Throughout history, few dog breeds have soared to international fame and popularity as swiftly as the adorable Schnoodle. Internet exposure and media attention have created a swell of enthusiasts and a rush of new breeders around the world. Some have established conscientious breeding programs while others are making inaccurate claims which can be confusing.

ARE YOU confused about conflicting information?
Are Schnoodles intelligent and easy to train?
Do all Schnoodles really have allergy friendly non-shedding coats?
Do Schnoodles make good family dogs and are they good with children?
Are Schnoodles non-aggressive and sweet natured?
Are Schnoodles social and able to get along with other pets?

ARE YOU wondering - What really is a Schnoodle?

JOIN US and explore our Schnoodle pages to learn more about what makes Mari-May Kennels a leader in Schnoodle breeding & development.

We hope to answer most of your questions and help you with your research to find the right dog for your family!

WHAT IS A SCHNOODLE?
The fun loving Schnoodle began as a mixed breed. Mari-May Schnoodles are a 1st generation cross between a Toy Poodle and a Miniature Schnauzer and includes multi-generational lines as well.

Like other popular Poodle crosses, the development of multi-generational breed lines to establish a consistency of coat type, body style, excellent personality and health is the goal of a truly serious breeding program where meticulous documentation and records are maintained. This is what separates truly dedicated breed developers from hobbyists. The same type of development has also been done by a few serious Labradoodle and Cock-a-poo breeders (and others) who have also established multi-generational lines to ensure the progressive evolvement of their breed lines as well. This is ideally how new breeds are established.

The development of Mari-May Schnoodles began almost 20 years ago when 4 Schnoodles were acquired from a foundation breeding program that was developing the Schnoodle as an ideal mid-sized, long-lived, allergy friendly dog that was free of many disorders found in purebred dogs. Throughout the 1980's and 1990's, Schnoodles quickly began to catch public attention and gain a popular reputation for being exceptional non-shedding family dogs that had minimal health problems and were easy to train. But with popularity there came a price.

The Hazards of Hype
With growing consumer interest in Schnoodles being fueled by media attention, the Schnoodle began to face the same hazards of other popular breeds - unethical breeding. In true fad fashion, so called "breeders" popped up everywhere, seemingly out of the blue, in a mad dash to cash in on commercial hype and capitalize on an uninformed public. The result has been a rash of confusing mis-information and puppies being born from indiscriminate matings of almost any Poodle to any Schnauzer with complete disregard to health and temperament backgrounds. Some breeders, anxious to make a buck, advertise their experience seemingly in "dog years". In 2003, breeders who had advertised themselves with 5 years of experience, now (in 2006) boast 11 years. The advent of easy advertising on the Internet further propels these problems. Myths include:

Hybrid Vigor - How wonderful it would be if the simple act of just cross-breeding any two pure-bred dogs could automatically ensure hybrid vigor!
FACT: "Hybrid vigor" is a misleading term. Carefully planned breedings should be based on a meticulous study of health and personality histories for several generations. Cross-breeding requires in-depth knowledge of the pure breeds being used and a constant study of the resulting puppies. Anything less is not responsible. Mari-May Schnoodles individually have a long recorded history including health, temperament and coat types.

Guaranteed Hypo-Allergenic
FACT: - nothing is completely hypo-allergenic. Any Doctor will confirm that a persons tolerance to allergens is as individual as he/she is. While Mari-May Schnoodles have been specially bred for low dander non-shedding coats, and are very successfully placed in families with allergies, the Schnoodle is not, in itself, hypo-allergenic.

Breed/Gender Specific Matings - an incredible fable that supposes only a Poodle male can be bred to a Schnauzer female to produce an "authentic" Schnoodle. (or vice-versa, it's too ridiculous even to remember!)
FACT: There is absolutely no reason what-so-ever to endorse such an absurd theory.

Schnoodle Breed Standard - A standard established as a guideline for the "ideal" Schnoodle.
FACT: Mari-May has an established standard which provides a general guide for the breeding of Schnoodles. However, there is no official breed standard for the Schnoodle. It is extremely difficult to establish a formal standard for any breed which does not reproduce predictable uniformity (true to itself); and especially so for 1st generation breedings because those breedings will only predictably result in generally un-uniformed pups due to the variable genetic influences of either pure-bred parent. This is why carefully documented multi-generational breedings are so essential to the advancement of the Schnoodle as a breed in their own right.

