Giant Schnauzer

The Giant Schnauzer is a fairly big breed of dog that is the most famous of the three known breeds of Schnauzer. Just like any breed of large dog, this breed too requires an adequate amount of exercise and work. A tough and intelligent breed, this dog can be an actual “man’s best friend”. Due to the immense amount of responsibility, the Schnauzer is a loyal and extremely helpful dog that requires a minimum amount of training.

Known to have originated in Germany, this breed is known as ‘Das Riesenschnauzer’ in local terms. The most unique and peculiar feature of this breed is its muzzle. Therefore, the name ‘Schnauzer’ seems to be just right for its appearance. In German, the word ‘Schnauzer’ means muzzle. Though its origin seems quite vague, studies have revealed that this breed might have been crossed with breeds such as Great Danes and other local German breeds. This resulted in a fine and quite a workaholic breed, just fit to be a sheep and cattle dog. It was way back, late 1920 and early 1930 that this breed was first introduced in the United States. It soon gained immense popularity in both U.S and Canada. Extensively used by the Germans in the Second World War, the Giant Schnauzer was a helpful tool in any job that was allotted to it.

Common all over Germany, these four legged canines were used by herdsmen in Bavaria and were later on used for security and safety purposes by many shop owners and other business men. Once the capability of the Giant Schnauzer was recognized, it was soon used for detective and police purposes. Today, used in airport security in the U.S and Canada, it is now gaining popularity throughout the world. This breed is a genuine and truthful breed that could go to any extent to save lives and would do almost anything for its owner. More powerful than the standard Schnauzer, it is the biggest amongst its three other relatives. Quite reliable and trustworthy in nature, the Schnauzer can be an ideal watch dog too.

Athletic, sporty and adventurous are the perfect synonyms to describe this breed. It has rough curly hair that covers its body almost entirely. Ranging from lightest grey to black in color, this breed grows to a height of 24-28 inches and can weigh approximately 32-45 kg. Due to its long and dangled hair, these dogs require a daily grooming session that has to be carried out quite religiously. Though, like both the other Schnauzer breeds, this breed too is hypoallergenic in nature. This means that the Giant Schnauzer hardly sheds hair which makes them compatible to people who are prone to respiratory conditions.

It is very important to know the history of the dog being bought when it comes to the Giant Schnauzer. Depending on the breeder, Giant Schnauzers can either be working dogs or serve as a family pet. It purely depends on their temperament and nature. One of the easiest ways to find this out is by gathering information about the bloodline of the pup and the temperament of its parents. This dog usually does extremely well once trained, but can be quite a nuisance if not attended to. It can serve as an excellent family pet if allowed, but can also become grumpy and quite aggressive if it has a bloodline of parent dogs that have been field dogs.