The Giant Schnauzer is characteristically strong, and has a fierce appearance. Its thick “beard” on its chin is a distinctive characteristic of this breed; the face’s fur must create a distinctive “beard” along with some feathery eyebrows.
It is the biggest one from the three Schnauzer varieties; the other two are: the Miniature Schnauzer and the Standard Schnauzer.
ALLOWED COLOURS
History:
The Giant Schnauzers first appeared in Suabia, in the German State of Baviera and Württemberg in the XVII century. The original Giant Schnauzers were considered to be a different version of the German Pinschers, but with thick hair, and it was thought that its type of coat helped them to put up with the cold German winter and protected them from insect stings. This breed was originated because of the crossing between the Great Dane, the German Shepherd, the Rottweiler, the Doberman, the Boxer, the Bouvier des Flandres, Thuringian Shepherd, and the Standard Schnauzer.
The Giant Schnauzer was originally bred to be a farm dog destined to do different tasks, such as the protection of the property or herding the cattle to market to its sell. In the first stages of the XX century, the Giant Schnauzer was used as a guardian dog in factories, breweries, butcher’s shops and farmyards all over Baviera. It was not known outside this country until it was used as a war dog in the First and Second World War. In modern times, the Giant Schnauzer is used as a police dog; is trained for obedience, dog agility, herding, search and rescue, and schutzhund; and is shown in conformation shows.
The first Giant Schnauzers arrived in the United States in the 1930s, but they were still not very common until the 1960s, when the breed became popular. In 1962, there were 23 new Giant Schnauzers registered in the American Kennel Club; in 1974, this number turned to be 386; then, in 1984 it was over 800 and in 1987 around 1000 animals had been registered.
<bCharacteristics::
The Giant Schnauzer is robust and strong. Its limbs are muscular and its head is big and large. It has a characteristically rough beard and some messy and tangled eyebrows. The coat must be dense, thick and resistant to outdoors. The face’s fur must create a distinctive “beard” along with some feathery eyebrows, which may be black or “pepper and salt”, where banded hairs of black and white hairs cover the body, giving it the appearance of having been peppered and salted. Some breeders think pepper and salt Schnauzers are more docile than the black colored specimens.
Although it is called Giant Schnauzer, the ‘Giant’ is not a comparison with other big sized dogs, like the Great Dane or the Rottweiler, but in comparison to the Standard Schnauzer and the Miniature Schnauzer.
Its average weight varies from 32 to 45 kg and is between 50 and 70 cm tall to the withers’ height. Giant Schnauzers are square in shape, and should resemble a larger version of the Standard Schnauzer. The tail is long and the ears are small button ears carried high on the head. Where it is legal, it is possibly docked and the ears cropped. The head is 1/2 the length of the dog’s back, when the back is measured from the withers to the base of the tail. The right way of walking is a fast, firm and vigorous trot.
Temperament:
The Giant Schnauzer is an energetic dog with a nice personality, which loves its owners and protects them no matter what. It is naturally a breed of territorial dogs which intimidates at a glance, and that makes it a good guardian. It loves barking and sometimes, it may mistrust strangers, but generally it can warn us of enemies by instinct.
These dogs are very energetic and active, the type which needs daily exercise. The Giant Schnauzner needs to be physically and mentally stimulated; it loves learning and it does it really quickly. Also, as they love to please their owners, they generally stand out in obedience training; although they are really good at Agility too, and in all kind of competition. However, these dogs get bored easily, and it may often have a stubborn behavior.
Maintenance:
One of the main advantages of having a Giant Schnauzer is that it practically does not have hair loose. The short outer coat does not demand much attention, it just has to be groomed every two or three months, but the undercoat requires much more attention, and it needs a daily brushing. It would be ideal if its beard was cleaned after every meal.
During its adolescence, the Giant Schnauzer may develop a dominant and guardian temperament; those virtues should be adequately channeled with a proper training. It is an intelligent dog and it learns really quickly. It needs to do a lot of exercise, many hours a day. If it gets bored, it may adapt some bad habits.
Health:
The Giant Schnauzer is a resistant dog, but as all giant breeds it may endure hip dysplasia or gastric dilatation volvulus. Some Schnauzers may not incorporate the vitamin B12 in the right quantity.
References: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/St._Bernard_(dog)
You can download the FCI (International Cinological Federation) standard at the following link: http://www.fci.be/Nomenclature/Standards/061g02-en.pdf
Leave a Reply
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.