash