The Giant Schnauzer Price: What’s the Cost to Own One?

If you simply cannot go one more day without bringing a Giant Schnauzer home to your family, then you probably want to know how much one costs.

The Giant Schnauzer price range runs anywhere from $2,100 to upwards of $5,500.

Before you break open your piggy bank, though, you should probably get to know a bit more about this breed’s temperament and background to ensure a proper fit.

The Giant Schnauzer, Up Close

The Giant Schnauzer has the blood of a working dog in his veins.

The breed started out as a helper driving cattle, then eventually moved on to work in stockyards, butcher shops, and even breweries as guard dogs.

During the early 1900s, the Giant Schnauzer joined the police force for Berlin and a few other German cities

Acting as a police assistant soon became the Giant Schnauzer’s primary job…that is, until the German Shepherd came along.

So, if you need a good working dog, the Giant Schnauzer is your pup!

Giant Schnauzer Temperament and Personality

Before you bring a dog home, you really want to know what you’re getting into.

How will the dog act as an adult? Is he good with kids? Cats? Other dogs?

For the answers to these and other questions, check out the below information on the Giant Schnauzer’s temperament and personality.

He’s Playful

While the Giant Schnauzer may look authoritative and rugged, he’s actually quite the playful dog.

Don’t let him languish in the house – physical and mental exercise will keep him stimulated and out of trouble.

And between his higher energy level and his love for a huge yard, the Giant Schnauzer does not do well with living in an apartment.

He’s Smart

Another reason you should keep your Giant Schnauzer active is because he’s so smart.

Smart dogs become destructive dogs when they’re bored and don’t have enough to do.

Police often use these dogs for search-and-rescue missions, so they definitely prefer when you keep life interesting.

He’s Not Great for a First-Time Dog Owner

If you’ve never owned a dog before, then the Giant Schnauzer is probably not the best place to start.

He’s a large dog with a large personality – you could effectively call him “high maintenance.”

He Can Be Your Bodyguard

Giant Schnauzers make for fantastic guard and watch dogs.

They have an instinct to protect their humans at all costs – they just know when someone is a friend or not.

However, it all depends on the individual dog; some Giant Schnauzers can act timid or shy around new people.

Combat this with as much socialization as you can possibly muster, preferably before he reaches the age of 20 weeks old.

He Doesn’t Do Well with Younger Children

Giant Schnauzers are not the best idea for families with younger children due to their higher energy level and playfulness.

Something else that can become dangerous is their protective nature.

A Giant Schnauzer may misinterpret his children playing with the neighborhood kids as the neighborhood kids trying to attack them.

As such, the Giant Schnauzer may feel like he needs to intervene.

He’s Sensitive

The Giant Schnauzer is one of those dogs who just knows when you’re happy and when you’re sad.

If you’re feeling blue, he’ll snuggle up right next to you to try to help you feel better.

He Can Act Cranky with Other Animals

If another dog poses a challenge, the Giant Schnauzer will meet that challenge head-on.

He might even start a few himself, especially with dogs of the same gender.

As for cats, it really all depends on the temperament of the individual dog.

Giant Schnauzer Size

So, is the “Giant” Schnauzer as large as his name suggests?

Well, if you find the “Giant” Schnauzer is too large for your needs, the Schnauzer also comes in both Mini and Standard sizes.

And, check this out – the AKC actually recognizes each as its own separate breed!

The Giant Schnauzer is between 55 to 85 lbs. and 23.5 to 27.5 inches tall.

If that’s too large, you can opt for one of the other Schnauzers.

The Mini Schnauzer grows to between 11 and 20 lbs. as an adult and stands only 12 to 14 inches tall.

And the full-size Standard Schnauzer is between 18.5 and 19.5 inches tall and 35 to 50 lbs.

Giant Schnauzer Price – How Much Do Giant Schnauzers Cost?

As mentioned earlier, the Giant Schnauzer dog price costs anywhere from $2,100 to $5,500 or more.

The price of a Giant Schnauzer up for adoption is around $150 from your local shelter (or free during certain times of the year).

