Customer Testimonials
I can't thank you enough for the wonderful puppy we are so enjoying. I've owned several mini schnauzer puppies over the years, but this one is by far the best one I've ever brought home. From the initial contact to puppy pick up day, we could not have asked for a better breeder. My vet commented that this is a very well socialized, delightful, healthy puppy and she was so pleased I found her!
Chloe Faith (formerly known as Liza) has enchanted many people in our travels. She loves everyone she meets. I am constantly told what a beautiful mini schnauzer she is! We continue to socialize her, but you've given her such a spectacular start in life, not only with the socialization, but the crate training and potty training. She has slept quietly in her crate from the first night we brought her home. Potty training has been going well with her also, even with the challenge of the cold and wind! I was impressed by your knowledge of the breed, the communication and continued support and interest in our success.
I feel very blessed to have found you and this special little girl who's already stolen a great piece of our hearts!
Best wishes to you and your family in the future.
~Liza/Chloe's family
Our family is so grateful to have found Vanessa and Russell Homestead. Vanessa is a very devoted, caring family breeder. Her puppies are happy, healthy and well socialized. The Russell family does a fantastic job at raising happy, well-adjusted puppies. Our Gracie came to our home already understanding the basics of house training and is always eager and happy to run to us when we call her name. Our vet says she is perfect, and we absolutely agree! Raising a puppy is a lot of work but raising Gracie has been a joy. We look forward to many happy years with our young miniature schnauzer puppy!
~Gloria/Gracie's family
Mary/Bella is a fast learner. She will start her training and obedience classes soon, and I have been able to teach her quite a bit already. Potty training is also going well. Her vet is very impressed at how smart and well-socialized she is. I told him that is a direct reflection on you, your husband, and your children. Thank you so much!
~Mary/Bella's family
Your extremely informative website and blog was the first impression we had about what to expect with black and silver miniature schnauzers. Being able to read your mission statement and have visual access to all of the litters from over the years gave us a sense of how professional and committed you are as a breeder to one of our favorite breeds. We also loved the personalized naming of each puppy in the litter by your children!
After committing to purchase a puppy, we thoroughly enjoyed viewing your blog and learning about the whole process from their birth to how they developed physically and socially. We were delighted to see pictures and video of how your children interacted and played with the puppies, aiding their socialization. When visiting your home to choose our girl, it just confirmed what wonderful care she was receiving.
On the day we picked Hailie up, we appreciated all of the puppy care information and your willingness to answer all of the questions we had. What a nice touch to provide: a week's worth of food, a bag of buffalo lung, and a cozy hand stitched blanket with her name on it, making the transition to home easier.
Her first exam visit went well with everyone in the office commenting at how cute she was.
The vet was pleased with her current vaccination record and remarked on how calm and
well-adjusted she appeared.
Hailie is our fourth miniature schnauzer and she is by far the most playful, loving, and smart puppy we've owned😄
Our experience with you as a breeder far exceeded our expectations!
~Hallie/Eleanor's family
I hope that all is well with you and yours! I'm writing to let you know that Liza/Anna had her vet visit this morning. She weighed in at 5lbs and was declared "perfect." From the very first day, she has been eating, drinking, and "going" on a regular schedule. She is super sweet and a little bit spicy (in a good way)...She is very smart. I only had to show her the location of her water bowl one time and I can say, "Out," and she will run to the door. We will be enrolling her in a puppy class very soon. In the meantime, we have introduced walking on a leash and "sit."
It would be remiss of me not to mention the seamless transition she has had to crate training. I have trained several schnauzers in my life, and I've never witnessed anything quite like it. We have had zero issues/accidents in the crate! "Gobsmacked," flabbergasted, amazed...all of the above. Thank you so much for all of the hard work you put into getting these puppies off on the right "paw."
~Liza/Anna's family
When the time came to welcome a furry baby brother for our cairn terrier, my husband and I believed we may have found a good match in a miniature schnauzer. With little experience with the breed, we reached out to Vanessa, who proved to be a valuable resource, patiently answering our questions as we did our research. When we decided that this was, indeed, the right breed for our family, we knew that we had already made the acquaintance of a responsible family breeder.
