Giant Schnauzers

General Temperament

The Giant Schnauzer is a highly intelligent breed that requires training and socialization. They are bold and need an equally bold influence in their life. They thrive on learning new tasks. This can make training them a lot of fun. It is also what can make them a handful or difficult for the wrong owner. Giants can sometimes bond with just one person in the family. Therefore, it is important for every family member to give them commands, feed and train them. Usually their most comfortable spot is at the feet of their master. The Giant Schnauzer is a breed that by nature is territorial and protective. They are capable of doing many tasks. They are a good solid working breed. They need a trainer who knows what they are doing, and learning the simple techniques necessary to train the Giant Schnauzer is easy and well worth the effort. They learn quickly but are not typically the type of dog that is a people pleaser. They have a tremendous amount of personality. They are very good at reading body language, and they can assess people quickly. They can be manipulative. Successful training of your giant is only done through socialization, training, consistency, love, and patience. Structured training and socialization in a class situation is the best. While many giants are capable of participating in large group sessions, some may be more reluctant due to personality traits. As we trained our young giants, we made routine trips to parks and places that allow dogs. We introduced our giants to as many new people as possible to let them know that strangers in a public setting are ok. Even with all the socialization we do with them, they are still protective of their home and family if the need arises.

Hierarchy is very important to the giant's social structure with people, family members and other dogs. They need to learn their place in a family. Family members are above the giant. Give your giant rules, be firm and consistent and they will be a wonderful companion. It takes good parenting to raise a giant. You should always remember when raising a giant puppy that while it is cute and small in the beginning it will be large very soon. It could out weight you, and its momentum can be quite a force. Treat a pup just as you would an adult; be consistent from the start with the rules and they will love you for it. They adore the good firm owners and respect well-defined boundaries a great deal.

It is vital to teach your giant "house" rules, control commands, and where their place is in your family. If you are not clear with these principles early in your giant's development, you can expect your home will soon be run by this 4 legged master. This is never a good situation and is the reason many giants end up in rescue situations. We carefully screen potential buyers by getting to know them enough to find out what they're truly looking for in their new furry companion so as to avoid this sad situation. With all that said, they are absolutely the perfect breed for us. We could not imagine home without one or two. It is quite common for people to become as loyal to the breed as the breed is to people; many people who have them become giant owners for the rest of their lives.

My son knows that he can't play outside unless Spicy is with him. She will stand barking in front of anyone that comes onto the property whether they are on foot or in a car.

Go to the following link to read more about the Giant Schnauzer breed.

http://puppydogweb.com/caninebreeds/giantschnauzer.htm