A Giant Schnauzer is a highly spirited and outgoing breed, the dog is intelligent, loving and loyal which owners find to be very endearing. The breed is composed and makes an extremely efficient watchdog, hard-working and possessing of the Terrier temperament. The Giant Schnauzer is a breed which is dominant and needs a firm and diligent owner, one with experience handling dogs with this temperament.

The breed can be easy to train if you first earn their trust and respect, the dog responds to positive reinforcement and being supplied with treats when training. The dog must be trained by someone who has professional experience, if they are to reach their full potential and be a good family pet. Giant Schnauzers without proper training and socialization will not adapt well and make a suitable household pet.

When the dog is a puppy, they are dominant and stubborn, testing their owners time and again. To a Giant Schnauzer, it is up to the master to conform to their ideal standard of life. However, once the dog has received adequate professional training they will adapt and become a loving and loyal companion, growing attached to their family and being very protective.

The Giant Schnauzer is a breed that requires a high level of attention and will follow an owner around incessantly. There is no place off limits to the dog, it has an almost compulsive need to be in the same location as an owner at all times. The dog will smother an owner with attention and will not respect the owner's personal space at all. The dog will invade an owner's personal comfort zone and in doing so it keeps them well adjusted and gives them unadulterated joy. It is said that the breed is so in tune with an owner's feelings that can pick up on emotions through a person's facial expressions.

The Giant Schnauzer is an independent dog, true problem solvers and adept at figuring out the solution to a wide variety of problems or situations. There are stories in which an owner reports a Giant Schnauzer has learned to open the door to a cupboard or refrigerator to gain access to a tasty snack! Once the dog figures something out, it can be hard to stay a step ahead of them.

The dogs can become destructive if left alone for extended periods of time. Some Giant Schnauzers have been known to chew their way through an entire sofa if left alone for even a short time! Without proper supervision and stimulation, the dog could put the owner's possessions in serious jeopardy. So, do not leave anything in the dog's grasp that you hold sacred.

While the dog is engaging and amiable with an owner and family, the same cannot be said for when the dog encounters strangers. The dogs are generally reserved and leery around strangers, and are tremendously protective of their family. The breed does not like to feel threatened and can be imposing just because of size alone. The Giant Schnauzer is a breed that is truly unique, if you are a person that can adapt well to a dog of this nature, then this could be a well-suited breed for your family.