I have lots of firsthand experience with Wheatens and Schnauzers, and I HIGHLY recommend both of them.
Wheaties are a little bit less needy than Schnauzers, who want to be with you every second of the day. Neither breed is overly active.
They also have a different type of coat that is a lot harder to care for than Schauzers. If they are mixed, I don't know what kind of coat you could expect.
Wheatens are the BEST family dogs. Great with kids great size, easy to train, and just wonderful. Both breeds are softer in temperament than the average terrier. Neither of them are terriers in the true sense, anyway, and Wheatens actually did a lot of herding as part of their original purpose.
They are expensive to buy and to keep, but they are worth it. Make SURE you go through a good breeder, someone who is part of the National Club at the very least, and hopefully who belongs to a couple of local clubs, too. Also, make sure they do health testing for hips, eyes, autoimmune diseases like Addison's and thyroid testing.
You will need to comb (not brush, brushing is useless) your dog every week to get down to the skin. Brushing is only useful for the topcoat and does not really do anything. Wheatens have a ton of HAIR, and they need to be line brushed down to the skin every week. (WHen I say "brush" I mean combed, too.)
They are GREAT with kids, GREAT with people, and awesome to train.
ALl of the above goes for Schnauzers, too, but the grooming is waaaay easier. You can learn to clip them yourself, or you can take them to a groomer. For show, we strip schnauzers to the skin every few months, and it is a painful and long 5 stage process that takes over a month. But for a pet, you could use a 10 blade and scissors.
When we show Wheatens, we hand scissor everything with THINNING shears. This way there are no scissor marks. For a pet, you can just have a groomer do the dog every 4 weeks and they will use regular shears.
Anything else you want to know, just ask. I know a good breeder in the Midwest (Wisconsin) if you are interested.
TIA!
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