Basics for a struggled future dog owner

Question
First of all, I would love to sincerely thank you for being a person that can help others in times of need. I am desperate right now for answers to my questions, and I really appreciate people like you.

I should introduce myself. I'm a 12 year old boy, who lives in a four bedroom house, with my mother and father, and a couple other pets (a guinea pig, and two parakeets. We also have a family aquarium. I am greatly interested in miniature schnauzers, and have researched on them for about a week now, but I'm still very confused. I understand the best chance for me to get a very very young pup (maybe 8 weeks old or younger?) is summer vacation, because that's when I'll be home a lot of times (I understand that young puppies need lots of care and are time-consuming). So before I start to start a family debate on the purchase of a miniature schnauzer, I want to find out all about the breed/dog care in general so I can put up a good argument, and ultimately, win favor of my father (I doubt my mother will be enthusiastic about a dog.) I am warning you in advance that I will ask a LOT of questions.

1. I live in California (random fact). Okay, so, will a miniature schnauzer fit me? I can keep my other pets safe very well (put up a metal dog-fence, etc...). My concern is, will a mini schnauzer be a good dog for the first-time dog owner?

2. I am greatly confused. Is it absolutely necessary to buy from a breeder, or can I buy from a dog store (barkworks) that told me that they only get dogs from private breeders throughout the country? Just type in barkworks in google, and click on the first dog-related link, to evaluate them.

3. Can you recommend me a good crate size? I understand that puppies grow, and I don't want to buy a crate that is too small/big. Also, while we are talking about crates, can you tell me if I should crate train or not?

4. Do I have to put a collar/leash on him? I don't like the idea of restraining my dog(of course I will do it if you say yes), and furthermore, there is a amazingly beautiful collie that is owned by a old charming lady in our neighborhood, and she walks her collie without a collar. She just slowly walks around the neighborhood, and the dog faithfully follows her. When he lingers too long at a tree and the lady has moved quite a bit from him, she claps twice, and the dog obediently comes.

5. Prepare for this. Before I ask this dreaded question, I will say that I can deal with everything my dog does. However, this is an extremely important question that I think I should know about. HOUSEBREAKING.

First of all, before going into directions/details, which do you think is better, litterbox training, newspaper training, "outside" training (the most common one, i believe?, or other "foundations?" My only concern about all of these, is that, well... okay, I'll list my opinions.

Newspaper, in my opinion, is great, but the thing is that as I said, my mother isn't too enthusiastic about keeping a dog, and I think she'll literally choke my dad until he decides to let go of the dog, if he keeps on eliminating inside the house until the house smells like dog feces. I can take the newspaper outisde, but this method really isn't my favorite. Plus, if he sees my dad's news, he'll likely eliminate on it right?

Litterbox training: I really like this one, but I think it's quite difficult to train the dog to do this.

Outside training: Another great method, in my opinion. However, my concern is that the dog will refuse to eliminate when traveling. This also brings up another question: how do I let my dog eliminate if he is traveling/in a place not familar/his home?

Getting that aside, is it really true that If I buy a puppy, I have to take him outside every hour (to eliminate)? How long do I have to do this? If I buy a puppy at July, then will I still have to do this at September (school starts)? Because then, I'll be at school until 3 o'clock, and during that time, I'm ready to bet 100 dollars that my mom would never take him outside.

Okay, other details. So exactly how do I housebreak him? Internet and books have offered me not the exact thing I am looking for. I am looking for a step-by step guide that will help me house-train my dog, based on the method (litterbox, outside, newspaper, or other) that you recommend.

6. Another thing. Will dogs' diseases be easily trasferred to humans?

7. Will miniature schnauzers shed like crazy?

8. Maybe you can answer this another time, when I ask you this again. Just in case you feel like answering this big question, can you please tell me/show me/etc how to groom a dog? I can take him to Petco's grooming center regularly for trims, but I would love it if I can groom him myself.