The purebred Giant Schnauzer price for rescues is between $300 to $450 to cover the costs associated with fostering the dog before rehoming him.

Demand

The Giant Schnauzer is 78^th in popularity out of a possible 195 breeds registered with the AKC.

This is a decent number. This tells you breeders won’t try to overcharge you for a “rare” or “in demand” dog.

However, it can also work against you in that people aren’t exactly clamoring for this breed, so there are less of them around than, say, Golden Retrievers.

Giant Schnauzer Rescue and Adoption

Rescuing or adopting a dog is a great way to save an animal in need while also saving yourself some cash.

The Giant Schnauzer Club of America can help you select your next soul mate from their beautiful bevy of rescue dogs.

A suggested donation of $300 to $450 helps the organization keep its doors open and help additional Giant Schnauzers in need.

You can also pop in your local shelter to see if they have any Giant Schnauzers available for adoption.

A shelter adoption costs around $150 for shots and neutering.

If not, let them know you’re interested and give them your information so you can be the first one they call when they get one in.

Giant Schnauzer Cost of Ownership

The cost of ownership often surprises dog owners – especially those who purchase a dog spontaneously.

They forget that owning a dog is an added expense, and that you need to incorporate the dog’s needs into your weekly or monthly budget.

Here are some costs to keep in mind when calculating the Giant Schnauzer average price.

Cost of Food

The cost of food is something that surely adds on quickly to the Giant Schnauzer puppy price.

The price of food varies widely, depending on the brand you buy.

Some larger bags of food are $15, while others are $50 or more – it all depends on your budget and what you want to feed your dog.

A higher-quality food should help your dog stay healthy and ward off disease.

Check with your vet for more info on any brands they recommend, and how much food you should serve your dog each day.

Health Care Expenses

Health care: the bane of all living things, human and otherwise.

Make sure you have a rainy-day fund or at least a credit card with no balance set aside in the event of a medical emergency.

Most Giant Schnauzers are healthy dogs, but you still want to know you prepared if something comes up you did not expect.

In particular, you’ll want to keep an eye out for any of the following conditions, which tend to appear more prevalently in the Giant Schnauzer breed:

• Arthritis
• Autoimmune Thyroiditis
• Cherry Eye
• Gastric Torsion 
• Hip Dysplasia
• Osteochondrosis Dissecans
• Pan osteitis 
• Squamous Cell Carcinoma

Just because they can suffer from these conditions does not guarantee that they will.

Still, it’s good to know the illnesses that affect a particular breed so you can bring your dog to the vet at the first sign of trouble.

Training Programs

Training a Giant Schnauzer can be…challenging.

In fact, some Giant Schnauzer owners have said their dogs have proven to be “a little too much dog for them.”

To avoid this, you need to establish early on that you are in charge here, not him.

Giant Schnauzer puppies can act very stubborn.

The most effective way to train them is to give them a job. Teach your Giant Schnauzer to find and fetch items for you or perform a trick.

You can also enroll him in obedience or agility training for additional challenges you might not have realized yourself.

Plus, this is a great way to get him that socialization that every dog needs to become a well-rounded adult.

Grooming Costs

For the Giant Schnauzer, grooming can be a chore and a half.

They require a thorough brushing three times a week to ward off potential matting.

They also shed seasonally, so you may want to take him to a groomer every six to eight weeks if you can’t keep up with his needs.

Ear Cropping

Something else important to note: some people purchase Giant Schnauzers with the intent to show.

If you are one of these people, you may also wish to crop his ears.

If so, you’ll need to make sure that you either learn to do this properly or pay a professional to ensure you get it done right.

If you don’t do it correctly, the dog’s ears won’t stand properly, and you’ll have cropped his ears for nothing.

Training cropped ears to stand can take anywhere from one month to one year.

Kailyn C.

Kailyn has worked as a professional freelance writer since 2012, and during that time she has written about nearly every dog breed imaginable. Her mother loved Collies, and so Kailyn grew up with three of them throughout her childhood – including a blonde one who was half-blind! Now her home belongs to her first official dog, Macho, a Dogo Argentino rescue.