Giant Schnauzer Information

The Giant Schnauzer is an extremely playful, and constantly full of life and energy. Because of its large size and massive amounts of energy, it may not be the best playmate for small children. It is not aggressive towards children or anything of that nature, it just tends to be a very large dog with a lot of energy. As a family pet, it is great, especially if the children are a little older. It is very protective of its family and does not warm up to strangers right away. It can become aggressive towards other dogs as well. Its an extremely smart breed and a great companion if you are the adventurous type. It loves a good event. This breed, although a great companion, can also like to lead the pack so you may have a power struggle if you do go on an adventure.     

The Giant Schnauzer needs daily exercise and should live in a family that is able to keep it well maintained. Its exercise regimen usually consists of games where much energy is exerted, or long hikes and/or walks. As long as its body is moving on an every day basis, this dog will be en route to staying healthy. It can survive in outdoor climates, however, it thrives when its time is able to be split between a warm home with its family and the great outdoors. Families with fenced in yards are ideal for the Giant Schnauzer. Its coat requires adequate maintenance and should be brushed and combed at least twice a week. Its fur also is always growing so making sure it stays trimmed is key as well. It is recommended to shape your Giant Schnauzer’s coat about twice per year. This can be done by the owner or taken to a groomer.    

This dog breed does suffer from some health issues that should be noted. CHD, or Chronic Hip Dysplasia, is a condition that should be watched out for. If your dog begins to show any type of sign of this condition, you should take it to the local vet immediately in order to get it under control. If caught early, many conditions that target this breed are manageable. OCD, gastric torsion, and hypothyroidism are three conditions that are a bit more serious than Chronic Hip Dysplasia and tend to target the breed. The best protection your Giant Schnauzer can have is to make sure you are making yearly checkups to your local vet. You should be testing your dog for hip and thyroid issues to keep it healthy. If kept healthy, this breed will normally live anywhere from about 10 years of age to 12 years of age.   

This breed originated in Bavaria and Wurttemberg. The local cattleman were impressed by the standard schnauzers and thought it would make perfect sense to replicate the standard schnauzer, only make it bigger. And that is exactly what they did. Later in life, they had more fans in the butcher business as well as when they adopted the role of stockyard dogs.  

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