- Menu ▼
Giant Schnauzers were used by the Air Force as military working dogs in World War II, but weren’t used again until the early 1980s. While they were found unsuitable for military duty in the past, the Air Force decided to try one more time. The malis and sheps have a bite strength between 200 and, maybe, 300 psi. Our giant schnauzers are coming out of the box at between 400 and 450 psi. They are breaking and crushing bones when they make a hit. Malis and sheps like to corn cob and rip when they bite.
- My Books
- Expert Advice
- Dog Breed Reviews
- Product Reviews
- About
Giant Schnauzer temperament, personality, training, behavior, pros and cons, advice, and information, by Michele Welton, Dog Trainer, Behavioral Consultant, Author of 15 Dog Books
The AKC Standard calls the Giant Schnauzer 'a bold and valiant figure of a dog – amiable in repose and a commanding figure when aroused.'
Keen expression is what you may notice first about the Giant Schnauzer. This sensitive dog seems always aware of your moods and likes to be physically close to you, watching you.
Some lines are 'harder-tempered' (bold, serious, vigorous) while others are much sweeter and more mellow.
But in general, when you acquire a Giant Schnauzer puppy, you should expect him to mature into an athletic, energetic dog who plays hard and needs a mile or two of walking and/or running each day.
Giant Schnauzer Bite Force Vs
Mental stimulation is just as important to this extremely intelligent dog.
Most Giant Schnauzers are watchful with strangers and responsible about protecting their home. However, timidity, skittishness, and sharp-shyness are seen in some lines. To promote a stable, confident temperament, Giant Schnauzers need more socialization than many other breeds.
Many individuals are too spirited for small children, and some become overprotective of their own kids when a group is engaging in rough-and-tumble play.
Strange dogs may well be challenged by your Giant Schnauzer. Cats may or may not be accepted.
Once you establish your leadership, the Giant Schnauzer responds very well to obedience training that is fair and consistent. But this highly intelligent, strong-minded working breed is often 'too much dog' for many households.
If you want a dog who...
- Is large, athletic, and rather elegant-looking
- Has a wiry coat that doesn't shed too much and a whiskery face with a wise expression
- Plays hard and thrives on vigorous athletic activities
- Makes a keen watchdog and looks imposing, so also makes an effective deterrent
A Giant Schnauzer may be right for you.
If you don't want to deal with...
- Vigorous exercise requirements
- Rowdiness and exuberant jumping, especially when young
- Destructiveness when bored or not exercised enough
- Potential aggression or fearfulness in some lines, or when not socialized enough
- Potential aggression toward other animals
- Strong-willed mind of his own, requiring a confident owner who can take charge
- Regular clipping and trimming of the wiry coat
A Giant Schnauzer may not be right for you.
Keep in mind that the inheritance of temperament is less predictable than the inheritance of physical traits such as size or shedding. Temperament and behavior are also shaped by raising and training.
- You can avoid some negative traits by choosing an ADULT dog from an animal shelter or rescue group. With an adult dog, you can easily see what you're getting, and plenty of adult Giant Schnauzers have already proven themselves not to have negative characteristics.
- If you want a puppy, you can avoid some negative traits by choosing the right breeder and the right puppy. Unfortunately, you usually can't tell whether a puppy has inherited temperament or health problems until he grows up.
- Finally, you can avoid some negative traits by training your Giant Schnauzer to respect you and by following the 11-step care program in my book, 11 Things You Must Do Right To Keep Your Dog Healthy and Happy.
More traits and characteristics of the Giant Schnauzer
If I was considering a Giant Schnauzer, I would be most concerned about...
- Providing enough exercise and mental stimulation. Giant Schnauzers look athletic for a reason! They ARE athletic, which means they require plenty of exercise – not just a couple of walks around the block. If you don't take your Giant Schnauzer out to romp and play and do interesting things, he will become rambunctious and bored and then you'll see frustrated behaviors like barking and destructive chewing. Bored Giant Schnauzers can make a shambles of your house and yard.
- Providing enough socialization. Most Giant Schnauzers have protective instincts toward strangers. They need extensive exposure to friendly people so they learn to recognize the normal behaviors of 'good guys.' Then they can recognize the difference when someone acts abnormally. Without careful socialization, they may be suspicious of everyone, which could lead to aggression.
Some Giant Schnauzers go in the opposite direction -- without enough socialization, they become fearful of strangers. Fearfulness in a Giant Schnauzer can also be dangerous because it can lead to defensive biting if the dog becomes frightened and feels cornered.
- Potential animal aggression. Many Giant Schnauzers are dominant or aggressive toward other dogs of the same sex. Some have strong instincts to chase and seize cats and other fleeing creatures. If anything goes wrong in the breeding, socializing, training, handling, or management of this breed, it is capable of seriously injuring other animals.
- The strong temperament. The best Giant Schnauzers are versatile working dogs, capable of learning a great deal. But they have an independent mind of their own and are not pushovers to raise and train. Some Giant Schnauzers are willful, obstinate, and dominant (they want to be the boss) and will make you prove that you can make them do things. You must show them, through absolute consistency, that you mean what you say. Read more about Giant Schnauzer Training.
- Lots of grooming. Giant Schnauzers don't shed a great deal – though they are not hypoallergenic. The trade-off to less shedding is a commitment to coat care. Giant Schnauzers require clipping and trimming every few months. Breed purists may say that the wiry coat should never be clipped because it makes the coat softer and more prone to matting. Instead they advocate hand-stripping (each dead hair pulled out so a new one can grow in its place). But in my opinion, stripping is too time-consuming and uncomfortable for the dog. Many groomers won't do it anymore. For pet dogs, I think clipping is just fine.
