Is a GFCK dog right for me?

Are you looking for a dog that had the absolute best start, from prenatal environment to newborn care to early socialization? Do you want to puppy that has always been part of a family and never known harsh kennel environments, puppy mills, living in tiny wire cages without bottoms, or neglect? Then a GFCK puppy is right for you!

Are you able to provide your dog with love and care, nutritious food, and plenty of mental and physical exercise on a daily basis? If so, one of our dogs might be right for you!

How much do your Miniature Schnauzers cost?

Our dogs are fully health tested, have no history of disease, and are guaranteed for years in your home. We breed for health and temperament, with the aim that our puppies will live long, healthy, happy lives. We feed quality foods, raise puppies in our home, and make sure all their veterinary needs are cared for. In other words, our puppies are OUR family until they are YOUR family! All of this costs more than a puppy mill puppy from a pet store. The average cost for a GFCK puppy is $4,500.

Why do your dogs have long tails and floppy ears?

Miniature Schnauzers’ ears and tails were docked for a purpose that no longer applies to our dogs.

Miniature Schnauzers were developed in the 1800s as an all-purpose farm dog. Part of the duty was to kill rats and other vermin to keep them from destroying produce. This sometimes involved “going to ground” or literally going into the hole of the vermin. During this process the vermin sometimes bit the dogs’ ears, tails, and anything else they could get their teeth on. This was a painful injury and posed risk for infection, the ears and tails were docked and cropped at a very early age to prevent this. (We won’t even get into the science of the time claiming that young didn‘t have feelings.)

Since our dogs are no longer hunting rats and groundhogs, and no longer have that risk, we weighed the pros and cons of cropping and docking, and decided that leaving all the body parts complete was the best option for our dogs.

What about our dogs you see on our site who have docked tails? They were born before we changed our minds. And now that we know better, we do better.

(For more Miniature Schnauzer history first called Wirehaired Pinschers - see https://nationalpurebreddogday.com/a-schnauzer-named-schnauzer/ or https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Miniature_Schnauzer )

What is the process to buy a GFCK dog?

After doing some research to see if you would like one of our dogs and you would make a good home for a Mini Schnauzer or an Airedale Terrier, you can fill out our application. At any time we can have a phone conversation to answer your questions relating to our dogs. After reviewing your application, we will get back to you with an approval or regrets. Upon approval you will be able to place a deposit for a future puppy. In the rare case we have a puppy available and ready, you can make a pickup appointment immediately forgo the deposit and pay in full at pickup.

Are your dogs all service dogs?

GFCK dogs are bred with Service Dog work in mind. With careful selection and testing, we are able to choose a number of puppies to be Service Dog Prospects. While we do not guarantee these dogs will go on to be Service Dogs, many have done so successfully. If a puppy family is specifically seeking a PSD, we are very careful to place the best dog for the job with them.

The remainder of the puppies go to loving family homes, pet homes, and other working homes.

What type of service can a Miniature Schnauzer or an Airedale Terrier perform?

Miniature Schnauzers and Airedale Terriers make excellent Psychiatric Service Dogs (PSDs). They are in tune with their people and have a desire to please. They will go above and beyond to perform their tasks and care for their people.

Miniature Schnauzers and Airedale Terriers also make excellent Diabetic Alert Dogs, PTSD Service Dogs, and more!

Why an Airedale or a Mini Schnauzer instead of a Golden Retriever or a Labrador?

Miniature Schnauzers and Airedales are considered hypo-allergenic breeds, meaning they produce very little allergenic material. People with mild to moderate allergy to dogs are likely to be able to comfortably live with Airedales and Miniature Schnauzers.

Mini Schnauzers are a much smaller and therefor more portable breed. They do very well in apartments and can exercise within their own home.

The personality and energy of a Schnauzer or an Airedale is very different than that of a Lab or Golden. Many people prefer the personality of a terrier. And terriers are excellent at working with and for their person, including Intelligent Disobedience as necessary.