9. Male of female? Okay, maybe, as millions say, "they are all the same, when neutered/spayed." However, there should be some differences of personality between the sexes, right? If there are, can you describe it for me?

10. Should I register my dog in the AKC? I would love to train my dog as a hobby (agility, etc), but I understand that it will be very hard, and requires a great trust for me from the dog. In short, what are the benefits of the AKC, and are Miniature Schanuzers obedient/easy to train?

I will, if you don't mind, ask a lot more questions on other topics, such as their daily needs, care basics, and training, but right now, I think I asked way too much. I'll ask other questions next time.

If you do decide to answer my above quesitons (1~10), I can never repay you. I just thank you so much for being there for people like me.

Thank you so much.(I don't say this very often, but I mean it when I say it.)  

Answer
And here I was just thinking that I would answer one last question before doing dogs and going to bed<GGGGG> Kiddo, you need a book, or two<G>

First, go to my website http://britmorschnauzers.com There is a fair amount of information there, particularly on grooming.

>>1. I live in California (random fact). Okay, so, will a miniature schnauzer fit me? I can keep my other pets safe very well (put up a metal dog-fence, etc...). My concern is, will a mini schnauzer be a good dog for the first-time dog owner?

Not all of them do, but many schnauzers have a high prey-drive; DO be sure your other pets are kept up out of harm's way! Schnauzers were bred to kill vermin, etc., and many still do that job very well. They are the MOST wonderful dogs. They do require a firm hand and consistent training. From your questions, I think you will be just fine.

>>2. I am greatly confused. Is it absolutely necessary to buy from a breeder, or can I buy from a dog store (barkworks) that told me that they only get dogs from private breeders throughout the country? Just type in barkworks in google, and click on the first dog-related link, to evaluate them.

Yes, one should *always* buy from a reputable breeder who will stand behind the dogs he/she breeds.
http://www.mscnc.us/    
http://mscsc.org/
"Private breeders" are nothing more than puppy mills, cranking out dogs to make money. *NEVER BUY A DOG FROM A PET STORE!*

Also, never get a puppy that is less than eight weeks old; they need to learn to inhibit their bites from mother and littermates and learn to "speak dog" during that time. If you get a puppy that is a little bit older, housebreaking may already have been started.
  
>>3. Can you recommend me a good crate size? I understand that puppies grow, and I don't want to buy a crate that is too small/big. Also, while we are talking about crates, can you tell me if I should crate train or not?

A crate is essential for housebreaking and creating a well-behaved dog; it keeps him out of trouble. Proper size would generally be a "medium" with dimensions around 27L x 20W x 19H. This might be a bit too large for a new puppy, but it can be made smaller by sticking a large box in the back of the crate.

>>4. Do I have to put a collar/leash on him? I don't like the idea of restraining my dog(of course I will do it if you say yes), and furthermore, there is a amazingly beautiful collie that is owned by a old charming lady in our neighborhood, and she walks her collie without a collar. She just slowly walks around the neighborhood, and the dog faithfully follows her. When he lingers too long at a tree and the lady has moved quite a bit from him, she claps twice, and the dog obediently comes.

Yes, you absolutely MUST have a collar and leash on a schnauzer when walking him! Along with that high prey drive is a high chase instinct. If he sees something he wants, he will go after it! A schnauzer is definitely not an old collie, albeit a well-trained one. Be sure to ask the collie lady where she went to train her dog!

>>5. First of all, before going into directions/details, which do you think is better, litterbox training, newspaper training, "outside" training (the most common one, i believe?, or other "foundations?" My only concern about all of these, is that, well... okay, I'll list my opinions.

>>Outside training: Another great method, in my opinion. However, my concern is that the dog will refuse to eliminate when traveling. This also brings up another question: how do I let my dog eliminate if he is traveling/in a place not familar/his home?

Outside training is the only way to go, in my opinion. The other methods involve the dog eliminating in the house, and the purpose of housebreaking is to get the dog to go OUTSIDE. Take the dog many places when he is young and he will learn to eliminate anywhere.

