[nonnie of 2]

Ok.I just got a shnauzer/lab mix... I have read other
Comments... and I'm scared...
He is solid black with dark eyes... 7 weeks old
The other comments mentioned that this breed gets 50-60
Pounds.. I live in public houseing and there is a size limit.
I don't want to have to give him away.
He is small in size like a min shnauzer..
Will he stay small like a min schnauzer?

[joypulv]

A mixed breed dog can vary a lot in how much of each parent they get, and most won't be half the total weight of each breed. And labs and schnauzers vary a lot anyway. Labs generally run 60 - 80! Vets and other dog-knowledgeable people can sometimes guess based on how much they weigh as a pup, size of paws, etc. A 7 week old pup is going to need a vet for shots. What is the status of his shots? Public housing will require a license, and that means a rabies shot, and you pay a lot more if the dog isn't neutered. Are you prepared for the expense of owning a dog?

What is the size limit where you live? From what I have heard, public housing, condos, many multi-unit buildings have pretty small limits, around 15 to 20 lbs. I can almost guarantee you that your dog will exceed that. I know you are attached already, but you need to prepare for having to find him a new home.

Can you post some very clear pictures?

[tickle]

I don't think pictures will make any difference, but you are looking at a pretty hefty dog if you do have a lab/schnauzer mix. Actually Schauzers come in three sizes, mini, medium and giant and the giant schnauzers would be about 70 to 80 lbs at least. You did not do your homework I see ! Although you do have a couple of very intelligent mixtures there it won't make any difference to apartment rules and regulations.

Where did you purchase your pup, from a friend, a puppy mill, pet shop. Would they take the pup back if you asked ? You are not doing your dog any favours if you have problems along the line with your landlords. It will be a large dog the people you bought the dog from are actually telling you the truth about the origins.

[Catsmine]

First, you used the term "this breed." At a guess you got the term from a post about Standard Schnauzers, which run about that small. Labs average larger than that, but mixes usually run smaller than the parent strains. At a guess your new boy will run about 14 - 24 inches at the shoulder, which will put him in the medium to large category. Depending on how strict your project managers are, you might want to start looking for a new home for him.

[ma0641]

The "Lab" part should be a clue, they aren't small dogs.

[tickle]

The giant schnauzer is a pretty hefty dog, could weight up to 100 lbs. standard is about 60. So saying this pup is part schnauzer is a relative term and could mean anything from mini to giant. Schnauzers are part Bouvier, and that is a pretty hefty dog as well.

[Alty]

No one can even give an educated guess on how large a mixed breed will get. They're all small as puppies. I had a lab/border collie mix, an accidental litter my friend had, he owned both parents of these puppies so I knew them both. The father was a small border collie, less than 40 pounds. The mother was a lab, found in a dump site when she was only 2 weeks old, she grew to be much smaller than a regular lab, likely because of her tough start in life. She was actually smaller than the border collie when she was fully grown.

Long story short, we took one of the pups. He grew to over double the size of both his parents. He was 80 pounds on a slim day.

I now have a border collie mix again. When we got him at 8 weeks of age he could fit in both of my hands. He was tiny. He's not heavy, but he's a very tall and very long dog.

Next time do your homework before you get a dog. If there's a size restriction for where you live, look at small breeds. Labs are not small dogs, and there's no way to know which breed will be most dominant. Finding him a new home now is the best. It's much easier to rehome a puppy than it is to rehome an dog that's 6 months, a year, or more old.

[Sariss]

Your dog is small like a mini schnauzer because it is a puppy. Labs are medium-large breed dogs. Expect this dog to get to be more than 50lbs.