12 Surprising Ways Schnauzers Show Affection (#3 Is Funny)

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Since your schnauzer isn’t able to come out and say, “I love you!” you might wonder how they show affection. You might also be wondering if schnauzers are affectionate dogs in general. Well you’ve come to the right place.

Are Schnauzers Affectionate:

Schnauzers are absolutely affectionate dogs. They were bred to hunt, herd and guard their farm families which means they naturally develop an especially strong bond with their owner(s). Specific ways a schnauzer may show affection are eye contact, licking, cuddling and bringing you their favorite toy.

In this post you’ll discover some of the more interesting ways schnauzers show affection, why certain things might not mean what you think as well as an instinctual way schnauzers specifically to show affection.

Way #3 is super strange but quite funny!

Let’s dive right in.

Table of Contents

12 Ways Schnauzers Show Affection

1) Constant Cuddles

When your schnauzer is comfortable enough to cuddle with you, it says a lot.

Oftentimes their back will be turned to you or their belly will be facing up, and to them, these are vulnerable positions.

By exposing themselves like this when cuddling they’re also saying that they trust you.

And trust & affection go hand-in-hand.

Also, physical contact between a dog and their owner has been proven to release oxytocin in both the dog and the person.

Oxytocin is known as the happiness hormone. The more you have of it in your system, the happier you’ll feel in any given moment.

So when you cuddle with them by having them on your lap or beside you, when petting them, or when they lean up against you, this is making your pup feel happy.

And if something as simple as cuddling and physical contact in general can make them happy, of course it’s because they have lots of love and affection toward you.

2) Bringing You Their Favorite Toy(s)

When your schnauzer brings you a prized possession of theirs, it’s a clear sign of love & affection.

Of course, sometimes they’re asking you to play with them.

But other times it’s their way of demonstrating you’re the leader of their pack and this gesture shows their appreciation toward you.

They love being a part of your pack so much that they want to keep their spot.

So they bring you things they love dearly as a gift.

You may also notice your schnauzer brings you dead animals and this is for similar reasons.

They’re showing their value to your pack and they want to please you.

A schnauzer won’t bring things to a person they don’t dearly love.

3) “The Rock” Eyebrow Raise

An interesting study done in 2013 looked at how a dog’s facial expressions changed based on seeing toys, strangers as well as their owner.

After closely watching several dogs react to seeing toys, strangers and their owner, they found the dog’s faces adjust in a particular way when seeing their owner.

Specifically, they noticeably raise their left eyebrow when reintroduced to their owner.

And the study concluded that this was because of their emotional attachment to their owner.

Which may sound a little silly.

But if you notice your schnauzer giving you their own version of the Dwayne “The Rock” Johnson eyebrow lift, they’re flashing a sign of affection.

Specifically with their left eyebrow though! Who knows what the right means…

4) Licking You

When a dog licks you it can be for many reasons.

And it’s still not 100% certain that when a dog licks you, it’s a form of kissing the way you and I understand kissing.

However, there are still reasons that your schnauzer will lick you that we do know demonstrates their affection toward you.

One is that they simply enjoy the smell and taste of you.

Your schnauzer experiences the world around them through their nose and mouth.

So when they repeatedly lick your face, arm or feet, in their own way they’re saying they like your taste and scent.

Sort of like when someone compliments your outfit or when they tell you you look great today!

Another reason your schnauzer will lick you as a sign of affection is because it’s what their mother used to do to them.

When they were just a pup, their mother would groom and clean them to keep them healthy.

And since they obviously loved their mother dearly, they took this as a sign of affection.

So when they do this to you, it’s a labor of love.

5) Nudging You

Whether it’s pawing at you, poking you with their nose, or bumping you with their butt, when your schnauzer nudges you they’re displaying affection.

There’s not much that your pup wants in this world.

Food, shelter, and the attention of a loved one.

And if they’re frequently trying to get you to interact with them by nudging you, it’s a clear sign of their affection toward you.

Your attention brings them so much happiness they simply want to spend more quality time with you.

Whether it’s nudging you to play, cuddle, or to go for a walk.

They want nothing more than to do something with you specifically.

6) Big Sighs

If you’re sitting on your couch watching T.V minding your own business.

Then your schnauzer comes into the room, plops themselves on the couch with you, or on the floor somewhere close.

Then, let out a big, dramatic sigh.

It’s a sign of them showing contentment.

They’re at peace when around you and vocalize it by letting out a big sigh.

Very different from why you and I sigh!

7) Big Hellos, Sad Goodbyes

If your schnauzer can’t contain their excitement when you come home, it’s a clear sign of their affection.

“Oh boy! Mom/Dad’s home!”

You can likely tell they’re excited because they won’t sit still, can’t seem to get close enough to you and their whole bum is wagging.

If you didn’t mean the world to them they wouldn’t give you such a special hello!

You may also notice how sad they become when you’re about to leave.

They may sit by the door as though saying, “Please take me with you!”.

With their big puppy dog eyes.

Then as soon as you leave them behind they rush to a window they can watch you leave through.

They’re left with a heavy heart and can’t wait for you to come home.

They certainly wouldn’t make these occurrences such a big deal if they didn’t love you with their whole heart.

8) They Make Eye Contact With You

When a dog stares into your eyes, recent studies have found it can actually be a sign of affection.

For a long time it was only thought that when a dog has a staring contest with their owner, they’re attempting to assert their dominance.

And whoever breaks eye contact first is the submissive of the two.

But recent studies have found that’s not the only reason for a dog to stare into their owners eyes.

A study done in 2015 found that when a dog and their owner stare into eachothers eyes it increases oxytocin levels in both the owner and their dog.

And as previously mentioned, oxytocin is known as the happiness hormone.

Which means because your schnauzer has a strong emotional connection with you, your gaze makes them feel good.

If they were to look into a stranger’s eyes they wouldn’t get the same ‘feel good’ sensation and would likely be attempting to assert dominance.

But because you two have such a great bond, even eye contact has become a form of affection.

9) Turbo Tail Wag

Turbo tail wag which often turns into a whole butt shake is a clear sign of affection.

If when they see you they aren’t able to contain their excitement which makes their tail go ballistic, they have strong feelings of affection for you.

They might give a slight tail wag to strangers and other people, but for you it’s a turbo tail wag.

And it’s only because they love you so much.

10) Recognize Your Name

If whenever they hear your name, they get excited, this is another sign of affection.

I’ll never forget when I was a kid.

If my mom would leave for a couple days, our dog Cherri would miss her so much.

But on the day she’d be coming home and someone were to say, “Mom’s coming home today”, or “Mom’s home!”

She would immediately start to get excited after hearing ‘mom’.

So if your schnauzer recognizes your name and their ears perk up and get excited when they hear it, they love you and can’t wait to see you.

11) Attempt To Herd Stray Family Members

Schnauzers were bred to herd cattle and other livestock.

And because of this, they take great pride in keeping their family together and ensuring no one strays off and is put in danger.

So if you notice when outside with your family and pup, that if someone starts to stray, your schnauzer attempts to bring them back to the pack, it’s a sign of affection.

They don’t want anything bad to happen to them and know you’re stronger as a group.

Which makes them do their best to stay on duty and keep everyone grouped together.