Mari-May Schnoodles

Temperament
Mari-May Schnoodles are very intelligent and easy to train. They love to be with people and are happy and loving. The smaller varieties make good lap dogs. Demanding and delightful; very amusing and clever. Energetic, affectionate, and obedient. Playful and alert. Schnoodles make good companions and family pets.

Mari-May Schnoodles are bred with particular attention to exceptional personalities and careful selection of both parents after a complete evaluation of health and temperament and coat type.

The best way to estimate the temperament of a Schnoodle is to look up both breeds and know that you can have a wonderful mix of any of the characteristics or traits.

Height & Weight
This widely depends on which Schnauzers and Poodles were crossed to make the Schnoodle. Mari-May Schnoodles generally come in two sizes:
Mini-Schnoodle - 10 pounds and under.
Standard Schnoodle - 13 to 20 pounds.
You may request a general size preference of either Mini or Standard. Our assessment is based on years of experience breeding Schnoodles.

Health Concerns
Unknown due to limited research. However, mix breeds tend to be healthier than pure breeds, as the genetic resources for the breeding lines are wider spread and there is limited opportunity for inbreeding. It is vital that the dogs being bred are known for their stable temperaments and exceptional health history.

At Mari-May Kennels, there are no inbreeding practices.

Exercise
Like most dogs, the Schnoodle enjoys long, brisk, daily walks, and fun play sessions off the leash. Many of our Schnoodles love the water!

Life Expectancy
About 15 years or more. At Mari-May, the diet of our dogs is very important and includes wholesome natural foods which we feel adds healthy years to the life of all our dogs! Visit our page on nutrition to learn more about the diet Mari-May puppies are started on.

COAT TYPE

The coat can be a bit course, like the Schnauzer, or softer like the Poodle - or anything in between the two. Mari-May Schnoodles are non-shedding and have very low to no dander.

COAT COLORS
Mari-May Schnoodles come in a glorious array of colors including the beautiful white we call Opal! The following is a list of our unique coat colors:

Apricot Royal
Champagne Blush
Pearl Luster
Opal
Black Velvet
Chocolate
Silver Satin
The rare and exquisite "Ice White" - 2006 litters only - very limited availability.

Grooming
The Schnoodle should be brushed weekly and clipped every 8-12 weeks. The length of hair and frequency of trimming depends on personal preference. We do recommend that families with allergy concerns bathe their Schnoodle weekly as necessary. Keep the nails trimmed. The Schnoodle sheds little to no hair and very low dander. This is good for allergy sufferers.

Group
Companion

The Mari-May Difference
Mari-May Schnoodles are the result of a very careful breeding program that considers not only the outstanding health of both parents but their exceptional personalities as well. This helps ensure that our Schnoodles are gentle, extremely social, sound minded and non agressive - wonderful family dogs in every way!

Our puppies are raised in an educationally enriching environment.
Our weaning process is carefully planned to minimize separation anxiety.
We firmly believe in the positive benefits of constant association between mothers and babies and wean our pups much later than most dog breeders.
All pups are weaned onto an exceptionally excellent of diet of natural whole foods to give them the most healthy start possible.
We believe in the careful socialization of each pup.
Their special climate controled nursery features many extras including classical music!
Pups are started in our special early Puppy-Kindergarten program before they leave for their new homes. Early training includes collar and leash conditioning, crate training, and introduction to other types of animals including cats.

The Mari-May Code of Ethics is a very high standard which encompasses our entire breeding program. We believe in the integrity of the work we do and know that our ethical commitment is important to our customers, our dogs and our pups.


Mari-May in the New Millenium
To further our ongoing commitment, Mari-May introduced a new initiative in the Schnoodle world. In 1998, Mari-May Kennels recommended the establishment of an official breed club specifically for Schnoodles and their foundation as breed in their own right. Since that time, a small group of dedicated breeders have been working together to establish an association for the betterment of the Schnoodle. We propose a code of ethics and breed standard to be used as a guideline for future development of the breed.



This project is still in the developmental stages but will hopefully have a site up and running in the future.



"Thank you so much for having such terrific puppies and doing so much to prepare them for their new homes. I wanted to let you know how much we appreciate the excellent qualities of our pup."

- a buyer in PA