SCRAPS Breed Profile GIANT SCHNAUZER Stats Country of Origin: Germany Group: Herding and Working Use today: Companion, police dog and herder. Life Span: 12 to 15 years Color: Coat colors come in solid black and salt and pepper. Coat: The double coat has a wiry, dense hard, outer coat with a soft undercoat. The hair stands slightly up off the back, with coarser, longer, bushy whiskers, beard and eyebrows. Grooming: The wiry coat is reasonably easy to look after, but the undercoat is dense and it will become matted unless it is combed or brushed weekly with a short wire brush. Clip out knots and brush first with the grain, then against the grain to lift the coat. The animal should be clipped all over to an even length at least four times a year and ear care continually is important. A person can easily learn how to do it themselves. Pet dogs are generally clipped, and show dogs are usually hand-stripped, which is the process of hand plucking the outer guard hairs either with your fingers or a stripping knife. Trim around the eyes and ears with a blunt-nosed scissor and clean the whiskers after meals. They have no doggie odor and shed little to no hair. Height: Males: 26 to 28 inches; Females: 23 - 26 inches Weight: Males: 60 to 105 pounds; Females: 55 to 75 pounds Profile In Brief: An extremely intelligent, energetic, natural the ears are V-shaped, carried close to strongly territorial dog, the Giant Schnauzer the head. The back is straight. The front legs are loves his owners and feels great responsibility to straight when viewed from all sides. The tail is protect them. He learns quickly, however, and set high and is usually docked to the second or can distinguish between friend and foe. Giants third joint. Note: docking tails and cropping ears need a lot of exercise, requiring daily walks, is illegal in most parts of Europe. Dewclaws are playtime with another dog or romps in the yard. almost always removed from the back legs, and They especially love having a job to do. The may be removed from the front if they are breed also requires regular grooming, including present. The double coat has a wiry, dense brushing and stripping, so owners should be hard, outer coat with a soft undercoat. The hair prepared to spend time maintaining the breeds stands slightly up off the back, with coarser, coat. longer, bushy whiskers, beard and eyebrows. Coat colors come in solid black and salt and Description: The Giant Schnauzer is a large, pepper. powerful, compact dog. It looks like a larger version of the Standard Schnauzer. The dog’s Temperament: The Giant Schnauzer is an height is the same as the length, giving it a intelligent, versatile working dog that will be calm square look. The head is strong and rectangular with enough exercise. Reliable, brave, loyal, in appearance. The muzzle is the same length bold and vigorous, it loves to be with its owner at as the top of the head. The stop is slight. The all times. It is easy to train, responding best to large nose is black. The lips are black and do firm, calm consistency with a positive attitude, not overlap. The teeth meet in a scissors bite. rewarding good behavior. If the Giant Schnauzer The oval eyes are medium-sized, deep-set and is properly trained and well exercised with a firm dark. The ears are set high on the head and are owner, it makes a very good pet. The objective either cropped or kept natural. When cropped in training this dog is to achieve pack leader they stand erect with a pointed tip. When left status. It is a natural instinct for a dog to have an order in its pack. When we humans live with Health: Giants are more prone to cancer than dogs, we become their pack. The entire pack most breeds, especially toe cancer which kills cooperates under a single leader. Lines are many Giants annually even if caught early. They clearly defined and rules are set. You and all are at increased risk of bloat. Epilepsy is all too other humans MUST be higher up in the order common in this breed and hip dysplasia is than the dog. That is the only way your rampant. relationship can be a success. Giant Schnauzers tend to be on the dominant side and Living Conditions: The Giant Schnauzer is not need an owner who understands canine suited for apartment life. It is fairly active indoors behaviors and knows how to display authority, in and will do best with acreage. a calm, but stern, confident manner and be consistent about it. Without it they may become Exercise: Giants have a huge need for exercise overprotective and serious, with a hard-headed and if not vigorously done at least twice daily temperament, as they believe they are alpha to they bounce off the walls and be difficult to deal humans. Socialize well around many different with, even a very well trained one; they have to people to avoid them becoming suspicious of expend the excess energy they were originally everyone they are not familiar with. Through bred for or they just can't settle at night. They absolute consistency you need to show them need to be taken on a daily, brisk, long walk, jog you mean what you say. They are tremendous or run alongside you when you bicycle, at least guards and their large size alone is a deterrent once a day combined with an additional walk or to trouble. Giants that know their place is below another type of exercise. These energetic dogs humans, are well socialized, and that receive will take as much exercise as they can get, and enough daily mental and physical exercise will just love play sessions during which they can usually love everyone; sweet-natured goofballs. run free. If you get a Giant, plan on daily long One owner says, "Our Molly is actually a therapy walks, running, hiking, biking, swimming, or to dog at Toronto's Hospital for Sick Children, but get involved in agility (obstacle course), would still protect our home till the death if advanced obedience, Schutzhund (protection), pushed. Our family is very active, either hubby carting, tracking, or a similar canine activity. If or I do two trail runs a day with our crew and this you do not have time to devote to any of these, tires them out and is also lots of fun for both this is not the breed for you. them and us." Some of the great qualities of Giants are that they can excel at obedience, agility, carting and protection work. If properly Origins: The Giant Schnauzer originated in the trained they are dogs that can do it all. They Wurttenberg and Bavaria sections of Germany. need an owner who displays consistent During the years around the turn of the century, leadership, or they will feel it is their job to take both smooth German Pinscher and coarse- over as top dog, causing them to become haired Schnauzer pups appeared in the same dominant with other dogs. If not given the proper litters. The German Pinscher Schnauzer Club amount of exercise and left to their own devices, initiated a policy requiring proof of three this breed can turn very destructive, if their generations of pure coarse-haired Schnauzer energy and busy minds are not channeled coats for registration. This quickly helped set properly. Since they are one of the very few type and made them a distinct breed from the large breeds with a non-shed coat, they are German Pinscher. These Schnauzers were attractive, but if not with an owner who knows given the name Standard Schnauzer. These how to display consistent leadership, they are Standard Schnauzers were crossed with the often given up before the dog reaches age black Great Dane and the Bouvier des two. They can be fairly reserved with strangers Flandresto form the Giant Schnauzer breed. The and should be socialized extensively both with Schnauzer name derived from the German word other dogs and people, preferably starting when "Schnauze," which means "muzzle." The Giant the dog is a young puppy. They are usually good Schnauzer is called the “Riesenschnauzer” in with other pets. Giants have been bred for Germany, which means "the giant." The Giant generations as guard and watch dogs. They are Schnauzer was used as a cattle driving dog in huge and have a relentless, imposing bark when Bavaria, and as a guard dog by the police and they hear, see or perceive anything out of the military and excels at Schutzhund. ordinary. Spokane County Regional Animal Protection Service 6815 E. Trent • Spokane Valley • Washington • 99212 (509) 477-2532 voice (509) 477-4745 fax www.spokanecounty.org/animal .