MyDogBreeds
Giant Schnauzer is originated from Germany but Bohemian Shepherd is originated from Czech Republic. Giant Schnauzer may grow 14 cm / 6 inches higher than Bohemian Shepherd. Giant Schnauzer may weigh 23 kg / 51 pounds more than Bohemian Shepherd. Both Giant Schnauzer and Bohemian Shepherd has almost same life span. Both Giant Schnauzer and Bohemian Shepherd has almost same litter size. Both Giant Schnauzer and Bohemian Shepherd requires Moderate maintenance.
As a working dog breed, the Giant Schnauzer, known also as the Riesenschnauzer, hails from Germany.
It is believed that the first Giant Schnauzers emerged in Bavaria in the 17th century already. It is the largest of the 3 Schnauzer dogs – Miniature, Standard and Giant. There are quite a few breeds which have been used in its development – Bouvier des Flandres, Great Dane and the German Pinscher among other.
The dog was bred to work on farms and also used as a military dog during the World Wars.
Known as the Chodský pes or the Chodenhund, the Bohemian Shepherd is native to the Czech Republic and is a herding breed. Like many other old dog breeds, nothing is 100% certain about is history. This is thought to be because the breed was developed centuries before the keeping of records. It is certain however, that the breed developed in the south-western portion of the Kingdom of Bohemia, which is now part of the Czech Republic.
It is believed the Bohemian Shepherd came from herding dogs such as the Pinscher/Schnauzer, Spitzen or even a dog/wolf hybrid. It was in November 1991, that the Bohemian Shepherd Lover’s Club was founded. Many Bohemian Shepherd breeders have been registered and today the breed has earned the reputation for being a superb family dog. The dog has also been granted recognition with the Czech National Kennel Club.
With a thick, medium length double coat to protect him from the weather, the Giant Schnauzer’s coat is essentially wiry and hard and in solid black or in a greyish salt and pepper color.
The dogs have always traditionally had their ears and tails docked at the 2nd or 3rd joint to set them apart in looks, but these days both the ears and tail are left.
The tail is always held high. He has dark eyes. Like all Schnauzers, they have that distinct beard and eyebrows. The dog is large and well built and stands at 60 to 70cm in height and weighs anything between 25 and 48kg.
Intelligent, strong willed and energetic, the Giant Schnauzer is actually a quiet dog who doesn’t respond too well to strangers, being reserved around them.
He has a natural guarding and territorial instinct. When he is trained and socialized he makes a wonderful pet, responding well to a firm, consistent owner.
He loves his human family, and as a stable, reliable kind of dog, whether you’ve got children in the home, pets or elderly people, you can rely on your Giant Schnauzer to be a dependable, gentle pet at all the right times, being playful and energetic at other times.
The medium sized Bohemian Shepherd looks much like a combination between the Collie and German Shepherd. He is 48-55 cm in height and weighs about 15-25 kg. The Bohemian Shepherd has a thick, long coat which is black and tan in color and with an undercoat, allowing him to cope in icy weather conditions. His well proportioned body is muscular and compact with a long bushy tail and erect ears.
The Bohemian Shepherd makes a wonderful family pet, becoming very attached to his human family. He has a good reputation with children too and will get on well with other pets in the home. He is so amicable that he makes a good pet choice for those looking to own a dog for the first time.
He is intelligent and alert and also protective of his family, making him an excellent guard dog. He is easily trainable, and just like with any other dogs, will require training and socialization.
The Giant Schnauzer has many excellent characteristics which make it such a great pet. He is composed, alert, intelligent, loving and loyal to his human family.
He is also playful, being happiest when roped into everything going on in the family. He has a solid, balanced nature, is robust and hypoallergenic.
He is powerful and needs a good dose of exercise and will love to join you on your cycle- and hiking trips. Good with children and pets in the home, this is a dog breed that will make a splendid, reliable pet.
