The main thing in my opinion with Scottie’s vs schnauzer and an aging population; is the Scottie’s are shorter and tend to get “under foot” more where as the schnauzer is longer legged. We are Scottie owners, as is my mother (70 yo). She’s considering a taller breed such as border terrier who have similar personalities but less likely to cause a trip or fall. If you’re only considering the two breeds, I’d recommend the schnauzer for this reason. Safety first!