Toy Schnauzer vs Great Pyrenees - Breed Comparison

Toy Schnauzer is originated from Germany but Great Pyrenees is originated from France. Toy Schnauzer may grow 47 cm / 18 inches shorter than Great Pyrenees. Toy Schnauzer may weigh 45 kg / 99 pounds lesser than Great Pyrenees. Toy Schnauzer may live 3 years more than Great Pyrenees. Toy Schnauzer may have less litter size than Great Pyrenees. Both Toy Schnauzer and Great Pyrenees requires Moderate maintenance.

History

The Miniature Schnauzer was actually a distinct breed as early as 1899. It is believed that the dog came from breeding the smallest Standard Schnauzers with Affenpinschers, Black Poodles, and the gray Spitz.

Miniature Schnauzers were registered as a separate breed in 1926. The Toy Schnauzer is registered as a Miniature Schnauzer but is actually a little bit smaller.

The Miniature Schnauzer was developed as a farm dog with the purpose of killing rats.

great pyrenees - historyThe Great Pyrenees could be from Spain or France because the dog hails from the Pyrenees Mountains, which spans both France and Spain.

The dog was used to defend flocks from predators but its lineage goes a long way back, thousands of years in fact. It is thought that they only arrived in Europe about 5,000 years ago. The dog was adopted into the court of Louis the XIV as a royal dog.

During the mid 1600s, the dog's numbers dwindled but the French developed kennel clubs where the dog could be bred and its numbers restored. It was in 1933 that the Great Pyrenees received American Kennel Club recognition.

Basic Information

Group:
Toy dog
Working dog
Origin:
Germany
France
Height Male:
33 - 35 cm
12 - 14 inches
70 - 82 cm
27 - 33 inches
Height Female:
33 - 35 cm
12 - 14 inches
65 - 78 cm
25 - 31 inches
Weight Male:
4 - 9 kg
8 - 20 pounds
48 - 54 kg
105 - 120 pounds
Weight Female:
4 - 9 kg
8 - 20 pounds
44 - 54 kg
97 - 120 pounds
Life Span:
12 - 15 Years
10 - 12 Years
Litter Size:
3 - 8
7 - 12
Size:
Toy dog
Large dog
Other Names:
Miniature Schnauzer
Pyrenean Mountain Dog
Colors Available:
Black and silver, chocolate or a salt and pepper look
cream, White, white with patches of light tan or grey
Coat:
Medium length, hard and wiry
Medium to long, coarse, straight or wavy
Shedding:
Minimal
Moderate
Temperament:
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Stubborn
Affectionate, Alert, Cheerful, Courageous, Curious, Energetic, Friendly, Gentle, Independent, Intelligent, Lively, Loving, Loyal, Outgoing, Playful, Protective, Quiet, Responsive, Social, Territorial
Grooming:
Moderate maintenance
Moderate maintenance
Trainability:
Easy
Easy
Hypoallergenic:
No
No
Kids Friendly:
Yes
Yes
New Owners Friendly:
Yes
Yes

Description

The Toy Schnauzer is a small dog standing at between 33–35cm tall and weighing about 4 to 9 kg.

He has medium length hair which is hard and wiry and which requires minimal grooming. These low-shedding dogs make the ideal family pets for those people who have allergies.

Colors of the coat are essentially black and silver, chocolate or a salt and pepper look. You'll find they have a beard and bushy eyebrows, giving him an almost human-like expression.

These dogs were brought about to be all-around farm dogs and ratters and they are tough, muscular, and fearless without being aggressive.

great pyrenees puppy - descriptionThis is a beautiful dog, noticeable by the essentially white coat and his overall size, standing at 70 to 82cm and weighing between 40 to 54 kg.

The double coat is medium to long, coarse and straight or wavy and and it can be solid white, cream or white with patches of light tan or grey.

The nose is black, the eyes brown, the ears of medium length and floppy and the tail long and plumed.

Temperament:

The Great Pyrenees is an intelligent, strong willed dog with a mind of his own so he will be able to be trained and socialized successfully.

His huge size will require that he be trained because when he is indoors he can knock things over and he must be able to respond to you telling him to lie down.

As a large dog, he isn’t suited for tiny homes, as he requires lots of space even though he doesn’t require a lot of exercise. Not only that, he takes his watchdog duties seriously and he is inclined to bark a lot, and in a small place, you’ll be getting constant complaints from the neighbors.

