Here is the ultimate comparison of American Pitbull Terrier vs Giant Schnauzer. This massive guide will help you understand the differences between them.  let’s get started.

American Pitbull Terrier vs Giant Schnauzer: At a glance

Here is a simple infographic to understand the difference between American Pitbull Terrier vs Giant Schnauzer at a glance.


American Pitbull Terrier vs Giant Schnauzer

Complete Breed Information and Facts

Let’s begin our ultimate comparison of American Pitbull Terrier vs Giant Schnauzer with complete breed information and facts.

American Pitbull Terrier Breed

Temperament: Confident, smart, Good-natured, stubbornHeight: 18 to 21 inchesWeight: 35 to 60 poundsLife Expectancy: 10 to 15 years
american pitbull terrier

Pros

  • Affectionate with family
  • Kid friendly
  • Friendly toward strangers
  • Low drooling potential
  • Easy to groom
  • Less prone to illness
  • Easy to train
  • Intelligent

Cons

  • Not good for first-time owners
  • High sensitivity level
  • Doesn’t tolerate being alone
  • Doesn’t tolerate cold weather
  • Not dog friendly
  • Shedding
  • Potential for mouthiness (chew, nip, etc.)
  • Wanderlust potential

Everything you need to know about American Pitbull Terrier

The American Pitbull terry is a purebred dog breed recognized by the United Kennel Club and American dog breeders association but not the American kennel club.

Size
  • It is a medium-sized, solid build, intelligent, short-haired dog.
  • The American pit bull terrier varies in size normally around 18 to 21 inches in height and around 35 to 60 pounds in weight.
  • Females are normally around 17 to 20 inches in height and about 30 to 50 pounds in weight.
American Pitbull Terrier is not recognized by AKC

The American pit bull terrier is one of those so-called bully breeds often labeled as a pit bull. In fact, the quote-on-quote pit bull isn’t a breed but a term used to describe the American pit bull terrier, the bull terrier, the American Staffordshire terrier, and the Staffordshire bull terrier.

The confusion started when the AKC gave it the new name the American Staffordshire terrier. It is to separate it from its fighting past making it the civilized pit bull. The American Staffordshire terrier has been recognized by the AKC.

Some professional breeders of the American pit bull terrier as well as some experts in supporters claim that historically

“The American Pit Bull Terrier is the only true pit bull.”

And the only breed that should be dominated as such. So chances are if your dog exceeds any of these measurements and height and weight they are probably mixed with a larger dog breed.

What colors can the real American pit bull terrier be?

American pit bull terriers’ most common colors are Black, White, Brindle, Fawn, Tan, Grey, Brown, Blue, Red. They rarely did come in the color blue but yes there are real blue American pit bull terriers.

The terms red nose and blue nose are often mistaken as a specific kind of breed for the American pit bull terrier. But this is actually false the terms you should only be used as the actual color of the dogs, the nose, or the fur.

Not every bully-type breed that is blue or red should be considered a real American pit bull terrier.

A brief historic background of the American pit bull terrier

Terriers and old English bulldogs were bred together to produce a dog that combined the game; the terrier with the strength and athleticism of the bulldog.

These dogs named bull and terriers were bred in the British isles and arrived in the united states in the late 19th. They became the direct ancestors of the American pit bull terrier. And the united kingdom bull & terriers were used in bloodsports such as bull-baiting and bear-baiting.

These sports were officially eliminated in 1835 when Britain introduced animal welfare laws. Dog fightings are cheaper to organize and far easier to conceal from the law than bull or bear baits.

Bloodsport owners turn their dogs against each other. Dogfighting was used both as a bloodsport and a way to continue to test the quality of their dogs for decades. Afterward, dogfighting took place in small areas of Britain. These dogs arrived in America around 1850 to 1860 where the dogfighting practice had continued. 

On February 10 of 1898, the breed was recognized by the united kennel club named the American pit bull terrier.

Personality

It was originally bred to bait bulls the breed evolved into all-around farm dogs. And later moved into the house to become nanny dogs because they were so gentle around children.

