Giant Schnauzer Dog Breed:

The Giant Schnauzer is one of the three schnauzer breeds and is compact, large and powerful weighing between 70 and 100 lb and it height varies from 59-70 cms at the withers.



A robust dog, it has a strong, rectangular head and powerful jaws with a scissor bite. Although they have a soft undercoat, the hair is generally wiry and coat colour ranges from black to salt or pepper. The breed has been traced back to 1832 and was then called “oblanders” found in cattle and pig farms in the Bavarian highlands in Germany.



Officially, however, the breed standard was established as late as 1923 and their numbers reduced considerably due to the First World War. Their present numbers are the result of a sustained effort to re-establish the breed.  

Giant schnauzer dogs are extremely cute as puppies but grow at an alarming rate and require care and grooming on a weekly basis.



Attention must be paid to the teeth, eyes, ears, feet and nails while also bathing and brushing its coat. Loyal and intelligent, they are also extremely energetic and its rough playing till the age of two may not be conducive for an environment with small children. Its dominant nature sometimes pushes its master to prove to it that it can be controlled and hence it requires a trained handler who is confident about his/her leadership abilities. The trainer should also be friendly and should not be harsh towards the dog as this could do serious harm. It is advisable to begin training giant schnauzer puppies at least by the age of two months. The dog requires an exercise regimen that involves the outdoors at least twice a day and it has enough stamina to take a fifteen mile hike a day. They can run alongside the owner’s bike but may not be suitable as a hunting dog because of their wilful nature.

The breed is extremely popular as a guard dog and is capable of subduing unwanted visitors especially if they detect something threatening. Their size and strength are an added bonus to their domineering, wilful nature and care must be taken to channelize their strengths for the purposes of their owner. The instinct to protect is sometimes so strong that they tend to follow the owner around the house. They are popularly employed as police dogs, guard dogs, rescue dogs and sled dogs. Capable of guarding premises, they are also known to perform rescue operations in mountain regions and in water. The dog is, however, susceptible to hip and elbow dysplasia, gastric torsion, hypothyroidism, immune medicated haemolytic anaemia, epilepsy, incontinence and toe cancer.