Mary Allen
The Giant Schnauzer is one of the better-known dog breeds. Here we tell you what the dog has to do with beer, the Alps, and Pinschers.
His name “giant schnauzer” alone says a lot about the dog: he is huge and his snout is his trademark. When you think of Schnauzers as more of a cuddly lap dog with a soft coat, this applies at best to Miniature Schnauzers and maybe even Medium Schnauzers. The giant schnauzer, on the other hand, is a dog with a lot of muscle power and a slightly fierce look when necessary, which makes you think twice about messing with him.
But basically, the giant is a loving, affectionate and playful dog. He loves his family more than anything, is bursting with the urge to move, and brings a good deal of stubbornness with him.
In our breed portrait of the Giant Schnauzer, you will find out all the relevant facts about the dog: how it differs from the Pinscher, what training and care it requires, and what it actually has to do with the Alps.
What does a Giant Schnauzer look like?
The appearance of the Giant Schnauzer is based on the typical features of the Schnauzer, only in large. Its body shape is compact and square. This means that the torso length corresponds approximately to the shoulder height. The dog has a powerful head shape with a flat forehead and a long muzzle. The typical identifying feature of the Giant Schnauzer is its lush beard around the snout. He also gave the breed its name. In addition, the equally lush eyebrows are striking.
The fur of the dogs is also a conspicuous identification feature. It is medium length, wiry, and dense with a soft undercoat. Breeding regulations only allow two coat colors: pure black or pepper salt. Incidentally, the wiry coat is the only feature that distinguishes the Schnauzer from the Pinscher. Aside from that, the dogs belong to the same breed type.
How big is a Giant Schnauzer?
As the name suggests: the dog has size. The average height at the withers is between 60 and 70 cm. There is little difference in size between males and females. This makes the dogs one of the larger dog breeds.
How heavy is a Giant Schnauzer?
The dogs weigh a lot: the schnauzers weigh between 35 kg and an impressive 50 kg on average. Here, too, there are hardly any differences between males and females.
How old does a Giant Schnauzer get?
The large schnauzer is one of the hardy dog breeds and usually lives to be between ten and twelve years old with good care, training, nutrition, and health. This life expectancy is quite typical for dogs of this size.
What character or nature does the Giant Schnauzer have?
The nature of the Giant Schnauzer corresponds to that of the other large utility and working dog breeds. The dogs are considered to be very intelligent, willing to learn, resilient, and sensitive. At the same time, they have their own mind and need a competent and trustworthy caregiver that they can rely on. He submits only with difficulty to insecure and inconsistent people and only unwillingly allows himself to be led by them.
However, if Schnauzers are raised lovingly and consistently as puppies, they develop into very loyal, affectionate, and gentle companions. They then become totally infatuated with their family and are desperate to please. With appropriate socialization, they get along well with children. However, children should be a bit older due to the strength and the rather exuberant temperament of the dogs, since male cubs in particular can be quite a whirlwind.
The Giant Schnauzer is usually suspicious and wary of strangers. With optimal training, the dog is reserved and skeptical, but never aggressive or threatening.
As with many working dogs, the Giant Schnauzer’s urge to move is enormous. He requires daily physical and mental challenges. This is the only way to do justice to his stormy temperament, his intelligence, and his excellently developed sensory organs. If the dog is not sufficiently utilized, it quickly develops behavioral problems that can become a problem for both it and its people.
Where does the Giant Schnauzer come from?
The development of the Giant Schnauzer is very closely linked to the development of the Pinscher. Because about a hundred years ago, Pinschers and Schnauzers were considered a common dog breed. Only then did one begin to distinguish between the individual dogs and to breed them with differentiated characteristics.
How long the history of the breed goes back and when exactly the differentiation between giant, medium, and miniature schnauzers began can no longer be determined today. It is believed that the Giant Schnauzer descended from farm and guard dogs such as the German Shepherd Dog and was used primarily as a herding dog in southern Germany from the 19th century.
Especially in the Alpine region, he served as a popular working dog on the alpine pastures, as he was excellently suited to driving herds of cattle up and down the mountains. Due to his endurance, but also his strength and vigilance, he was also used to protect the brewery carriages. That’s why it used to be called the “Bierschnauzer” in Germany.
In 1913, the large Schnauzer was registered for the first time as a breeding dog and in 1925 it was officially registered in Germany as a police and service dog. Nowadays, the breed is not used as often as a service dog, as the dogs have a somewhat more idiosyncratic head than other comparable service breeds. But as a family dog, the big dog is just as popular as its smaller brothers.
Giant Schnauzer: The right attitude and training
The education of a Giant Schnauzer is demanding and requires a lot of experience in dog ownership. Puppies are quite wild and active in all dog breeds. In the case of the Schnauzers, however, the youthful high spirits last particularly long and the dogs are only considered fully grown from around 2.5 years of age.
If you want to add a Giant Schnauzer to your family, you have to go through the full training program for a spirited working dog:
- early socialization,
- daily physical and mental challenges,
- Dog school,
- have fun and sports outdoors, and
- generally a consistent yet sensitive upbringing.
The dogs have to learn early on to subordinate themselves to their people, for which they need a self-confident and experienced caregiver. The dog is not suitable for insecure, nervous, or busy people.
The bigger the dog, the more space it needs. This also applies to the big Schnauzer. A garden is always optimal, but even more important are sufficient green and open spaces in front of the front door. The dogs can romp around on them so that they finally fall tired into the basket in the evening. The tiny park around the corner in the big city is not really suitable for this.
As with all large dog breeds, puppies should not climb stairs in their early years to avoid long-term damage to their joints.
What care does the Giant Schnauzer need?
The Schnauzer’s wiry coat does not shed. It must therefore be regularly brushed for maintenance and trimmed every few months. Be sure to also take care of your beard and eyebrows so that the luxuriant growth doesn’t overgrow your face.
What are the typical diseases of the Giant Schnauzer?
The breed enjoys good health and there are few known breed-specific hereditary diseases. Similar to many other large dog breeds, the Giant Schnauzer can suffer from hip dysplasia and other joint disorders. Fortunately, however, the probability of such a disease is low.
Make sure your dog has a balanced, high-quality diet. It makes a decisive contribution to the health of the bearded four-legged friends.
How much does a Giant Schnauzer cost?
With registered breeders in Germany, puppies cost an average of between 850 and 1,100 euros.
Only buy a puppy from reputable breeders. A species-appropriate and healthy rearing and husbandry are guaranteed here. Alternatively, you can also get lucky at the animal shelter.
Also, keep in mind that large dogs mean higher maintenance costs, especially for high-spirited dogs like the Giant Schnauzer. Toys, equipment, baskets, and even your expensive branded shoes are chewed through faster than you can buy them later.