Our Summer Featured Pet is Dave, aka David Schnauzelhoff, a 5 year old Giant Schnauzer, and SLV Pet Care's official spokes-dog! Dave resides in Alamosa, with SLV Pet Care owner/operator Julie and her husband Mike. Here's a little more about Dave:
Nicknames: Mr. Dave, Thundermittens, Love Puppy, Sniffer, Pobrecito, The Velvet Prince, Roadblock, Landslide, Bud, Pupperino, The Fun Police
Does your pet have any siblings (human or animal)? Yes - Dolly, a 13 year old standard poodle
Favorite toy/game: Dave loves BALL! He also enjoys "Find it", Hide and Seek, and play dates with his BFF, Brew - Dave can never catch Brew, but he enjoys trying!
Favorite thing to do with his people: Getting his butt scratched and snuggling in the bed
Special Talents: He can sniff out dairy from a mile away! He also basically disappears in the dark.
More from Julie and Mike: "Dave is one of the few dogs we've met that seems to have a sense of humor and can tell when you're playing a joke on him, and he really seems to enjoy it! He loves being talked to, and gives the impression that he can totally understand what you're saying to him, and is one of the happiest dogs we've ever met. We always joke that "Dave's just happy to be here", but it's true!"
Here’s a little more information about the breed:
Height: 25.5-27.5 inches (male), 23.5-25.5 inches (female)
Weight: 60-85+ pounds (male), 55-75 pounds (female)
Life Expectancy: 12-15 years
Group: Working Group
Fun Fact: In German, “Schnauzer” is literally translated as “snouter”, and colloquially means “moustache” or “whiskered snout".
The Giant Schnauzer, aka Riesenschnauzer, was developed in the Bavarian Alps in the mid-1800s as a kind of all-purpose farm dog. They were used for pulling carts and small wagons, driving cattle, and as guards. Giants were bred up from the Standard Schnauzer, along with the Great Dane and Bouvier de Flandres being major contributors to the breed. Although they share the schnauzer name, the Miniature, Standard, and Giant Schnauzers are considered separate and distinct breeds.
Fun Fact: Because of their intelligence and need to work, the Giant Schnauzer is successful in many areas, including as police dogs, military dogs, search and rescue dogs, and even as guide dogs.
Is a Giant Schnauzer right for you?
Let’s cut right to the chase: this breed is not for everyone. In fact, unless you have a LOT of time for training and exercise (not to mention grooming), you’ll probably want to pass on the Giant Schnauzer. From a personal standpoint, I absolutely LOVE our Giant - he is one of the sweetest, smartest, most fun dogs I’ve ever had. He is also the most energetic and stubborn dog we’ve ever had, and I’ve had other working breeds before.
Fun Fact: Giant Schnauzers are great candidates for urban mushing, aka dog joring, due to their size and carting-dog background!
This breed requires a lot of everything: exercise, grooming, training, socialization, food, interaction, and patience. They are incredibly smart, but also stubborn, and will constantly test boundaries for what they can get away with. Because Giants are working breeds, they need more exercise and mental stimulation than some other breeds, and since guarding is one of the things they were bred for, socialization at an early age (and ongoing through adulthood) is imperative. There are horror stories out there of improperly socialized Giants becoming very aggressive when they get older, but this can be avoided through early training and socialization. Be forewarned though - even if you properly train and socialize your pup, they are still a guard breed and will behave as such.
Fun Fact: Schnauzers do shed less and produce less dander than some other breeds, but NO dog is 100% hypoallergenic, and all dogs shed (yes, even poodles and hairless breeds).
Considering a Giant Schnauzer? Check out these resources:
Julie and Dave at SLV Pet Care (for questions about the breed/getting to know the breed)
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