FAQ

Do you offer transport?

Yes, we do offer transportation! Puppies can be lovingly transported to any international airport via an in-cabin flight nanny or a trusted member of the Duke’s Schnauzers team for a flat rate of $500. Our flight nanny service, Pet Jet Pals, is fully licensed, insured, and bonded up to $5,000 per pet. All puppies travel in a soft-shell pet carrier and remain under constant supervision throughout the journey. During the flight, puppies are either held in the flight nanny’s lap or placed securely under the seat in front of them. Puppies are never transported in the cargo area.

How much do puppies cost and what does each purchase include?

Our puppy pricing varies based on size, color, and rarity. Common Miniature Schnauzer colors typically range from $3,000–$3,500. Less common colors, toy size puppies, or puppies with colored eyes range from $3,600–$6,000. We are also proud to be one of the only breeders offering the EXTREMELY RARE rust-colored Miniature Schnauzer from champion lines. Please see our Pricing tab for more details. Each puppy purchase includes far more than what most breeders offer. Our puppies are raised using a one-of-a-kind program developed at Duke’s Schnauzers that includes Early Neurological Stimulation (ENS), Early Scent Introduction (ESI), and the Puppy Culture™ daily curriculum. Beginning on day three, puppies are exposed to carefully planned sensory experiences that help create confident, well-socialized, and resilient companions.

Buyers receive access to our 24/7 live puppy camera starting at 3 weeks of age, weekly pup-dates through our exclusive puppy portal, and lifetime breeder support. All dams and sires are DNA tested through Embark with eyes and hearts certified healthy through OFA. Every puppy comes with a 10-year congenital health guarantee.

Before going home, puppies receive dew claws removed, tails docked, vaccinations (including an additional parvo vaccine), deworming, a negative fecal test, veterinary health certificate, microchip, grooming, proof of AKC registration eligibility, and a puppy folder. Buyers also receive a generous puppy package or gift card, plus 30 days of complimentary Trupanion pet insurance. Breeding dogs is our full-time profession. Our dogs are raised inside our home as family members and are never housed in kennels or puppy mill conditions. We strongly discourage supporting puppy mills, as cheaper puppies often come with costly health and temperament issues later on.

What is the Duke's Difference?

The Duke’s Difference is our commitment to exceptional care and an unmatched puppy-buying experience. Our puppies—and our buyers—are always our top priority.Each puppy is health guaranteed, thoroughly health-screened, and thoughtfully socialized with dogs and children. They also benefit from Early Neurologic Stimulation (ENS) and the Puppy Culture Program, helping them grow into confident, well-adjusted companions. We believe the process of bringing your puppy home should be just as special as the puppy itself. From clear communication to ongoing support, we focus on building a positive, lasting relationship between you and your new family member—because this level of care should be standard, but too often isn’t.

How are the puppies socialized and trained?

This is a question we receive often. All of our puppies are hand-whelped in our home and raised with regular, intentional handling by our family, including supervised interaction with children. As they mature, puppies are also thoughtfully socialized with our well-balanced adult dogs. Beyond daily in-home exposure, we incorporate Jane Killion’s Puppy Culture™ methodology into our breeding program, which provides a structured, science-based approach to puppy development from birth through eight weeks of age. From this foundation, we have developed a one-of-a-kind curriculum that outlines purposeful daily exercises designed to support each puppy’s neurological, emotional, and physical development.

For more information about this exceptional program, please visit our Puppy Culture page.

What is early neurologic stimulation and why is it important?

Early Neurologic Stimulation or ENS, is incredibly important for puppies. It is a set of five simple exercises designed to stimulate your puppies neurological, endocrine and circulatory systems at a point when their brain’s are undergoing massive development. Studies have shown that exposing neonatal mammals to small, brief amounts of stress effectively inoculates them to future stress, meaning that they will be more stable, calm and able to deal with stress as adults. For dogs, this translates into pets that are more able to adapt to their lives in the human world and have less behavioral issues and an even temperament. ENS is performed on all our puppies for 3-5 seconds, 1 time per day, for 14 days (3-16 days old). ENS is beautifully incorporated in Jane Killion's Puppy Culture Program which we abide by.

Is there a waitlist option?

Yes! Joining our waitlist is the best way to secure the exact puppy you’re hoping for. Wait times typically range from 2–12 months, depending on the color(s) you’re interested in, so we encourage prospective families to reach out early.

A $450 non-refundable deposit is required to join a litter waitlist. If you choose not to move forward with a puppy from the litter you are waitlisted for, your deposit will automatically roll over to future litters until you are matched with a puppy that best suits your family’s needs.

To be added to our waitlist, please complete the puppy application located at the top of our Purchase Information page and review the puppy contract.

Do you allow puppy visits or in home tours?

Please inquire directly regarding this.

What are the differences between a large scale breeder and a smaller scale breeder, and how to determine which breeder is right for you.

The most meaningful difference between an intentionally run breeding program and a large-scale operation is time—time spent with each dam, time devoted to each puppy, and time invested in early development, health, and emotional well-being. In an in-home program, puppies are raised with constant human interaction and individualized care. Their development is closely observed, milestones are supported, and early experiences are thoughtfully designed to build confidence, resilience, and adaptability. Dams are supported throughout pregnancy and whelping, with the breeder present and prepared to intervene when needed. Health screening, genetic testing, and preventive care are non-negotiable.

Large-scale operations, by necessity, function differently. As volume increases, individual attention decreases. Puppies may receive limited social exposure and environmental enrichment, and preparation for life beyond their early weeks can be minimal. While contracts or guarantees may be offered, they are often made possible by scale rather than prevention-focused practices.

We believe deeply in quality over quantity. Our program is intentionally structured so every dog and every puppy receives daily interaction, hands-on care, and unwavering attention from birth through placement. At Duke’s Schnauzers, all breeding dogs are health tested, DNA screened, and OFA certified, and puppies are raised in our home with daily enrichment and purposeful care.

While our program has grown to meet the demand of our pre-birth waitlist, our standards have not changed. Any growth has been intentional and carefully managed, supported by the same level of in-home raising, individualized attention, and uncompromising commitment to health and development that defines Duke’s Schnauzers.

We encourage prospective families to research breeders carefully and consider the environment in which their puppy is raised. While lower upfront pricing may be appealing, the long-term emotional, behavioral, and financial costs of compromised breeding practices often emerge later.