Alice White
Dogs of this breed, rather large in size, can be both service and pets.
The origins of the breed have not yet been established. Nevertheless, it is considered proven that the predecessors of the modern Giant Schnauzers were used as herding and later guard dogs in Austria, Switzerland, and Germany. The breed was finally formed at the end of the 19th century.
#1 Hardy, fearless, strong and distrustful, these dogs do an excellent job of serving.
They can be kept both in apartments and in nurseries.
#2 This breed is distinguished by strong bones and well-developed muscles.
Height 60-65 cm and 65-70, respectively, in females and males.
#3 The standard describes the Giant Schnauzer breed as follows:
The head is long, rectangular.
The muzzle is large, the jaws are strong, the lips are dry, pigmented.
The eyes are closely spaced, small with a dark iris. The gaze is intent, strained at strangers.
The ears were previously docked, in a natural state of a triangular shape, drooping.
The neck is elongated, muscular, strong.
The chest is well-muscled and broad.
The hind legs are slightly shorter than the front ones.
The tail was previously docked, but recently this procedure is not required.
Much of this information is incorrect. Giants are NOT good with children, and 2-3 hours of exercise should be the bare minimum to avoid behavioral issues (destructiveness, aggression and the like). They DO shed, though that can be reduced by vigorous, daily brushing.
Giants were bred to be multi-purpose farm dogs. Herding cattle or sheep all day, digging rats out of the hay in the barn, wresting and exterminating raccoons from the orchard, pulling a cart with produce into market and not allowing any stranger to set foot on the property. They have a huge amount of stamina and require an owner to reschedule their lives around the dog’s needs. This is not a breed who can be expected to successfully sit on the couch with one or two romps around the back yard daily and an occasional weekend hike.