  • Their tenacity, gameness, and courage make them popular competitors in the sports of weight pulling, agility, and obedience competition.
  • The American pit bull terrier’s tenacity made them chosen by wrongful dogfighting owners. And it gave them a bad reputation.
  • These dogs are a power breed. But are loyal and known for never quitting.
  • The American pit bull terrier naturally dogs aggressive and animal aggressive.
  • The determination they have made them natural fighting dogs. 

American pitbull terriers are human-friendly which actually makes them a bad guard dog. It is because they want to greet every person with love and a wagging tail.

Giant Schnauzer Breed

  • Temperament: Loyal, Alert, Trainable
  • Height: 25.5-27.5 inches (male), 23.5-25.5 inches (female)
  • Weight: 60-85 pounds (male), 55-75 pounds (female)
  • Life Expectancy: 12-15 years

Pros

  • Highly protective working breed
  • Very affectionate with family
  • Tolerate cold weather
  • Adapt well to living outdoors
  • Low drooling potential
  • Less prone to illness
  • Easy to train
  • Intelligent
  • Playful
  • High energy level

Cons

  • Does not adapts well to apartment living
  • Not good for novice owners
  • High sensitivity level
  • Doesn’t tolerate being alone
  • Doesn’t tolerate hot weather
  • Not friendly toward strangers
  • Shedding
  • Not easy to groom

Everything you need to know about Giant Schnauzer

Among the best multi-purpose working breeds in the world, the giant schnauzer is an incredible dog. The midnight black, extra-large, and absolutely fearless. These amazing guardians are becoming more popular every day.

Personality
  • The giant schnauzer is an alert, active, and highly protective working breed.
  • These dogs can do far more than strike fear into the heart of anyone dreaming about assaulting their owners.
  • Led by an experienced handler, they make outstanding service dogs and family companions.
  • Giant schnauzers are extremely loyal and devoted to their owners including children of all ages.
  • And whilst they are quite affectionate towards the entire family. They do predominantly bond with one single person in the household. This person is usually the one that spends the most active time with the dog. And acts as their calm consistent canine leader.
  • They’re naturally protective and wary of strangers.
  • They are amazingly smart in evaluating situations and will rarely attack unprovoked.
  • These beautiful bearded giants are quite independent. And they can adapt well to living outdoors.
  • Schnauzers are not usually given to separation anxiety. But they do prefer sharing the house with their family.
  • Another feature giant schnauzers are born with is their immense play and prey drive. They are always eager to give chase.
Training

They need to be trained from an early age onwards on how to channel these powerful instincts in positive ways. Engaging them in canine activities and training is the best way to do this.

Although very strong-willed these dogs are very intelligent. And also respond well to a balanced training approach. An approach predominantly uses reinforcements such as food rewards play and praise is perfect for the breed.

It is because employing strong physical corrections can send the schnauzer into a quite rebellious state of mind. They usually do not attack the handler when corrected. But sometimes they will give in to their stubborn tendencies. And often simply refuse to perform any other command when handled that way.

The best way to help them overcome these mental roadblocks is to coax them with play. And really tap into that incredible play drive that they have.

To better understand these glorious giants we will begin by looking at their histories.

History

Originating in southern Germany, giant schnauzers first appeared on the records during the 18th century. The exact origin of these large dogs is somewhat unclear.

The giant schnauzer was originally bred as a multi-purpose working farm dog for farmers. These large and fearless dogs excelled as property guardians, personal protection dogs, and drover dogs for cattle.

In the first world war the giant schnauzer’s fame as outstanding guardians and protectors spread outside of their native province of Bavaria. Schnauzer served alongside german soldiers as military dogs in both world wars and in the 1960s.

This remarkably versatile working breed gained international popularity both in the united states and in other European countries.

The giant schnauzer was a respected member of the police and military forces in many of those countries.

Size 
  • Adult males can weigh 60-85 pounds and 25.5-27.5 inches in height. As with most dog breeds the females are slightly smaller and lighter than their male counterparts.
Color

These beautiful black guardians are the largest of the three schnauzer varieties (the other ones are the miniature and the standard schnauzer). They look exactly like smaller versions of this bigger brother.

But contrary to the miniature and standard schnauzers the giant among them is jet black at least most of the time. There are some salt and pepper dogs out there but they are quite rare.

