Gull Dong 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 Gull Dong dog is thought to come from British Colonial India during the 1900's. The area later became known as Pakistan, and this is where the dog originated from.

Known also as the Bully Gull Terr, the dog came about by crossing Bully Kutta (Pakistani Mastiff) with a pure bred Gull Terr. The breeders wanted a dog that had the best features and characteristics of both the 2 dog breeds.

They were looking for particular characteristics such as size, strength and speed. This is a rare dog breed and he isn’t associated with any kennels or clubs, so not many records have been kept regarding their origin and development.

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.

The deep chested Gull Dong is a large dog and stands at 76 – 106cm in height and weighs in the region of 40 – 63kg.

He has a short, smooth coat in various colors such as white, grey, black, brindle or bi-color such as white with black spots. He is a muscular, powerful breed dog and his ears are mostly cropped, but when left they are short and floppy. His tail can be docked but these days it tends to be left long. He has a huge head, and similar to bulldogs, this mastiff dog has loose skin around the jaw and neck.

Temperament:

This is a strong-willed dog who is also intelligent. Just his sheer size will require that you have him trained and socialized. It is actually important to train and discipline this dog as he is strong willed. He is intelligent and learns easily.

After training, he will require a strong, firm and consistent owner. He is fairly suspicious of strangers and won't take kindly to anyone who tries to come onto his properly. He is a dominant, aggressive dog and while he is a loyal, loving pet with his human family, he isn't an ideal dog to have with small children in the home.

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.

This is a powerful, intelligent dog and with training and socialization he is capable of becoming a loving, protective pet who listens to you.

He does tend to be aggressive and therefore people who are buying a dog for the first time might battle with the characteristics of this dog. He will certainly need a firm, strong, patient owner. He isn't the wisest choice for when you've got small children in the house, though well trained dogs and children are able to get along well together.

When your heavy, muscular Gull Dong is handled in a firm, kind manner, he is well exercised and fed and treated firmly and kindly, he is able to make a great, loyal companion.

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.

The Gull is a fairly healthy dog, and with good care he can reach 10, 11 or 12 years of age.

Deafness:

If you choose to own a white one, you will know that he is susceptible to deafness and skin problems. White coated dogs battle with deafness, and the reason for this is that they carry the piebald gene. The piebald gene is a result of the absence of melanocytes – those cells which create pigment.

The ability to hear comes from a layer of cells within the inner ear which come from the same stem cell source. Without this stem cell, the dog isn't able to make this specialized layer of hearing cells.

Hip Dysplasia:

With hip dysplasia, the head of the thigh bone doesn’t fit properly into the hip socket, resulting in the bone wearing away and arthritis settling in. Your dog can experience pain and stiffness and he can become lame. You'll notice he is no longer enthusiastic to join in with games and exercise.

Hip dysplasia can be managed with medication while some dog owners, if they can afford it, turn to surgery which can be very costly.

Bloat:

He is a deep chested dog and this means you need to be aware of the risks associated with bloat, an emergency gastrointestinal syndrome which can be life threatening and where your dogs stomach becomes hard and bloated.

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.

Exercise:

Plenty of room to run around in is important for the Gull Dong as he is a working breed who is used to having a job to do. You will certainly need to take him on walks or play rope- and ball games with him.

Grooming:

The Gull will require brushing twice a week as he is a short haired dog and an average shedder.

Diet:

This is a large energetic dog and you will need to feed him a high quality food specially for large, energetic dogs. He needs his full quota of minerals and vitamins in his food. Provide him with homemade food such as cooked chicken, rice and vegetables and some raw meat from time to time. Never leave him without a constant supply of fresh, cool drinking water.