How to Choose the Best Dog Food for Giant Schnauzers
The Giant Schnauzer is a dog with a distinctive air, carrying itself with sophistication and grace. Available in three sizes, the miniature, the standard, and the giant, the Giant Schnauzer is the biggest of the three varieties. This dog breed is renowned for the unique sparkle in its expression, a telling sign that this dog type enjoys mischief-making and having fun.
Large of size, the Giant Schnauzer also has a larger than life personality. The breed has energy to spare and the intelligence to match its drive. Renowned for being an independent thinker, the Giant Schnauzer can also be quite stubborn, making this breed a challenge to train. For this reason, the Giant Schnauzer is a dog best left to families with experience with large dogs with these traits.
The Giant Schnauzer is a dog of many talents, excelling at many different activities including agility, tracking, herding, carting, obedience, and conformation. One of this breed’s original purposes was to keep cattle on the right path on the walk to market. More recently, the Giant Schnauzer has been put to work in such capacities as police work, guard dogs, drug detection, and search and rescue.
Though this breed can be very intense, it is also sweet-natured and affectionate. This natural tendency makes the breed suited to work as a therapy dog as well. By far, the Giant Schnauzer’s favorite role in life is spending time with its beloved family.
If not sufficiently exercised and kept properly mentally stimulated, the Giant Schnauzer will develop nuisance behaviors. In addition to this, this breed must receive regular vigorous exercise on a daily basis; otherwise, the Giant Schnauzer may become overweight. 60 minutes of hard activity is recommended for this breed.
The Giant Schnauzer needs room to roam, and thus, does best in a home with a fenced yard. However, this breed is not a lover of spending a lot of time outside unless in the company of its family.
This dog breed is typically quite healthy but can be predisposed to a number of different health problems. These may include hip dysplasia, osteochondrosis dissecans, autoimmune thyroiditis, and squamous cell carcinoma. To support optimal wellness in the Giant Schnauzer, experts recommend feeding this dog a diet that includes supplements to support joint health and the immune system.
The best dog foods for Giant Schnauzers contain a minimum of 18 percent protein and 5 percent fat.
Choosing the Correct Calorie Count for Giant Schnauzers
Since the Giant Schnauzer is a highly active dog breed, it is vitally important that this pooch receive a diet that is based on a lean, meat-based protein, that is well-balanced, and that is comprised of top quality ingredients. Once this food has been found, the next task is determining how much of a diet to feed this dog per meal. The best dog foods for Giant Schnauzers provide owners with suggested serving sizes based on age and weight.
To find the correct portion size, owners may use the suggestions provided on the food’s packaging. These amounts can be adjusted incrementally until the proper amount has been found. The dog’s weight, age, activity level, and appetite will all serve as helpful guidelines in this process.
Though if properly exercised and not overfed, the Giant Schnauzer is not likely to become overweight, free feeding is still strongly discouraged. Hip dysplasia can be a problem in the breed, and thus, maintaining a healthy weight is a key component of optimal health. To this end, all food for this breed should be measured and all daily intake monitored.
Dietary Requirements for Giant Schnauzer Dog Foods
The Giant Schnauzer is an athletic breed that benefits from a high performance food that is well-balanced to meet its nutritional needs. The best dog foods for Giant Schnauzers base their recipe on a lean, meat-based protein. Whole meats provide the best foundation; however, meat meals are also an excellent choice.
By-products are often utilized by commercial dog food manufacturers as a cost-effective source of protein in their diets. However, these ingredients are of lesser nutritional quality overall. Likewise, the plant-based proteins soy, corn, and wheat are common allergens for many dogs. Foods containing any of these items are best avoided.
Many dog food companies add ingredients such as chemicals, additives, fillers, artificial flavors, colors, and preservatives to their formulation to improve a diet’s shelf life and appearance. These ingredients offer no benefits to the Giant Schnauzer and foods which contain them are best left on the shelf.
From carbohydrates, the Giant Schnauzer gains the fuel it needs to attain ideal digestion and a thriving immune system. These carbohydrates can come from fruits, vegetables, or whole grains. Dogs that have previously expressed sensitivities to grains may do best on a grain-free diet.
Healthy fats offer a powerhouse punch of the essential fatty acids required for coat and skin health and strong reserves of energy. The best sources for these nutrients are animal-based ingredients such as chicken fat and oily fish. Alternatively, some plant-based oils also offer sufficient amounts of these essential fatty acids to benefit the Giant Schnauzer.
All foods can benefit from the addition of helpful supplements, increasing a food’s overall efficacy. The ideal supplements to look for in a food for the Giant Schnauzer include glucosamine, chondroitin, prebiotics, and probiotics.
Things to Look for in the Best Dog Foods for Giant Schnauzers
Here is a basic list of the most important things to look for in the best dog food for a Giant Schnauzer:
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Lean, meat-based proteins heading up the ingredients list
The busy Giant Schnauzer does best on a diet that is based on a lean, meat-based protein. The ideal foundation for this type of diet is a whole meat; however, meat meals are also an excellent source of concentrated protein.
Diets that base their recipe on by-products or plant proteins such as soy, corn, or wheat are best avoided.
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Prepared without the addition of chemicals, flavorings, fillers, or mystery ingredients
Chemicals, fillers, artificial flavorings and colorings, and mystery ingredients provide no nutritional benefit to the Giant Schnauzer. Foods containing these items are not suited for the needs of this breed.
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Enriched with probiotics and helpful supplements
The best supplements to look for in a diet for the Giant Schnauzer are prebiotics, probiotics, glucosamine, and chondroitin.
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Meets AAFCO nutritional requirements for a complete and balanced food
All foods appropriate for the Giant Schnauzer should bear the AAFCO seal of approval, indicating it meets the standards for a complete and balanced food.