Giant after owning a Standard?

[Bazil]

Hi there,

I used to have a black male standard who was a very challenging dog, the first few years were a lot of hard work but with a lot of training he settled down and was the best dog ever. I had him for almost 16 years until I lost him 8 years ago.

I am looking to get another schnauzer, and am thinking about a female Giant. I have read that giants are easier to train than standards, which would be nice, but not a deal breaker. Does anyone have any experience of both?

Also, my standard could really jump high, we had to put 6 foot fences up in the garden. Would a giant be able to get over a 6 foot fence?

I’ve seen a few giants in the flesh, and they are just gorgeous, not so huge as I thought they would be, the females are only a few inches taller than my standard was, and seem quite manageable.

I guess my question is, would a giant female be as much work as a standard male? By work I don’t mean exercise, I mean like training, misbehaving in the house etc.

Thanks,

Baz

[Dawnspell]

I have no experience of either but from what I have read giants seem to be less of a wild child than standards Giants are used as police dogs etc in other countries which I havent heard of with standards.

I think more of an issue would be finding the right lines from which they are bred for purpose eg guide dogs or such as border collie lines for sports etc. Each dog is different my two minis have been complete pole opposites in the work / training required for life so it doesnt always follow that you'll get the same temperament with the same breed when getting a second of the breed if you know what I'm trying to say

[HugoBrum]

We have had a Giant Dog (Hugo) from 3 months old and now have 3.5 yr old Giant Bitch (Nina). However, only got Nina only six months ago from the same breeder as Hugo. So different circumstances when it comes to training therefore only give our experiences with the two. One thing we have learn regardless, there many similar straits between the GS dog and the GS bitch but also some differences too. Being big dogs, you need space and when they wish to climb on you for comfort and loving, (they will too) you will know about it! You cannot exactly pick them up and put them back on the floor as you have no chance. OK I know you could train them not to do that, but you are missing out on the fun plus with all the training in the world, they still be inclined to attempt to do it anyway!

Bringing up Hugo was hard work, with lots of time and patience required too but the rewards far outweighed any downsides.One thing for sure going through teenage adolescence you will have twice the job compared with a mini or standard, just on size alone. GS dogs are very active and intelligent dogs for sure, so make sure they never get bored! Hugo picked up on some commands quite easily, others not so but we blame ourselves for that. Never the less he was fantastic dog and never be forgotten, never ever deserved to go to Rainbow Bridge early. We decided eventually, not to get another GS pup because of the time and work involved with being in our late 60's, as does require a lot of commitment and time especially for the first two years.

Now with NIna, this has been a different challenge because of her age and also she was with a breeder being with other Schnauzer's too until we got her (she only had one litter) but clearly her outdoor / training activities were limited in consequence. With this in mind, we knew we had to give her time and patience to train her which we are still doing now. But generally speaking she has picked up on a number of commands (with rewards of course) in due course and she is now a different but very loving dog. We still have some work to do (especially near to other dogs) but we think we will eventually over come this with some 'reactive' training - we are getting assistance on this aspect and should get there eventually, partly because of her excellent nature.

Now making comparisons between Hugo and Nina at the same age, is not something we wish to do as they are different dogs with different characters but if you pin us down and had to give a difference then it seems a bitch is a bit more calmer in general and is happy to have some quieter moments rather than seeking attention consistently (but she does ). One thing for certain and no surprise really Giant Schnauzer's are very very loving and loyal dogs, there is no doubt about that.

We are not sure the above helps in any way as other owners will have different experiences and views too. Good luck.

[HugoBrum]

Well that is rather annoying, you reply in good faith and yet the original poster, does even return to view the answer let alone acknowledge it!

[zeta1454]

Well that is rather annoying, you reply in good faith and yet the original poster, does even return to view the answer let alone acknowledge it!

Sadly this is not uncommon with some new posters but thank you for your detailed reply to them. I try to look at it that informative replies such as you gave will still be there for anyone reading through topics on Giant Schnauzers and may be very helpful to others in the future so the effort you put in writing it is still valuable and helpful

[Bazil]

Apologies Hugo, I did read your post, but wasn't signed in. I found it very helpful, thanks for taking the time to respond to me, and I hope you can forgive my lack of courtesy. I am not normally rude, time seems to have gotten away from me lately.

Thank you also to Dawnspell who took the time to respond to me.

Baz