About the author: Michele Welton has over 40 years of experience as a Dog Trainer, Dog Breed Consultant, and founder of three Dog Training Centers. An expert researcher and author of 15 books about dogs, she loves helping people choose, train, and care for their dogs.
To help you train and care for your dog
Dog training videos. Sometimes it's easier to train your puppy (or adult dog) when you can see the correct training techniques in action.
The problem is that most dog training videos on the internet are worthless, because they use the wrong training method. I recommend these dog training videos that are based on respect and leadership.
Related posts you might enjoy
Copyright © 2000-2020 by Michele Welton. All rights reserved. No part of this website may be copied, displayed on another website, or distributed in any way without permission from the author.
Giant Schnauzer Bite Force Animal
Royal Air Force Mildenhall Story By Karen Abeyasekere, 100th Air Refueling Wing Public Affairs / Published July 24, 2017
RAF MILDENHALL, Suffolk — On a recent assignment to Germany, Military Working Dog Brock was part of the security detail for the president of the United States’ visit to the G20 Summit in Hamburg, where he worked hand-in-hand – or rather, paw-in-paw – with the Secret Service dog teams.
Accompanied by Staff Sgt. Dominick Young, 100th Security Forces Squadron MWD handler, Brock – a dual-certified, odor protection and patrol training dog – searched rooms, luggage, vehicles and aircraft equipment that went on or near Air Force One.
Back here at his home station, the K-9 certainly stands out from the crowd of German Shepherds and Belgian Malinois working dogs – 4-year-old Brock is a 98-pound black Giant Schnauzer, and causes people to do a double-take wherever he goes.
“A lot of people ask, ‘What is that?’ or ‘Is he your pet?’ and want to pet him,” Young said, laughing.
Giant Schnauzers were used by the Air Force as military working dogs in World War II, but weren’t used again until the early 1980s. While they were found unsuitable for military duty in the past, the Air Force decided to try one more time.
Military working dogs are officially deemed as one rank higher than their handlers, explained Staff Sgt. Kelly Webster, 100th SFS MWD kennelmaster.
Giant Schnauzer Bite Force Chart
“Although it’s an unwritten rule, I think it’s because the dog is the asset and although we’re a team, the dog does the majority of the work, therefore he or she is the real boss,” Webster said.
“The dogs are taught like brand new Airmen – they learn and are taught basic odor detection and room searching, all the way down to bite, holding and obedience – it’s not an easy task to teach a dog these crucial tasks, and many dogs don’t make the cut to being a military working dog.”
Brock is the first and only Giant Schnauzer in the Department of Defense in almost 30 years. Young said his K-9 teammate passed his behavioral tests with flying colors, so those in charge of choosing service dogs for the DoD decided to go ahead and purchase him.
All Department of Defense military working dogs are trained at the 341st Training Squadron, Joint-Base San Antonio-Lackland, Texas, and while there, Brock gained the reputation of being the hardest dog to train. Although originally earmarked for the Transportation Security Administration, they couldn’t take him because he bites. While unsuitable for them as they only use sniffer dogs, Brock was a good fit for the Air Force because of the requirements needed for patrol-training dogs.
Young admitted that when he first became Brock’s handler, the dog was very strong-willed and wouldn’t react to his commands. After talking with the K-9 trainers in Texas and following their advice, Young and Brock soon became a strong team and a force to be reckoned with, though it took a lot of hard work and patience.
“Things that worked for the other dogs wouldn’t work for Brock – he does things a lot differently. He’s great now, but I spent a lot of my off days working with him to gain his respect, and received a lot of help from the kennelmaster and other handlers,” Young said. “When I first got him, he was really dependent on his handler so if he missed anything during training, it would be on me. I would try to give him the independence to find the odor on his own, but he didn’t know, so I had to steer him into it. He has a lot of personality and is goofy, playful and very loyal. He’s also much easier to work with now. We’ve been together for a while and have a bond that I don’t have with any other dog here,” he said.
Webster explained that depending on how well the dog and handler mesh, it takes anywhere from 45 to 90 days to get a team fully certified.
“As the kennelmaster, I need to know how all my teams work and what their strongest and weakest points are so we can build them to make them solid,” he said. “Once I feel the team is capable to work the road and detect substances, I’ll initiate a validation test, and after the team passes that phase, we then do their certifications.” Webster added that during his time as the trainer and kennel master, Brock has been relatively easy to train.
“A large part of that is because Sergeant Young has been his handler for two years and they’ve built the bond which all handlers hope to build with their dog. When we first received Brock, we initially noticed how uncoordinated he was – it was definitely a humorous sight to see a massive puppy of his size doing the work we are required to do! Brock was like a bull in a china shop – now he’s one of our best noses and MWDs,” Webster recalled.
He explained how the issue is a common one when a new handler is assigned to a dog.
“They’re just like humans and they want to feel you out and really test your patience and abilities,” he said. “A lot of the rapport to become a good team is built upon trust, and the handler is responsible for that. They play a lot of fetch, as well as go on walks and spend time just playing with them as a dog. We ask a lot from these dogs, so we need to take a step back sometimes and let them be a dog. Rapport comes with detection because it’s ultimately a game – if you can have fun with your dog at the same time, it builds a better bond.”
The giant dog and his handler work so well together they were given the opportunity of working the presidential detail in Germany.
“Brock was great out there, but the environment affected him at first – he didn’t want to eat and you could tell he didn’t know where he was,” the handler said. “After a couple of days he got used to it and was back to his normal self again.