Exercise

Giant schnauzers are serious working dogs who need several hours of vigorous exercise on a daily basis.

If you are a nature lover yourself this breed may be the perfect choice for you. And the same applies if you are part of an active family who loves spending time in the outdoors.

Your giant schnauzer will absolutely enjoy exploring nature along with you. It can be on hikes bike excursions or visits to rivers or lakes.

If familiarized with the water from puppyhood onwards these bearded guardians can make superb swimmers. And can retrieve floating dog toys you might throw out for them. The same applies to any play on dry land as well.

Thanks to that high prey and play drive we talked about, schnauzers make excellent retrievers. And incredibly fun playmates for the entire family.

Grooming

Now we have to talk about grooming. And the giant schnauzer’s weather-resistant double coat does require frequent combing and brushing to stay tidy.

Although these dogs are not heavy shedders, they need regular professional grooming to really look their best. In shedding season they blow their coat. It means they shed all of their hairs at once.

Regular grooming is recommended to help avoid the schnauzer’s black hairs accumulating on floors and furniture. On average you want to take your schnauzer to a groomer probably every six to ten weeks or so.

More about this breed

Giant schnauzers are an absolutely amazing dog breed.

  • They’re loyal to a fault.
  • Keenly alert on the job yet calm and gentle towards their family at the same time.
  • These are very strong-willed dogs. And very strong physical dogs who are used to making their own decisions.

And for those reasons, they should be teamed up with an experienced owner who can lead them with a firm but fair hand. In the hands of a high-level canine leader, a giant schnauzer will unfold its enormous potential as one of the best working dogs and family guardians on the entire planet.

American Pitbull Terrier vs Giant Schnauzer: Ultimate comparison

After the introduction of each breed, let’s start the ultimate comparison of American Pitbull Terrier vs Giant Schnauzer.

Temperament With Children

American Pitbull Terrier

  • Pitbulls are gentle with children.

They are sturdy and tough enough to handle hugs that children often mistakenly give out. And have a chilled attitude towards children running, screaming, and playing. These all facts make pit bulls excellent family companions.

Before Pitbulls were given the unfortunate and misunderstood curse of being known, as aggressive dogs, they were known as babysitter dogs.  In fact, for around 100 years Pitbulls were commonly referred to as “nanny dogs”.

These dogs are very intelligent and can flip from roughhousing to cuddling in a second. With a little training, they can match that with their intuition, and sensitivity making them wonderful for kids of all ages.

However, their dangerous reputation is widely accepted by canine experts. It can be due to poor training and socialization by uneducated or unethical or simply moronic owners.

Giant Schnauzers: 

Giant schnauzers are known for their good natures and their calmness. They have a natural ability to protect and guard their owners and their property. And they eventually become valued members of a family.

These big dogs like to be involved in everything that goes on in a household. And if left to their own devices they quickly become bored. This can result in them becoming unruly and hard to handle.

Giant schnauzers instinctively protect their owners and property. This makes them loyal and extremely good watchdogs. They do however need to be taught their place in the pack and who is the alpha dog in the household. This is particularly important when they live with families with children.

  • They’re not the best choice of dog for people with younger children because of their strong instincts to guard.

Temperament With Other Pets

American Pitbull Terrier: 

Because of their dog-fighting heritage, some American Pit Bull Terriers retain a tendency to be aggressive with other dogs.

But if they are socialized early and trained to know what behavior is expected of them, that aggression can be minimized or overcome, and many are dog- and cat-friendly.

Giant Schnauzers: 

Male dogs tend to be a little more unpredictable when they’re around other male dogs. And giant schnauzers are not good around cats and other small pets commonly found in the home. So care must be taken when dogs meet them.

The Intimidation Factor

American Pitbull Terrier

American pit bull terriers are medium-sized versions of the free breeds. And are loosely referred to as pit bulls. They are often confused with the American Staffordshire terrier and the Staffordshire bull terrier.

