Page 177 - Showsight April 2013

THE GIANT SCHNAUZER
By Olga Gagne
Origin & History Early accounts of the Giant
Schnauzer state that the
breed was developed in the
kingdoms of Wurttemburg
and Bavaria in southern Ger-
many. It was a farm herding
type of dog, multi-hued, mostly black in
color, but sometimes a yellow or reddish
color, or pepper-salt or gray. In 1876, the
“Bavarian Wolf Hund” was described as
a strong, black or black-brown dog with
rough or shaggy coat, strong chest, distin-
guishing itself by its courage, by holding
together herds of hogs and cattle and by
being particularly fit for protection from
hostile attacks.
It was an established breed by the end
of the nineteenth century, but the few
breeders were extremely secretive, never
revealing their breeding records, nor offer-
ing outside stud services or selling their
dogs. It is theorized that the early Giant
Schnauzer was developed from crosses
with smooth-coated drovers, rough-coated
shepherd dogs, black Great Danes and
Bouviers des Flanders. Also, it is further
suggested that because the resultant dog
resembled a larger edition of the already
well-known and older Standard Schnau-
zer, an infusion of Standard Schnauzer
blood was given to reinforce type.
ShowSight Magazine, April 2013 • 177