dimondites

It’s a dog!  It’s a bear!  No, it’s a flying giant schnauzer!

^{Photo by Amy Welker. East Catching Air. Trinity River 2006}

Obviously, I didn’t read the following prior to rushing East and West home from the kennel…

The Giant Schnauzer is a working breed with a terrier temperament. Historically, they were specifically bred to guard herds against prey, protect their families and used as draft dogs to pull carts and small wagons. Add the terrier temperament and you have a large dog who is very prey driven. They will chase any fast-moving critter, burrow and dig, and bark furiously, to annoy that prey out of its safe haven. When the prey is frightened out of safety it usually loses it life.

The very characteristics that make a Giant Schnauzer a champion are the same characteristics that make it unsuitable for many families. They bark, they are relentless when they want something. (Prey, food, a sock, a Barbie Doll’s head, food off your counter tops, you get the idea) They are extremely territorial, they often don’t get along very well with other dogs, especially dogs of the same sex. And according to many sources, they will kill your cat. It may seem like the dog and cat get along beautifully, but there are many stories of owners coming home to find their cat slaughtered by their Giant.

Giants also need enormous amounts of exercise. The most common phrase echoed around the country from breeders and trainers is “A tired Giant is a good Giant.” An hour a day of running, playing chasing, swimming, digging is the bare minimum. Ask any self-respecting Giant himself, and he will tell you three hours is more like it. Do you as a family have this much time to devote to just playing with your pet? Do you have a fenced yard to keep playtime safe? If you don’t have time to play, your Giant puppy will invent his own fun; shredding your furniture, digging craters in your yard, chewing every sock, shoe and toy he can find laying around.

Are you prepared for a 70-100 pound dog to live in your house as a family member? Giants do NOT make good “yard/outside” dogs. They can bark loud enough to wake the dead when they are unhappy….and they WILL let you know if they are unhappy or NEED you to do something. They are relentless and and very demanding of your time.

via GiantSchnauzerRescue.net

11.15.2006 | Julie 

I am sorry to hear about your giant schnauzer East. How is he now? Do you know that there is a group of people who meet once a month with giant schnauzers up in your area and many times they go to Pt Isabel?

11.16.2006 | kristine

11.17.2006 | Larry and Nora

If you mean us (NCalGiantFun, 3rd Sunday of the month, 12 - 3. rain or shine, 2 handlers or 20, Point Isobel), I’m sure the walk is less than 5 miles, and it’s more like a stroll.
Come join us and bring your Giants. (You can come without them, if you prefer, but we (the humans and the dogs) would really like to meet them!) Our next stroll is this Sunday, Nov. 19.
It’s a yahoo group, NCalGiantFun@Yahoo.com. Look us over, read our messages, look at the photos, check us out.