Dog profile for Zeus, a male Giant Schnauzer

Giant Schnauzer

Photo Comments

Home:Baltimore, MD

Age: 8 Years Sex: Male Weight: 51-100 lbs

Dogster stats for Zeus

Paws:

by 2 voters


Stars:

Leave a bone for Zeus

Nicknames:
Zeusie, Zoo-Zoo, Mr. Beardsley, Puppster

Doggie Dynamics:

Energy

sleepy		energetic

Intelligence

silly		genius

Friendliness

aggressive		affectionate

Playfulness

not playful		very playful

Disposition

anxious		calm

Sun Sign:

Quick Bio:

-purebred

Birthday:
September 21st 2003

Likes:
Running in the outdoors at his favorite parks [some are fenced, others aren't near traffic], he runs a lot when he's on his 30 ft lead, loves cheese, his housemate pooch Zev, beef, Italian food, swimming in the outdoors, drinking hot shower water

Pet-Peeves:
having his beard wiped after he eats or drinks! Being left home while Mom does nondoggy stuff

Favorite Toy:
his orange Chuckit ball with the flinger thingie. Loves to chase & chew the ball.

Favorite Food:
Baked chicken leg quarters DEBONED , ANYTHING ITALIAN! Loves and adores human food, except any carbs, which indicates how smart he truly is, huh? hahaha

Favorite Walk:
Hikes over rocky and wooded trails in the park like a pro. Mom is very tired afterwards!

Best Tricks:
Shaking hands, play growling, catching rocks tossed into the stream or water in shallow spots

Arrival Story:
Came to us as a rescue from his original owner, a very rich lady in NYC and an island in the Caribbean. Zeus was super skinny, just skin and bones really. His level of starvation had nothing to do with the woman's income or education; as she has both in abundance. Unfortunately, she was like a skeleton herself, a NYC trait in rich women, and kept him underfed too; when he began to receive a proper good nutritious diet, he put on muscle and good weight. Today, at age 5 yrs, he's much healthier and weighs in at 109 lbs. now, not fat at all under all that furry fur. Zu-Zu has mild unilateral hip dysplasia, a genetic ailment which I treat with exercise and mild supplements like Glucosamine & Chondroitin and lots of fish oil 10,000 units a day per Dr. J, his regular vet. It also helps his auto-immune disease, SLO, which is a problem for his toenails - they're distorted and fall off sometimes. He's very hyper sensitive about his feet and will not allow touching; he gets upset when we try to trim our own nails now and tries to stop us from our own grooming; poor dog is traumatized about his nails. Zeus is kinda neurotic for a dog. He's super bright but emotional& yes, needy.Zeus is loyal beyond measure just like Zev. Has an excellent temperament: responsive, very bright, can problem solve on his own, can calm down nicely , loves to be hugged, kissed and snuggled despite being a HUGE tall dog of 29" at his withers. His size is over sized for his breed, bigger isn't always better in some breeds/dogs. He's got a beautiful coat, is fast and agile despite having moderate hip dysplasia. He's turned into a good looking boy from being the "ugly duckling" until he was 18 months old! He's learned to do the Schnauzer Beans dance too - rub his butt over his tail stub and he'll start dancing around and making these hilarious mock growls. It's very funny. A charming humorous dog who loves to make wacky dog noises& BARK, a lot. He "talks" to me [meaning he barks and yips at me if he wants something]. Each morning, Zeus will make this crazy cat like "WeeeOoowwww" noise to wake me up. Zeus is a terrific companion for Zev, who tends to be far less 'showy' in personality. She's quiet, dignified and yet has a very playful side, even a little bit of a scamp. They make a good pair and love each other too. But like 'brother & sister' they tend to be brats if one is getting more attention or time. Then they will nip at each other, chase and mock fight and Zev especially will push Zeus out of the way when it comes time for hugs and kisses. She's not interested in 'sharing'. Not that he is either, he barks in her face when he wants the lovin' and playing.

Bio:
He comes from Skansen Kennels , who has a long history of producing show dog winners. Skansen Kennel is located in Sebastopol, CA. Their website is: www.skansen.com. Zeus' sire is Ch. Skansen's U.P.S. and his dam is Skansen's Anna Karenina. I do not recommend buying from this kennel, they breed too many dogs and sell to anyone, which is not how a COE breeder works. Buy from a hobby kennel not a huge kennel operation where dogs are not bred like cattle and sold for top dollar like at Skansen Kennels. ZEUS was originally sold for $2,300 and was supposedly a top show pup - however, he has a bad bite too, his teeth are slightly undershot and his teeth do not mesh properly [ dentition is askew]which afflicts his chewing, though he eats well. Zeus didn't turn out as well as predicted for showing, due to his dentition, and then was given to me by his owner after that assessment was made by a top dog show handler. Her loss was my gain! I'm not recommending Skansen Kennel, as Zeus also has hip dysplasia. Zeus's mom was bred too young and didn't have her official OFA ratings nor was she finished in the show ring. That indicates irresponsible breeding by the breeder, who isan AKC dog show judge, and should& does k now better! Hence, no recommendation from me for their breeding practices. If you want a Giant Schnauzer, consider RESCUE, please do your research first! These dogs are often super high energy, have a huge grooming requirement, and can be quite guardian in behavior, which means this isn't a 'friendly' dog you let strangers touch at will. Zeus isn't prone to instant friendships like many breeds. Not recommended for those with small children unless you get from a puppy, and socialize, train and train some more. I recommend a female for a family, as the males can be very dominant dogs and a true handful! Cute but lots of work!

The Groups I'm In:
For The Love of Schnauzers, They Might Be Giants

The Last Forum I Posted In:
Baltimore/Annapolis Maryland Big Dogs Wanna Play!

I've Been On Dogster Since:

November 23rd 2004