>>Getting that aside, is it really true that If I buy a puppy, I have to take him outside every hour (to eliminate)? How long do I have to do this? If I buy a puppy at July, then will I still have to do this at September (school starts)? Because then, I'll be at school until 3 o'clock, and during that time, I'm ready to bet 100 dollars that my mom would never take him outside.

Housebreaking proceeds at its own rate, depending on the individual dog and the consistency of the owner. The first accident is the puppy's, and all others are the owner's for not paying enough attention to the puppy and its needs. Puppies are good for about four hours in a crate, and then they need to go outside to potty. The entire family needs to sit down and discuss this and all need to be willing to take care of the puppy in order for housebreaking to be successful. When loose in the house (limit the areas he is loose in), a young puppy is good for only about 20-30 minutes, so one must be on his toes to get the puppy out often. As the puppy ages, the length of time between potty breaks lengthens, as will the time he will be able to last in the crate.

>>Okay, other details. So exactly how do I housebreak him? Internet and books have offered me not the exact thing I am looking for. I am looking for a step-by step guide that will help me house-train my dog, based on the method (litterbox, outside, newspaper, or other) that you recommend.

There are several sites that describe housebreaking. It's not too difficult. Puppy goes out immediately after waking, eating, and playing, and a few million times in-between those activites<G>
http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?cls=2&cat=1548&articleid=157
http://www.inch.com/~dogs/housebreaking.html

>>6. Another thing. Will dogs' diseases be easily trasferred to humans?

No, there aren't too many. Strep and staph are two, along with parasites. One should always wash his hands after playing/petting the dog and certainly before eating. I do not allow my dogs to lick me on the face.

>>7. Will miniature schnauzers shed like crazy?

Schnauzers shed very minimally. If he is kept groomed and brushed, you will not even notice the shedding.

>>8. Maybe you can answer this another time, when I ask you this again. Just in case you feel like answering this big question, can you please tell me/show me/etc how to groom a dog? I can take him to Petco's grooming center regularly for trims, but I would love it if I can groom him myself.

See the URL of my webpage up above. PetCo's groomers usually are not the best. Your breeder might be willing to groom your dog for you.

>>9. Male of female? Okay, maybe, as millions say, "they are all the same, when neutered/spayed." However, there should be some differences of personality between the sexes, right? If there are, can you describe it for me?

There can be individual differences, but to generalize, the males are much more sweet and loving and follow "their person" everywhere, while the girls tend to be much more independent, and are often more intelligent than the boys.

>>10. Should I register my dog in the AKC? I would love to train my dog as a hobby (agility, etc), but I understand that it will be very hard, and requires a great trust for me from the dog. In short, what are the benefits of the AKC, and are Miniature Schanuzers obedient/easy to train?

A dog doesn't HAVE to be registered, but if you are going to pay all that money to get a purebred dog, why NOT register it? Once you get into training, you may have an interest in doing a bit of showing, and having the dog already registered makes that a lot easier. AKC does have a junior handling program to encourage kids to show in conformation and the performance events. http://www.akc.org/kids_juniors/index.cfm?nav_area=kids_juniors

Schnauzers are very easy to train, but you will get out of a dog exactly what you put into it. Their biggest problem is their intelligence, and they can really make the owner have to think sometimes in order to outsmart them! A schnauzer can have great patience if there is something it wants. Most schnauzers do extremely well with motivational training, and many LOVE to eat!

My two daughters trained their first dogs when they were 11 and 8 years old. The younger girl ended up being my "dog person", and she started showing in obedience when she was probably about your age. She "lives and breaths" agility now... absolutely LOVES it!

One forum you might want to join to learn more about schnauzers is http://simplyschnauzer.net/forum/index.php There is TONS of information there, but it does require membership.... using one's real name and not a screen name. Maybe I will see you there, Raymond!