The Big, Brave and Bold Giant Schnauzer Dog Breed

Everyone knows of the Schnauzer breed, but have you ever heard of the divine Giant Schnauzer? This pup is a bigger, even more lovable version of the well-known classic Standard Schnauzer canine companion.

With its bold look, imposing size and fiercely loyal personality, this dog is a real win for those seeking a doggo for security and companionship! If you’re considering owning one of these special pooches, everything you ever wanted to know about the unique Giant Schnauzer is right here.

The Giant Schnauzer is a working group dog that originated in the Bavarian region of Germany during the 17th century. They were a specific breed to the area, like other dogs that are known to be specific to regional areas, such as Portuguese Podengos, Lagotto Romagnolo, Central Asian Ovtcharkas, Welsh Corgis and Basset Griffon Vendeens.

The Giant Schnauzer is the largest of the Schnauzer breeds, with it also appearing in miniature and standard versions. It is believed its large size was obtained through breeding of the Standard Schnauzer with larger dogs, such as Great Danes, German Pinschers, and Bouvier de Flandres.

This large dog was originally bred to work on farms guarding property, and helping herd livestock to the market. Later they were guard dogs in the cities to protect breweries, stockyards, and factories.

During World War 1 and 2, the Giant Schnauzer gained popularity with the military and became more well-known outside the Bavarian region.

The first Giant Schnauzers made their way to America during the 1930’s and were officially recognized by the American Kennel Club in the year 1930. Initially rare, over time they became more and more popular in the US, prized for their loyalty and intelligence.

The Giant Schnauzer really stands out in a crowd – and it’s not just because of its gigantic size! It has classic Schnauzer breed’s good looks, which it shares with the Standard Schnauzer and the Miniature Schnauzer.

These dashing looks feature a dense, wiry fur coat with minimal shedding designed to ward off vermin, and their signature bushy eyebrows and long muzzle beard.

Giant Schnauzers are solid dogs with a defined ‘block’ shaped body, long legs, a strong rectangular muzzle and deep-set eyes. Their coats come in two colors: black, and salt and pepper, which is a mix of black and white fur.

The Giant Black Schnauzer is the more common of the two. Schnauzers possess an upright tail, which is sometimes docked in countries where this remains legal.

Did you know that these three types of Schnauzers are actually recognized as separate breeds by the American Kennel Club? The primary difference between the various Schnauzer breeds is their size.

This breed, like most dog breeds, shows a slight variation in size between male and female dogs. According to the AKC, the breed standard for the breed puts male dogs at between 25.5 to 27.5 inches high.

Females measure up at between 23.5 to 25.5 inches. Schnauzers generally weigh between 65 to 100 pounds, with females slightly lighter than males.

The Giant Schnauzer breed, with its roots as a guard dog, is one of the most loyal and protective breeds around. They are well known for protecting things, and their humans are no exception. These doggos can be suspicious of strangers, owing to their watchdog roots, and so require lots of training and socialization to ensure they have good manners when encountering new people and places.

This type of doggo is also known for its keen intelligence, which makes it excellent to train. Be warned though; if you are not prepared to train and provide stimulation to your pooch this is NOT the dog for you!

Without an active lifestyle and mentally stimulating activities to keep them occupied, the Giant Schnauzer can become destructive and cause damage to the home!

If you are wanting to purchase a puppy, make sure that you keep this in mind. These giants are great with children that are gentle and respectful, so they make great family dogs.

Due to their history as working dogs, they are highly intelligent. However, other traits that have been bred into them require training and socialization to ensure that these dogs grow into loveable family pets.

Because of their watchdog past, these Schnauzers can potentially be aggressive to other dogs without sufficient socialization and training. With adequate teaching, they can be a wonderful addition to a happy home, but we won’t lie, it is going to take a lot of work from you as an owner! Your dog. Your responsibility!

When in good health, they generally live anywhere between 12 and 15 years.

Large dog breeds like Giant Schnauzers, including German Shepherds, Rafeiro do Alentejo, Giant Schnoodles, Bull Terriers, Great Danes and Chinese Shar-Peis often suffer from specific health issues.  Key health issues for large breeds include:

Giant Schnauzers make great family pets and protectors, just like Cocker Spaniels, Golden Retrievers, and Fox Terriers. If you’re on the hunt for a new puppy, the Giant Schnauzer Club of America has an excellent list of Giant Schnauzer Breeders.

These puppies are gorgeous little pooches. Buying a puppy means that your dog will have the advantage of being trained consistently by their owner, helping them grow into wonderful adult doggos.

A puppy should cost between $400 all the way up to $2600, depending on a number of factors.

Obtaining a puppy from a reputable and ethical breeder is important for the puppy’s health and wellbeing. But how can you tell if your breeder is what they say they are?

A few tips for choosing the right breeder are:

While a puppy is undeniably adorable, there are many sad dogs that deserve a chance at a better life just waiting for a special person to adopt them!

f you want to give a Giant Schnauzer a second lease on life, check out the Giant Schnauzer Rescue website, which has information on adopting dogs that truly deserve to find their forever homes.

Giant Schnauzers are a unique breed with a one-of-a-kind temperament – so don’t be put off by the huge size, instead, be attracted, by their loyalty and enthusiasm for life and their human family!