Vanessa thoughtfully answered all of our questions about her in-home breeding program at Russell Homestead, and we knew that we were working with someone passionate about mini schnauzers, not just as a breeder, but as someone who knows and loves them as a pet owner.
We were very confident making a deposit, and were beyond impressed with the unparalleled devotion she showed while raising our litter, as well as with her communication for the entirety of the eight weeks our little guy was in her care. We were incredibly blessed to have a behind-the-scenes peek into the hard work that Vanessa and her children put in to raising the happy, healthy pups.
The best part, of course, was welcoming our new buddy into our home. He arrived not just well-adjusted, but loving and well-loved. We are so appreciative of all Vanessa did, and continues to do, for our and all of her puppies. We couldn’t be happier with our boy, or our experience with Russell Homestead.
Benny Fritz's family
After visiting day with the puppies we knew we had made the right decision with the Russells. Watching the interaction with the children and the puppies, we were confident our puppy was in a very loving home. Vanessa answered all of our questions regarding the care of our puppy, and we loved reading her blog every Monday as it kept us up to date on our puppy. The loving care the Russell family gave to these puppies truly warmed our hearts.
Liberty Joy's family
We feel so blessed to have found the Russell Homestead! After hearing horror stories about "puppy mills" the Russell Family put our minds at ease immediately. When we started our search for a reputable in-home breeder, we were realistic about the probability of finding one that fit our standards. The Russell Homestead met and exceeded our expectations! Our first time visiting the puppies it was obvious how much love they received by the entire family. The adult miniature schnauzers are all delightful well-behaved dogs. Tachi "adopted" our teenage son during our visit! After we brought home our new little furry family member, we realized just how much work they put into preparing puppies by starting them off with excellent socialization as well as early experience with crate training and housebreaking. We highly recommend the Russell Homestead!
Ada's family
The puppies raised at Russell Homestead are raised with lots of love and care. They are provided with high quality nutrition such as their mother’s milk, Life’s Abundance and goat milk from their Nubian goats. Above all they are raised with the family, and it makes the transition to going home with another family so much easier, I believe. Our puppy, Boaz, was so friendly, outgoing and confident! He was ready for crate training and really amazed me at how well he adjusted to our home and family. The Russell Family is a pleasure to work with. Vanessa is very knowledgeable and is very available and willing to answer any questions and concerns you may have. I have very much enjoyed the blog that let me feel so connected to Boaz from weeks 1-7. We are very grateful and pleased with our new addition .
Boaz's family
When we met our schnauzer puppy Hope for the first time, we immediately were impressed by how loved she was by the Russell family. It was important to us to have a dog that would do well with our four year old daughter. Our puppy was cared for in a house with the Russells' sweet children. Hope is a great family dog and immediately became a loved member of our family. We are so grateful to have found her!
Hope's family
Sadie is doing very well. She adjusted to our family; in one day, you would think she was here for ever. She came home well on her way to be potty trained. I would recommend the Russells for purchasing a puppy. A big "thank you" to Vanessa and Corby for the great job they did.
I had Sadie to the vet, and the vet said she was PERFECT - but I already knew that :). She is 6lbs 3oz and growing like a weed. She certainly is full of energy and we get the biggest laugh out of her. We couldn't be happier. Thanks Again!!!!
Sadie's Mom
I want to thank you and your family for all the for all the love and attention given to the puppies. Oscar (the former Tux ) is a fearless and loving little guy. He has grown since we picked him up and has settled into his new home as the top dog. I love the pictures and blogs posted that made us feel part of the first 8 weeks of his life and the wisdom departed. Thank you for a wonderful little addition to our family.
Lisa (new mom of Oscar)
"Working with the Russells was a pleasure. They were very accommodating in our request to see the puppies the night before Thanksgiving. Vanessa answered all of my questions and showed sincere interest in our family structure, including our three-year-old schnauzer. Our puppy Pepper came to us well on her way to being crate trained, and she is healthy and full of energy and mischief. She provides our family with many smiles and much laughter. I would recommend the Russells to anyone who is interested in purchasing a miniature schnauzer."
Debbie S., Lancaster, family of Esther