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The Giant Schnauzer is an example of working breed of dog and has a dense, coarse coat that protects them against the elements and vermin. The Giant Schnauzer is the largest of the three breeds.
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Please feel free to post here if your topic does not fit into one of the categories under 'Caring for your Schnauzer'. There are sections for breeding, feeding, grooming, showing and many more that may be more appropriate than this generic section
Well Rudi our Giant Schnauzer is coming up to 9 months of age, and I have aged 10 years ha. I must say it has not been
an easy few months, hard work is required. I can now see some reward for all our input. Rudi is now calming down and
appears to listen etc, although we do still have crazy times, I just remind myself he is a puppy. I would like to know
if anybody out there can inform me where I can purchase some strong chewable toys for him. We are down to our large
Kong toy, so I could do with getting some more toys. Iam not a fan of antler chews etc, need something that will withstand his constant chewing, something safe and durable.
I have no experience with Giant schnauzers so hope that some other Forum members may be able to help you with recommendations of strong toys from personal experience.
However there are a couple of links here that may be of help too:
Hi,
Jude is my 1y3m old Standard and she is a heavy chewer and a dedicated plush toy's surgeon. Nylabones for hard chewers are the most resistent toys I've met and she really loves them.
My Giant Noah is now 10 months old, so I know where you are coming from!! We too find that he is calming down somewhat and is responding really well.
One thing which I have found to be very durable is a buffalo horn from Pets At Home. It cost £8.99 which at first seemed really expensive, but it really has lasted ages. We have wasted so much money on toys which claim to be durable and Noah destroys them within minutes, so I considered this to be a sound investment.
Nine months is the age when the adolescent large breeds will begin to chew in earnest again...just when you think it's all done with...the molar teeth are settling in and the dog needs to relieve the discomfort.
The Galileo nylabone https://www.google.it/search?q=galileo+ ... ent=safari" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
And giant kong( black ) ,plus the occasional cow's knee bone were my rottie's favorites at this time...otherwise it would have been the kitchen chair legs .
Thankyou for your replies, I find that the Kong products seem to be keeping Rudi satisfied with the chewing. Must say my metal Dining chairs have taken a battering, due to being cool to the gums, Rudi loved them when nobody was looking ,but thankfully that seems to have passed.
Rudi is now 11 months and I do see a difference, he is calming down a little although we do have mad time , but he is listening at last.
I feel that Iam seeing some light at the end of the tunnel, because I have never experienced a puppy/dog like the Giant.
They really really are hard work, but I do not think owners realise the work involved. My Husband and myself are both retired so can give 24/7 to Rudi . We have had tears, I have threatened to return Rudi on occasions, but now a year
on I have a lovely relationship with Rudi, he is a big sometimes goofy dog, but I would not be without him. Thank goodness for the forum, so much information etc.
I know we still have a way to go, and we will experience hiccups, but we are enjoying our time with him, he is such a
gorgeous lovable dog, and I would not change a thing.
Looking forward to the future with him, oh and my other 2 minis.
Once again thanking you for information given, very much appreciated.
I think you are doing great with him..these big dogs are so slow to mature ,but when you get to two years they become more than worth the wait.
On the topic of furniture leg chewing we used to mix my furniture polish with pepperoncino powder( chili powder).... It definitely saved the chair legs.
Imagine this mouth on your furniture..she was just ten months here..the furniture polish was designed for her..worked well.
At eleven months you can increase the excercise time..longer walks are now recommended ,making the saying" a tired dog is a good dog" really have meaning at this time.
I have a Pepper Salt female Giant born September 2016.
We always had males, i.e. Landseer, Berger de Brie, Fila Brasileiro and 2 German Shepherds from working lines. Apart from the Landseer who was 12 weeks' old, all the others came to us at 8 weeks.
I have trialled all our dogs in various disciplines.
Nothing prepared me for Fräulein Enya from Bavaria, however. She is from an excellent breeder. I saw her mother, aunt and 2 siblings when we travelled from Switzerland to see her.
She is a chewer Full Stop. We still have to keep an eye on her but she is improving. She is very strong willed and when I hide small items, such as balls, kongs, etc. in the house or garden, she never gives up until she has found the object. This is a great trait but can also be a problem in the daily life with her.
In a German forum it is recommended that one must insist on the dog being "forced" to relax when one is watching TV or whatever. It is recommended that the dog is always on a lead (without a loop) and "forced" to lie down and relax.
OK, I tried it. It would work, I know.
What I started with Enya was tracking. The Schnauzers have unbelievely good "noses" without the excessive "Drive" of the German Shepherd Working Dogs in a sense. I can for instance make Enya sit in front of the track and calm her before I give her the command to "Such" (search).
Enya has an extremely good nose, coupled with the will to succeed and I find she is getting more balanced by training.
Most dogs are easier to handle when they are trained to "work". For Schnauzers, this seems to be the answer.
That's really interesting advice about forcing a schnauzer to relax. I've 'only' got a mini, and can't imagine how difficult it must be to bring up a beardy on a giant scale! She was hyperactive as a puppy, and chewed everything in sight. She also benefited greatly from routine and regime, so I can really see how this enforced relaxation would help. When they learn routine it relaxes them.
Re: chew toys and teething, have you tried stuffing kongs with food and freezing them? I don't like the kong paste as it's incredibly fatty, but you can use his regular food (soak kibble if he's on dry food), stuff the kong and freeze it. Subtract the food from his daily food allowance and he won't be overdosing on food or fat. It'll give him plenty of fun trying to get the frozen food out of the kong, plus he'll be easing his mouth with the cold. Don't let him do it on your best carpet though!!
That's very interesting about soaked kibble and freezing the kong.
We had an old kong from our German Shepherds. Enya destroyed it We bought her a new one, i.e. black "extreme". She had it a few minutes and bit the top off it. We took it back to the shop and complained. Apparently they are not indestructible. However, they let us exchange it for the next bigger size. This large black kong is too large for her to bite pieces off it. But it is not an ideal kong to throw around the house. I hide it and she searches.
The kong ball is probably not easy to penetrate and is a good idea for outside. Unfortunately, due to it's excellent bouncing properties, it bounced out of the garden and we are halfway up a hill. It rolled - we searched. End of story.
Thank you for your comment on "enforced" relaxation. It can work. The Schnauzer, big, medium, small, must learn to "relax" I have a large kennel box for Enya and I realize when she starts to go into "overdrive" and give her a dried "Pansen", i.e. "Rumen"?? and she trots into her box "don't push me in, please".
Tracking, searching for articles in the house and garden, obedience exercises, etc. are all exercises that are beneficial to the health of the Schnauzers.
These "toys" that keep the dog quiet for a while are ok but as I said in my last post they are
just that!!
My Giant Noah is now 10 months old, so I know where you are coming from!! We too find that he is calming down somewhat and is responding really well.
One thing which I have found to be very durable is a buffalo horn from Pets At Home. It cost £8.99 which at first seemed really expensive, but it really has lasted ages. We have wasted so much money on toys which claim to be durable and Noah destroys them within minutes, so I considered this to be a sound investment.
Hope that helps!
Agreed. Otto chews on these and also Antler horn from deer. Again a little expensive but they last a long time.
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