Playful by nature, friendly, gentle and co-operative, your Bohemian Shepherd will make a wonderful pet and he is a real social character, loving to spend lots of time with his human family. With minimal health conditions and without requiring much maintenance, he is an adaptable dog and will easily settle into city- or country living, so long as he is given regular exercise and attention.
He is courageous and intelligent and also makes an excellent guard-dog. With so much going for this beautiful dog, he simply makes a loyal, loving and devoted family pet.
A healthy Schnauzer can reach 10 – 12 years of age, but even so, they are a dog breed prone to high rates of hip- and elbow dysplasia, hereditary eye disease and thyroid disease.
Blood-clotting diseases and epilepsy are also concerns with Giant Schnauzers as well as bloat. As with all deep-chested breeds, Giant Schnauzers are more at risk with this gastrointestinal syndrome known as bloat and which can be life threatening.
It is your right to ask the breeder about the medical history of your puppy’s parents.
Breeding organizations are continually trying to minimize the diseases within limited-gene-pool dog breeds. While the Bohemian Shepherd is a generally health breed, there are diseases that are more common with the Bohemian Shepherd and which you need to be aware of -
This is a painful disease – a problem with the formation of the hips – where the dog can develop arthritis and even become lame.
This is a condition where gas gets trapped in the stomach of your pet, so that he swells up, sometimes causing the stomach to twist. This is an emergency for your pet and it is extremely painful. Nobody really knows the cause, but when the gas is trapped inside the stomach, the bloated stomach of your pet requires you getting to the vet as quickly as you can.
Look out for Progressive Retinal Atrophy known as PRA . This is a group of degenerative diseases that affect the photoreceptor cells where the cells deteriorate and can result in blindness with your pet. Fortunately it isn’t a painful condition.
He is a particularly low shedding dog and so brushing him twice a week will suffice. He loves the closeness with his human family during these grooming sessions.
If you don’t know how to groom yourself, the Giant Schnauzers coat will require hand-stripping or clipping. If you want to keep your dog with that typical Schnauzer look, a visit to a professional groomer will be required as they will also tidy the hair around each paw as well.
Now that the ears are no longer cropped, he has fairly short floppy ears and it will be necessary to ensure that dampness, ear wax and dirt don’t build up to cause ear infections.
The teeth must also be brushed 2 or 3 times a week otherwise plaque buildup can cause dental disease as well as lead to other more serious diseases such as kidney- and heart disease.
If you’re a new dog owner, it can be hard to know which dog food to buy and which ingredients to look out for. Nutrition is of vital importance, and bad ingredients can make your dog sick and shorten his life.
A mix of the best commercially manufactured kibble mixed with home-made food full of the right balance of vitamins and minerals will be important as well as including some raw meat into the diet.
If in any kind of doubt about how to feed a large, energetic dog breed like this Giant Schnauzer, speak to your vet.
As a big, energetic dog, the Giant Schnauzer needs to live on a property where there is a garden. He will be requiring some hectic exercise every day.
The Bohemian Shepherd is an energetic breed and will need to be exercised regularly. He’ll love to run alongside your bike on your cycling trips or you can take him on a long walk. Having said that, he is an easy going dog and can adapt to city- and country life, but if it’s city life, you can’t leave him cooped up in a small yard and think that will suffice. He has a personality that longs to be part of the family.
Your Bohemian Shepherd is a moderate shedder in spite of his thick beautiful coat. The coat will certainly need a good brushing at least twice a week to get rid of that loose hair. Not only that, your social Bohemian Shepherd will love the closeness to you that the brushing brings.
Keep his nails short and his teeth brushed at least 2 or 3 times a week to ensure there is no plaque build up. There are special toothbrushes and toothpastes made for dogs. Don’t use human toothpaste as the ingredients will be harmful to your pet.
Your Bohemian Shepherd, after one year of age, will eat one or two bowls of food a day. You’ll be able to tell what suits your dog, because the amount will eat about 2 to 4 cups of a good quality dry dog food a day, split into at least two meals. The amount can vary depending on its health, build, age, activity level and metabolism. Make sure it has access to water at all times and that it is changed as often as possible.