  • The pit bull terriers stand from 18 to 21 inches and weigh anything from 35 to 60 pounds.
  • They are muscular. And solidly built and very powerful for their medium-sized.
  • The wedge-shaped head is large but not massive. And is in proportion with the rest of the body.
  • There are slight wrinkles present on the forehead. And their single coat is short and lays close to the body.
  • They may come in many colors such as red, blue, brown, grey, black and white, and brindle. And there may be solid-colored or have patches of color. Their eyes may also be any color except blue as long as it complements the coat coloring.
  • The ears are cropped or left natural and can be rose-shaped or semi prick. And the short tails tend to be tapered.

Giant Schnauzers

Giant schnauzers are impressive-looking dogs known as a groomed breed. It is because they are high-maintenance when it comes to keeping their coats looking as they should.

  • The reason they need more in the way of coat care is that they don’t cast it or shed hair like other breeds.
  • The other thing to bear in mind is that once a giant’s beard has grown to its full length it will get soaked every time a dog has a drink of water. And it gets pretty messy when they eat as well.
  • Although large, the giant schnauzer is an athletic-looking dog. They’re extremely agile, well-muscled and they need to be even lots of exercise to keep them fit and healthy.
  • They’ve grown strong heads of a medium size that’s accentuated by dogs’ bushy eyebrows.
  • Their muscles are powerful looking with whiskers under their chin. And dogs boast a stubbly mustache. The nose is black with nice wide nostrils.
  • A giant schnauzer’s eyes are set forward, oval shape to medium in size and they are a set high on a dog’s head.
  • Being a neat v-shape and dropping forward, their jaws are strong. Their upper teeth neatly overlap their lower ones. Lips are black and tight. And they boast a moderately long neck that dogs hold slightly archness. It is set very cleanly on their shoulders.
  • Their shoulders are well laid back and flat. The dog has nice straight well-muscled front legs with lots of bone right down to their feet.
  • The chest is quite deep and broad with a nice strong straight back. The back is slightly lower at the croup than it is at the shoulder. Their ribs are well sprung and loin slope slightly.
  • Hindquarters are strong and well-muscled. The dog has stronger parfaits and back legs. Their feet point forward and compact with well-arched toes. And dark firm paw pads with dark nails.

The Dog’s Trainability

American Pitbull Terrier

Training should be started early. And always done in a calm-assertive manner. It is important because they won’t respond to discipline or harsh tones.

Training is best in short sessions. It is due to the pit bull terrier’s short attention span. And they’ll quickly become uninterested even if treats are used as a reward.

Lots of patience is necessary when working with the pitbull. The training can be a long process.

Even after pit bull terrier is fully trained, they may decide to test the boundaries as they get older and project dominance. These situations should be handled with a calm assertion.

Like a teenager, they just want to see what they can get away with.

Families with children should socialize puppies early on to accept outside children as welcome guests.

While pit bull terriers will bond nicely with kids in their own family, they can sometimes be aggressive to other children. And should be too early on that all kids are to be welcomed with open arms.

Giant Schnauzer

Giant schnauzer is highly intelligent but they have a bit of a stubborn streak.

Many experts believe it is because these dogs are so smart. Well, in the right hands and with the correct amount of training, giant schnauzers are usually excelling at things they’re taught to do.

If there is one thing these large dogs like, it’s learning new things. And enjoy taking part in canine activities like agility and obedience. But they need to know who the boss is to do this well. 

Giant schnauzer puppies are very cute. And it’s all too easy to spoil them when they first arrive in their new homes. However, owners should start out as they mean to go on. This means laying down rules and boundaries. So the puppies understand what is expected of them.

Naturally, a playful puppy will always test the boundaries from time to time. But it is important to stay consistent. So they learn what is acceptable behavior and what is not.

Protection ability

American Pitbull Terrier

American pit bull terriers are extremely devoted and loyal to their family. And will if necessary defend them to the death. But will often greet a stranger at the door with kisses rather than chasing them off.

These dogs naturally love people. Like, love-love people so much, that you’ll have to do training to keep them from jumping up on people. They rarely bark so they don’t make great watchdogs either.

Giant Schnauzers

Giant schnauzers are natural watchdogs because it’s in their DNA to guard and protect as such. They don’t need to be taught to guard which could end up making them more dominant. And therefore harder to control and live with.

However with their excellent athleticism, intelligence and fearlessness, these dogs are rapidly growing in popularity as guard dog breeds as well as police and military dogs.