When trained and socialized, your big dog is social, active and loving. He gets on well with children, the elderly and with pets in the home. He isn’t that overly active and will happily make himself at home on your couch and bed.

Characteristics

The Toy Schnauzer is spunky, strong-willed and confident. They all have different personalities and while some people report they are aloof, stubborn and uppity, others say they are playful, friendly and amicable.

A lot depends on the owners as dogs often develop the temperaments of the owners.

With this range in temperament, you can’t say with certainty how your Toy Schnauzer will turn out. Most of them just want to be involved with their human families and they make great family pets.

great pyrenees dog - characteristicsThe Great Pyrenees is such a calm, independent, serious, well-mannered dog who loves to be around his human family and to please them. He is gentle and knows how to behave well around children, the elderly as well as with any pets in the home.

He makes a wonderful companion and although he loves indoor life as much as outdoor life, he is much happier settling into life in the country or the suburbs as opposed to life in the city and a tiny property.

Give your big white coated pet all the love he thrives on, and you'll enjoy a wonderful relationship with this large, amicable dog.

Health Problems

Your Toy Schnauzer has a life expectancy of 12 – 15 years if you care for them properly. They can, however, suffer from some health problems that so many other dogs might also have to contend with.

Some of these are -

Cataracts:

You’ll notice your pet's eyes taking on a filmy look. Most times these cataracts emerge in older dogs and they can be surgically removed.

Entropion and Progressive Retinal Atrophy (PRA) are other eye diseases that may affect your dog. Most dogs are able to adapt well to their limited vision and can even adapt to lost vision.

Bladder Infection:

A bladder infection can be terribly uncomfortable for your pet and occurs when bacteria gets into the bladder. Females are more likely to get a bladder infection, but male dogs can pick up the infection too. Having a bladder infection increases the pet’s urge to urinate even when there is no urine to come out.

The little bit of urine that does come out may be cloudy or even have some blood in it. It is imperative to get your pet urgent veterinary attention. When you see your pet trying to urinate all the time with nothing happening, then this is the sign to get your dog to the vet for a course of antibiotics.

Congenital Megaesophagus: 

This is when food and liquid are retained in the dog's esophagus so that you find him regurgitating his food. This can lead to pneumonia.

great pyrenees puppies - health problemsYour Great Pyrenees is a big dog with an average lifespan of 10 to 12 years. His large size means you will need to look out for typical 'big dog' ailments such as hip dysplasia.

This problem can cause your pet to be in pain and he can also become lame, battling to walk and play and battling to get up after lying down.

Also, look out for bone cancer with your pet and as mentioned previously, bloat, which is a life threatening disease where the stomach of the dog swells up.

Caring The Pet

Most people have their Toy Schnauzers professionally groomed on a regular basis. He is a double-coated dog with a wiry coat. Some people, looking to maintain the wiry texture do hand-stripping, certainly if the dog is used for show purposes.

Diet:

No dog deserves to have dry kibble served up to him day after day. However, there are some excellent commercial dog foods on the market and you can choose the best one.

These foods provide a lot of convenience for the dog owner. Dogs also need to have their share of home-made food. It doesn’t have to be all complicated as dogs like simplicity.

Wholesome foods such as boiled chicken, brown rice and some nutritious vegetables such as sweet potatoes, spinach and carrots can do him the world of good. Schnauzers are also prone to pancreatis so you want to avoid giving him food that is high in fat.

Exercise:

Toy Schnauzers love an active lifestyle. They don't like sitting around inactive for too long.

Your Toy Schnauzer can adapt to life in the country or the city but he will certainly need to be well exercised. Walking your dog each day will be essential as will ball games and just generally giving your pet some of your attention,

Exercise:

great pyrenees dogs - caringYour Great Pyrenees isn't going to be a dog leaping around you demanding a game or walk like what you get from some energetic dogs. He certainly doesn't require strenuous exercise but will require a nice, brisk walk every day. Give him some ball or rope games too. He's territorial and likes large grounds to walk around and guard and this constant guarding is a good form of exercise too.

Grooming:

With two layers, the coat of the Great Pyrenees will need to be brushed twice a week to prevent burrs attaching to the fur and to prevent it from matting, It also gets rid of loose hair during shedding.

He tends to drool so it's handy keeping a damp cloth close by just to give his face area a wipe down. Your dog's ears will need to be cleaned with special ear-cleaning lotion and his nails will also need to be trimmed.

