Giant Schnoodle Dog Breed

Below are the details and specs for the Giant Schnoodle dog breed.

The Giant Schnoodle is a large dog that is best suited for big houses with ample yards. When mature, most will weigh from 60 to 85 pounds, and their height is generally 24 to 28 inches.

Your Giant Schnoodle will be a great family pet — with early and persistent training, of course. As they are very smart, they may appear stubborn, and it is that early training that should help prevent bad habits from becoming permanent. They play well with children and other pets, and are somewhat wary of strangers.

Be prepared to spend a moderate amount of time with your Giant Schnoodle, as he/she will need plenty of exercise, a few minutes of daily grooming (such as checking her ears, teeth and "beard") and a fair amount of weekly grooming (brushings, hair trimming and nail clipping) to keep her healthy and happy.

The Giant Schnoodle is a relatively recent hybrid that is said to have originated in the very early 1980s. Not much is known about this designer dog, but quite a bit is known about its two parent breeds: the Giant Schnauzer and the Standard Poodle.

The Standard Poodle — which is the oldest of the three strains: the Toy and the Miniature are the other two — has been around since at least the 8th century B.C., and they were bred for retrieving water fowl. The word "poodle" is Anglicized from the German word pudelin, which means "to splash in water." (Although people may think the Poodle comes from France, it comes from Germany.) As the Standard Poodle has long legs and thick, curly hair that doesn't shed, they were excellent dogs to chase down prey in the cold waters of northern Europe were they were bred and trained.

The Giant Schnauzer also comes from Germany, and it is named so because of its remarkable snout: Schnauze is German for "snout" or "muzzle." Like the Poodle, there are three varieties: Miniature, Standard and Giant Schnauzers. The Giant Schnauzer has been around since the 16th century and it was bred to drive cattle and sheep; they and other such dogs were called "drovers." Until the early 20th century, it was practically unknown outside Bavaria, the region where it had been bred and worked for several centuries. With the advent of the railroad — which replaced them as drovers — they were thereafter used as guard dogs and, until WWI, police dogs.

Of course, not all Giant Schnoodles will get the same characteristics, and so some will have more Giant Schnauzer than Standard Poodle, or the other way around — or it could get a fair mix of both parents' traits.Your Giant Schnoodle will have long legs, a significant snout and long, floppy ears that will hang down. If she gets more from her Giant Schnauzer parent, her fur will be rougher and she will have a strong body; if more of the Poodle is inherited, she'll have a lithe body with silky, curly hair. The eyes will be almond-shaped, and the nose will almost certainly be black. It is said, however, that first-generation Giant Schnoodle litters tend to keep their puppy coat — soft and wavy — even as adults, whereas subsequent litters will have adult coats that are either tightly curled (like a Poodle) or wiry like a Schnauzer.

Some Giant Schnoodles will get more characteristics from the Giant Schnauzer, and others will get a majority from the Standard Poodle. In any case, your Giant Schnauzer will almost certainly be an excellent family dog. They are remarkably intelligent, very protective and extremely loyal dogs. They are very easy to train, but due to the intelligence that allows them to be so, they do become bored quickly and can just as quickly develop bad habits such as barking constantly. Be sure to train them early to prevent this problem. As they love companionship, be sure to spend as much time as possible with them!

Your Giant Schnoodle does need some regular health prevention. He is also in need of near-constant company, and if left alone for too long, he can develop separation anxiety. To prevent tartar buildup, his teeth should be brushed two or three times a week, and his nails should be trimmed regularly-- if they start clicking on the floor when he walks, it's time to trim. Ears should also be monitored for cleaning. Because of their size, hip dysplasia may also be a problem. If kept healthy and happy, expect your Giant Schnoodle to live anywhere from 10 to 13 years.