Giant Schnauzer Club of America records

The Giant Schnauzer’s (GS) strength and power are illustrated by their physique. They are the largest of the three schnauzer breeds with an impressive height of 23½ to 27½ inches and weighing in at 55 to 80 pounds. The breed’s temperament is best described by the late Dr. Erich Harms, a German GS breeder and author. He describes them as distrustful of strangers and watchful. The breed’s temperament as a brave, powerful, loyal and intelligent dog is indicative of their work with police forces, particularly in Europe.

By the mid-19th century the GS was a distinct breed, as reported by noted canine artist, Richard Strebel. With origins in Germany the breed’s ancestry includes the Standard Schnauzer, the Bouvier des Flandres, a herding breed from the Flanders region of France, and the black Great Dane. Like the Bouvier des Flandres the GS worked herding cattle mainly in Upper Bavaria. Eventually the dog made its way into populous cities such as Munich by the 20th century. There they earned a reputation as excellent guard dogs and ratters. Their keen protective nature was so legendary that breweries used them to guard their beer wagons as they made their way into town. As the breed’s popularity gained strength, breed specific clubs such as the Pinscher Club and Bavarian Schnauzer Club were established.

By the early 1920s Americans became familiar with the breed by way of German police forces who employed the dogs. By 1925 the first GS were imported to the United States by people such as James Mitchell Hoyt who imported Argo v. Kurhessen. With the breed’s recognition by the American Kennel Club in 1930, it was clear that the breed was well on its way to becoming a viable American prospect. As such, Mr. Hoyt exhibited several of his GS at the Westminster dog show where his Bodov Fus Fuchspark Potzhaus took Best of Breed.

A few years later, a major influx of imported stock occurred with Carlo v Saldern who was the first GS to achieve AKC champion status and sired the first American-bred champion. However it wasn’t until the 1960s that the breed began to enjoy some popularity in America. The breed’s growing popularity during the 1960s is due in part to some of the great kennels that were founded at this time. One noteworthy kennel was Skansen Kennels in California founded by Sylvia Hammarstorm which by the 1980's 200 of their GS had earned champion status and 100 had earned other titles such as CD, UD, CDX.

Also contributing to the rise of the breed's popularity inthe 1960's onward was the creation of the Giant Schnauzer Club of America. Founded in 1962, they conducted their first national specialty in 1968 in Chicago. Unfortunately, during the same time, the Chicago riots broke out and kept the entry numbers very, very low; there were 12 dogs entered and eight didn’t attend. However, even with this set back, the club managed to maintain a healthy number of members in the coming decades.

By the time they conducted this first national specialty there was a growing concern among GSCA members that "backyard" breeders were exploiting the breed. In the 1968 souvenir catalog it reads, "...We believe that this dog is too noble, too wonderful and too loyal to be the victim of such practices as wholesale breeding, indiscriminant mating... and whenever possible, we have tried to inform the public as to the worth and quality of this breed." The club adopted a motto that best describes the breed--Love, Valor, Intelligence. It appears on numerous club publications.

The GSCA’s commitment to the breed is evidenced by the creation of numerous educational and ancillary activities such as rescue, judges’ education, and an information center among others. Additionally, they collected a comprehensive archive of publications and photographs from people like Ronnie and Bonnie Barker and Catherine H. Brown.