Socialization and Training:

Socialize your Great Pyrenees with other dogs and people from a young age. Without proper socialization, this breed can become territorial and possessive of his family, which could lead to aggression. He bonds with his family but tends to be wary of strangers.

Diet:

It is far better to feed your Great Pyrenees smaller meals throughout the day as opposed to 2 large meals a day. A large dog like him can develop bloat from gulping down a large amount of food too quickly.

If you feed your Great Pyrenees commercially manufactured food, make sure it is high in omega 3 and 6 to keep his thick white coat luxurious.

Your dog will need a dog food targeted at a large breed. Remember to include some raw meat as well as cooked chicken, vegetables and brown rice into his kibble and always ensure fresh, cool water is available.

Comparison with other breeds

  1. Toy Schnauzer vs Yorkshire Terrier - Breed Comparison
  2. Toy Schnauzer vs Chihuahua - Breed Comparison
  3. Toy Schnauzer vs Morkie - Breed Comparison
  4. Toy Schnauzer vs Havanese - Breed Comparison
  5. Toy Schnauzer vs Chorkie - Breed Comparison
  6. Toy Schnauzer vs Pekingese - Breed Comparison
  7. Toy Schnauzer vs Chinese Crested Dog - Breed Comparison
  8. Toy Schnauzer vs Chiweenie - Breed Comparison
  9. Toy Schnauzer vs Chug - Breed Comparison
  10. Toy Schnauzer vs Affenpinscher - Breed Comparison
  11. Toy Schnauzer vs Brussels Griffon - Breed Comparison
  12. Toy Schnauzer vs Chipoo - Breed Comparison
  13. Toy Schnauzer vs Chiapom - Breed Comparison
  14. Toy Schnauzer vs English Toy Terrier (Black & Tan) - Breed Comparison
  15. Toy Schnauzer vs Long Haired Chihuahua - Breed Comparison
  16. Toy Schnauzer vs Bichon Bolognese - Breed Comparison
  17. Toy Schnauzer vs Russian Toy Terrier - Breed Comparison
  18. Toy Schnauzer vs Franzuskaya Bolonka - Breed Comparison
  19. Toy Schnauzer vs Phalene - Breed Comparison
  20. Toy Schnauzer vs Bugg - Breed Comparison
  21. Toy Schnauzer vs Cockachon - Breed Comparison
  22. Toy Schnauzer vs Shih Tzu - Breed Comparison
  23. Toy Schnauzer vs Silky Terrier - Breed Comparison
  24. Toy Schnauzer vs Snorkie - Breed Comparison
  25. Toy Schnauzer vs Toy Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  26. Samoyed vs Great Pyrenees - Breed Comparison
  27. Great Pyrenees vs Siberian Husky - Breed Comparison
  28. Great Pyrenees vs Rottweiler - Breed Comparison
  29. Great Pyrenees vs Boxer - Breed Comparison
  30. Great Pyrenees vs Akita - Breed Comparison
  31. Great Pyrenees vs Doberman Pinscher - Breed Comparison
  32. Great Pyrenees vs Alaskan Malamute - Breed Comparison
  33. Great Pyrenees vs Bullmastiff - Breed Comparison
  34. Great Pyrenees vs Boerboel - Breed Comparison
  35. Great Pyrenees vs Alapaha Blue Blood Bulldog - Breed Comparison
  36. Great Pyrenees vs Argentine Dogo - Breed Comparison
  37. Great Pyrenees vs Giant Schnauzer - Breed Comparison
  38. Great Pyrenees vs Africanis - Breed Comparison
  39. Great Pyrenees vs Belgian Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  40. Great Pyrenees vs Goldador - Breed Comparison
  41. Great Pyrenees vs Bandog - Breed Comparison
  42. Great Pyrenees vs Belgian Shepherd Dog (Groenendael) - Breed Comparison
  43. Great Pyrenees vs Dogo Cubano - Breed Comparison
  44. Great Pyrenees vs Dogo Sardesco - Breed Comparison
  45. Great Pyrenees vs Beauceron - Breed Comparison
  46. Great Pyrenees vs Central Asian Shepherd - Breed Comparison
  47. Great Pyrenees vs Black Russian Terrier - Breed Comparison
  48. Great Pyrenees vs German Longhaired Pointer - Breed Comparison
  49. Great Pyrenees vs Alano Espanol - Breed Comparison
  50. Great Pyrenees vs Entlebucher Mountain Dog - Breed Comparison

View/Compare Breeds

Popular Dog Breeds