Kintamani vs Giant Schnauzer - Breed Comparison | Petzlover

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.

The Kintamani dog is an ancient cross-breed and hails from Bali Island, Indonesia.

The beautiful dog is classified into the working dog group.

It isn't sure how the dog developed, and it is believed that local Balinese feral dogs might have had a show in with bring the breed about. There are many stories regarding the origination of this breed but in 2006 the dog got recognition in Bali under the category 'distinct' dog breed.

There are efforts to see the Kintamani dog get global recognition.

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.

Temperament:

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.

Looking quite a bit like the Malamute, Chow and Samoyed, the Kintamani is a medium sized dog and has a broad face, erect ears, dark-brown eyes and a thickly plumed tail that is essentially held high.

The Kintamani is a Spitz type dog with an attractive appearance. Standing at 40 to 55cm, the Kintamani weighs in at roughly 13 to 17kg. The colors of the medium to long haired coat are white, beige, black and even brindle, though less common.

Temperament:

Having an independent nature and being territorial, your Kintamani can become aggressive with other dogs. He is very loving and accepting of his human family members though, becoming very loyal to one favorite family member.

They're alert and curious and make good watchdogs. He is also fond of swimming and climbing so he makes a good sport companion.

He is an intelligent dog and he can be easy to train. He is strong-minded and an independent thinker, so training and socialization will rein him in a bit and make him obedient and amicable.

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.

The Kintamani dog is an alert, bright, intelligent dog who will make you a good watchdog.

He also makes a companionable pet, and is friendly, loving and loyal to his human family. He has a social, lively temperament, and as people see what awesome pets they make, they are becoming more in demand as they are also easily trainable.

Do your duty towards this attractive dog and love and care for him like any other family member and he’ll be your most devoted best friend.

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.

You’re the only one who knows your dog, so you’re the one who will pick up signs that he isn’t well.

You can tell a lot from your dog’s behavior, and often a dog that isn’t well will hide away in a corner. If you're worried about your pet’s health, get him to the vet for peace of mind.

Being a responsible dog owner requires you regularly performing body checks on your pet.

Parvo in Dogs:

The canine parvovirus (CPV) infection is a very contagious viral illness that affects dogs. The intestinal form will have your dog vomiting, he won’t want to eat and he’ll have diarrhea.

The other less common type is the cardiac parvo where the heart muscle of a fetus is attacked, leading in all likelihood to death. Thankfully the incidence of the parvo-virus infection has been reduced by vaccination of puppies.

Lyme Disease in Dogs:

This is a tick-borne illness that is transmitted through deer ticks. It is a disease more typically seen in dogs from the northeast United States. Common signs of the illness are lameness, lethargy and enlarged lymph nodes. Most dogs respond well to antibiotic treatment.

Ears Infections:

Take a look inside your dog’s ears and check for itchiness, discharge and redness. Inside the dog’s ears it is very sensitive so if you don’t want to clean his ears, rather leave you vet to do it as you don’t want to perforate your dog’s eardrums.

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.

Diet:

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.

Exercise:

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.

Grooming:

The thick, lustrous coat of the Kintamani will need to be brushed twice a week because the coat is capable of getting burrs in. He sheds, so to keep the coat lustrous you want to be brushing him twice a week to remove all those loose hairs.

Exercise:

The dog can adjust to life in the city or the countryside, but being energetic it is best that they have a reasonable sized garden or life on a farm. He will be quite happy with some good walks, but he'll want some more rough and tumble. He just loves joining you on a hike and climbing on rocks. These dogs are actually known for their climbing skills.

Diet:

Kibble isn’t all equal, and dog owners have a huge choice, with the idea being to find the most nutritious one. Good food is key to good health for your Kintamani.

Your Kintamani puppy will require 4 meals a day. As he reaches adulthood you can start feeding him one or two meals a day.

The Kintamani has a beautiful thick coat and you want to ensure it stays that way by feeding him the best quality food there is. Top-quality dry food from a reputable brand will ensure balanced nutrition.

Read the packaging to ensure you’re giving him food that is appropriate to his age and for medium sized dogs. He will do well on some cooked chicken, brown rice, pasta and vegetables being added to this dry kibble every now and again as a treat.

If you’re unsure about whether he is getting the right kind of food in with a good balance of vitamins and minerals, you can always speak to your vet. Make sure that fresh, cool water is constantly available to him and wash his food and drink bowls regularly.