Dog Breeds > Giant Schnauzer

The Giant Schnauzer

The Giant Schnauzer is a gentle and robust dog that makes not only a good pet and companion but also a very efficient therapy dog. This dog is an efficient guard dog as well as carting dog. As its master, You can put its vast amount of energy into almost anything that you wish to.

Energy Playfulness Intelligence Grooming Popularity

Fascinating Facts

The Giant Schnauzer also known as Riesenschnauzer originated from the Germanic area of Bavaria and Wurttenberg. The main purpose of this huge dog was to pull carts, guard dog and police assistant.  

Physical Appearance

The Giant Schnauzer stands and weighs about 26 – 28 inches and 60 – 80 pounds respectively. This strong and large dog has muscular and stocky built. The large head looks rectangular from a distance with a muzzle that is about the same length as its head. The nose of this dog is black and large. The lips are also dark and flapping. The eyes are dark, oval-shaped and medium-sized. The ears are V-shaped if not cropped and stands high on both sides of the head.

The Giant Schnauzer stands high and straight. The legs are also straight as well as the hairy tail. In the United States, the tail is normally docked to make the dog spruce. The Giant Schnauzer has short, thick and soft inner coat and wiry outer coat. The normal colors of this breed’s coat are black and salt-and-pepper.

Grooming

The coat of the Giant Schnauzer needs regular brushing especially the inner coat. The dense and soft inner coat gets tangled easily. Whenever you find knots on the coat, clip it as early as possible in order to maintain top condition. The hair in the eyes should be regularly trimmed so that the dog could see clearly. Also, check the ears on a regular basis so that ear-related infections could be avoided.

Mood

The Giant Schnauzer is a strong and intelligent working dog. This dog likes to be on its master’s company all day. It is an affectionate, gentle, loyal and calm especially if it had enough exercise for the day. This dog is very reserved to strangers and only early socialization and proper introduction to other people could make it more friendly and approachable.

To ensure that this breed would not get human-induced behaviors such as Small Dog Syndrome and Separation Anxiety, always bear in mind not to over pamper it. Untrained and spoiled Giant Schnauzers could have uncontrollable behavioral concerns such as jumping at strangers, obsessive barking, being dominant, guarding furniture and even attacking its own master.

With Children

This large dog is very affectionate to children especially if this dog has familiarized itself on them. Make sure that children with enough age and strength should play with the Giant Schnauzer to prevent them from being accidentally knocked out by it. Small children should be supervised when playing with this dog.

Training & Exercise

The Giant Schnauzer is very easy to train. This dog is an intelligent dog and it would surely learn everything that you teach it at the end of the day. It responds well to gentle and calm commands and instructions. This breed is also obedient enough to remain in focus especially if there are lots of distractions around the training area.

This breed has a lot of energy to spend that’s why daily exercise should be given to it. If possible, give this dog a chance to swim on a nearby pond or swimming pool. This dog also likes to hike and run alongside its master.

Health & Life Expectancy

The normal lifespan of the Giant Schnauzer is about 12 – 15 years. This gentle Giant is very prone to cancer especially to foot cancer. Studies show that even if you manage to detect it on its early stage. Hip dysplasia, bloat and hip epilepsy are also common ailments of this breed.

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