Giant Schnauzer

Everything You Need to Know About the Giant Schnauzer

The Giant Schnauzer is an impressive breed, and we aren’t merely talking about it from a stature point of view. A wonderful personality accompanies their gorgeous appearances, and they will quickly become a huge part of your family. 

Don’t be fooled by the word ‘Giant’ here, as we aren’t talking about a dog the size of a Great Dane. Instead, this is a scaled-up version of the Miniature and Standard Schnauzer.

Elegant, intelligent, and full of character, there is so much to learn about the Giant Schnauzer and how to care for them correctly. So, if you would love to know more, then read on!

Fast Facts

Group - Working

Weight - 60-85 Pounds (male), 55-75 Pounds (female)

Height - 25-28 Inches (male)  23-26 Inches (female)

Hair Length - Moderate to Long

Shedding - Low

Lifespan - 12-15 Years

The General Appearance of a Giant Schnauzer

This breed does have the same appearance as the Standard Schnauzer but on a bigger scale. As such, they are easy to identify with their strong frame and instantly recognizable beard.

The adult dog will also tend to have something of a squareness about them from both height and length. Its square shape occurs because the length and height of the dog are the same. 

With a strong and rectangular head, large nose, high, cropped ears, and cropped tail wherever legal, the Giant Schnauzer looks like a practical working dog – and it most certainly is.

The fur of Schnauzer is double-coated with a wiry-dense outer coat and a soft, fluffy undercoat. The coat stands up stiffly off the back and the dog has a bushy set of whiskers, beard, and eyebrows, giving your pet a quizzical look something like the "old professor."

The Colors of a Giant Schnauzer

As the Giant Schnauzer is a purebred dog, the AKC does have distinct colors it accepts for anybody looking at potentially showing their dog. 

The two main colors accepted are:

• Solid Black
• Salt and Pepper

Also, they will often have this peppering effect around their eyebrows and beards.

Appearance and color options are only two aspects to think about, but there’s so much more to learn about the Giant Schnauzer. For example, what about their temperament?

The General Temperament of a Giant Schnauzer

This breed is brilliant as well as not being afraid to show affection to their owner. Also, they are independent in thought and exceptionally playful. As a result, the Giant Schnauzer temperament is nothing to worry about.

The Schnauzer is territorial, so they will seek to protect their family as well as their home. This means they can be prone to barking and alert you whenever they hear or encounter something that they believe is new or shouldn’t be there. 

As they are so intelligent, you need to keep them entertained as boredom can become a problem. Also, a Giant Schnauzer puppy left to their own devices in your yard will often result in holes being dug as they seek to keep themselves occupied. 

A Giant Schnauzer will also look at attempting to dominate. That does mean it can be tough to have them around a fledgling family unless you are experienced at training the breed. They are not aggressive or capable of putting kids in danger, but the dominant aspect can be a negative factor.

You can expect the breed to be full of fun and life but will seek to outsmart you. However, you will undoubtedly have a friend for life.

Their temperament also makes a difference when it comes to training this breed. So, what are they like to train?

Training Your Giant Schnauzer

Training a Giant Schnauzer is an absolute joy, and it’s also going to prove often to be easier than with other breeds. This is thanks to their intelligence, but to get the best out of them with training does mean you need to make things as fun as possible.

This breed will pick up on things quickly. They can spend time working out how not to completely obey you as they perceive that as some sort of game. So, when they do something wrong, it's not because they didn’t get what you wanted. 

Positive reinforcement is viewed as being the best form of training for Giant Schnauzer puppies. Offer food rewards at this point, and they will soon get the picture.

You need to socialize them as early as possible. They will love to explore, and this could be one of those times when they decide to ignore your commands.

Due to their intelligence, it’s often the case that the Giant Schnauzer is not for a first-time owner. 

Health Concerns and Nutritional Needs of Giant Schnauzer

The Giant Schnauzer is a relatively healthy breed, but there are still several potential problems.

The health issues to be aware of include:

• Hip Dysplasia
• Eye Problems
• Thyroid Issues

It’s also worth mentioning that they may also suffer from problems with other joints. Making sure this breed is not overweight is essential for this reason.

Finally, the breed can also suffer from bloat as well as gastric torsion at times. Once again, keeping an eye on how much you feed them and how often can make a difference with these potential health complaints.

This breed does have high energy levels, so it requires a significant amount of exercise of around one hour per day. Walking, or even going on a run with you, will be perfect.

It’s advised to provide your Giant Schnauzer with two meals a day. However, Giant Schnauzer puppies should be fed small meals four times a day until they are three months old. A puppy between three and six months should be fed three times a day. After that point, cut it down to two meals per day.

Also, they do relish treats, but use them more for a training aid as there is the chance of them developing obesity if you are not careful.

The History of the Giant Schnauzer

The Schnauzer originated in Bavaria, Germany, in late medieval times. The original Schnauzer was around the same size as the Standard of today. The Giant Schnauzer came a little later, possibly in the 17th Century, with the Schnauzer’s crossbreeding. Often they were used by farmers to drive cattle to market, as well as guard dogs. 

The breed was little known outside of Germany, where it was still primarily a working dog, until the 20th Century. The earliest documented examples of this breed existing abroad were not until the 1930s. But it was only in the 1960s, after being used as a military dog by the Germans in both world wars, that the Giant Schnauzer began to gain popularity worldwide. 

To this day, the Giant Schnauzer continues to excel as a working dog and is a very common police dog in the U.S.

Giant Schnauzer Mixes you would like to know about*

Dog crossbreeds or mixes are sometimes called designer dogs. The name fits since you are “designing” a new dog by mating two purebred dogs. It has become popular in recent times, and more and more breeds have several noteworthy crosses we could write about.

The thing with mixed puppies is that it is hard to know which characteristics they will inherit from their parents. You should research as much info as possible on the parent breeds to understand what you can expect. This way, you will find a mix that has all of the characteristics you want and love.

Read on to see the most popular Giant Schnauzer mixes:

• Giant Border Schnollie - Giant Schnauzer & Border Collie mix 
• Giant Schnauzer Pit - Giant Schnauzer & Pit Bull mix 
• Giant Schnoodle - Giant Schnauzer & Standard Poodle mix 
• German Schnauzer - Giant Schnauzer & German Shepherd mix

*Not all breed mixes are equal in quality! Pets4you.com neither condones nor endorses any example of unethical and unhealthy crossbreeding. We encourage everyone to research in detail before they choose to get a crossbreed.