The origin of the Giant Schnauzer is to be found in Germany, where it is known as the Riesenschnauzer. The word schnauzer means “Snout”
The Schnauzer of the 20th century had been evolved as a keen herding dog. Not until just before World War 1 did the Giant Schnauzer begin to receive nationwide recognition in Germany as a suitable subject for police training schools in Berlin.
In the early sixties the first giant schnauzers came to the UK to join the Miniature Schnauzer and the Standard Schnauzer It wasn’t until the mid seventies, after much hard work and determination by the pioneers of the breed, that the Giant made its impact.
The Giant Schnauzer was developed to be an intelligent, versatile, bold, composed, reliable, good natured dog .With its dense weather resistant wiry coat there is little wonder that such a dog is being used for police dogs, search and rescue dogs, sniffer dogs, and, also as therapy dogs. A dog once seen -never forgotten.
ABOUT THE GIANT SCHNAUZER
The Giant Schnauzer is a “groomed” breed,. In that it needs regular maintenance to its coat. Because it does not cast its coat they have to be stripped or clipped regularly. (about every eight to ten weeks) This keeps them looking the distinguished Giant Schnauzer and not a wooly bear.
Regular weekly brushes and combs help to prevent the legs and beard from tangling. A word of warning- once your Giant has established their fully grown beard, expect to be soaked after every visit to the water dish!
The male Giant Schnauzer can be expected to grow 25.5 “ to 27.5”, the females grow between 23.5” to 25.5,” but some have been known to be taller as well as smaller than the above sizes. The average weight for a Giant male is 47kg. This is provided that he has had the correct rearing and upbringing Although the word ‘Giant ‘is used in the title of the breed it doesn’t necessarily mean that the dog has to be cumbersome and big, on the contrary, the Giant Schnauzer must be built like an athlete, muscular, fit and very agile. As said before, the Giant Schnauzer is highly intelligent and they usually excel in many forms on discipline. They love to learn, so are great in such activities as obedience and agility. There have also been Giants that could herd sheep and work to the gun with much success.
Their natural ability to guard and protect their home and people makes the Giant Schnauzer a valuable asset to its family, as long as it IS part of the family and not left outside on its own. The Giant likes to be involved with whatever its family is doing, even if it’s just sitting and watching TV. If left alone, with no human input, the Giant Schnauzer becomes bored unresponsive and looses respect for its owners and, eventually, they become unruly and uncontrollable. After 12 months of training and hard work you now have an adolescent teenager. This is where the Giant Schnauzer will try your patience (just like the human variety ) Most Giant Schnauzers do have a stubborn streak, but this is linked to their intelligence. Therefore, if you decide that you would like to own a Giant Schnauzer you must be prepared to give lots of quality time to your dog from being a puppy all the way through to its adult life. Rest assured, the responses and unconditional love you will receive are greater than any human could give.