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Giant Schnauzer

The Giant Schnauzer was developed in Bavaria and Württemberg in the late 19th century by enlarging the Standard Schnauzer with Great Dane and Bouvier-type crosses for cattle-droving and brewery-yard work.

Calculate Giant Schnauzer age
Lifespan12.1 yrrange 11–13
SizeLargeWorking Group
Weight55–95 lb24.9–43.1 kg
Senior at6 yrgeriatric at 10

Gallery (3)

About

About the Giant Schnauzer

The Giant Schnauzer was developed in Bavaria and Württemberg in the late 19th century by enlarging the Standard Schnauzer with Great Dane and Bouvier-type crosses for cattle-droving and brewery-yard work. It later transitioned to police and military roles.

Aging

How Giant Schnauzers age

RVC VetCompass gives a median 12.1 years (n=495). Squamous cell carcinoma of the digit is the defining breed-specific cancer — often presenting as nail loss or toe swelling — with hypothyroidism (OFA moderate) secondary.

Lifespan deep-diveAvg 12.1 yr · range 11–13Senior careSenior at 6 · geriatric at 10Common health issues9 tracked conditions
Physical

Physical characteristics

Weight
55–95 lb(24.9–43.1 kg)
Height
23.5–27.5 in(59.7–69.8 cm)
Coat type
Wire
Colors
BlackPepper & SaltBlack & TanFawn
Temperament

Temperament

How Giant Schnauzers tend to show up around their people, other dogs, and the world.

loyalalerttrainablepowerful
  • Energy
  • Trainability
  • Good with kids
  • Good with other dogs
  • Shedding
Health

Common health issues

Full health profile
  • Moderatetypical onset ~2 yr

    Elbow Dysplasia

    Description and veterinary guidance for Elbow Dysplasia land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Moderatetypical onset ~5 yr

    Hypothyroidism

    Description and veterinary guidance for Hypothyroidism land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

  • Low prevalencetypical onset ~7 yr

    Cataracts

    Description and veterinary guidance for Cataracts land in Phase 4. Prevalence and onset-age figures above are drawn from https://ofa.org/diseases/disease-statistics/.

Exercise
90min
per day

Giant Schnauzers are high-output dogs — plan for 90 minutes of daily activity across a mix of walks, off-leash play, and purposeful work.

Related

Related breeds

Breeds with a similar size and group profile, for readers comparing options.

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References

Sources

Lifespan and health figures on this page are drawn from the peer-reviewed and organizational sources below.

  1. AKC breed standardAmerican Kennel Club breed page

    Breed size, weight range, height, AKC group, origin, coat type, and temperament baseline.

  2. RVC VetCompassRoyal Veterinary College VetCompass life-table research (McMillan et al. 2024)

    UK primary-care records; source for the median-lifespan and mortality figures.