Give her a name

The kennel's numbers, and what changes as she grows.

• They offer food three times a day, as much as the puppies will eat in 15–20 minutes.
• Feed at least twice a day until 8 months old. After that, once a day is your call and fine to do.
• For her first year, feed as much as she'll eat per feeding.
• If she won't eat when you first get her home, a spoonful of cottage cheese or canned puppy food can tempt her.
• You should never be able to see spine, hip bones or ribs.
• Stay on a large-breed puppy formula until about 18 months, then move to adult food.

Water

Giant Schnauzers love water and a puppy may over-drink and have accidents around the house. She'll outgrow this between 4 and 6 months. Until then, limiting water can help: roughly 2–3 cups per 10 lb of body weight daily, so a 25 lb puppy needs about 5–8 cups. She grows fast, so adjust as you go — and stop limiting after 6 months.

Raw and kibble

The kennel feeds both and knows raw deeply — ask them. Puppies are weaned onto a raw puppy mix and go home on Kinetic Puppy 28%, sold by Chewy. Pro Plan and Fromm are also named as good kibbles. If you feed raw, the book includes a list of the supplements they use, and they point to the BARF diet by Dr. Ian Billinghurst plus the documentary Pet Fooled on Amazon. If you feed kibble it must be age and size appropriate.

The kennel asks you to keep her on Fido-Vite Regular Formula or Fido-Vite SportzDog. Her mother has been on it her whole life and she's had the benefit of it since conception. A brochure with coupon code DLK is in the book; you're asked to register for auto-shipment and feed it twice daily.

What it is

A powder you top-dress onto her food: trace minerals, vitamins, prebiotics, probiotics and digestive enzymes, with coconut oil. SportzDog adds glucosamine, chondroitin and DHA omega-3, and is the version aimed at growing, working and performance dogs.

How much

SportzDog is fed at one 1 oz scoop per 40 lb of body weight per day — half a scoop at 20 lb, one scoop at 40 lb, two at 80 lb. Start light and build up over several days rather than a full dose on day one. A splash of water helps her accept it. Store cool and dry; it can be refrigerated or frozen.

1. See your vet within 72 hours of pickup to confirm she's healthy.
2. Activate the Trupanion go-home-day offer. It waives the 30-day waiting period and coverage starts the day she comes home. The kennel states that if insurance isn't activated they are not liable for any health-related issues.
3. Keep vaccinating until 16 weeks old, per your vet's recommendation.
4. Don't take her into high dog-traffic areas until 2 weeks after her final round of vaccines — no parks, dog parks or malls.
5. If she'll attend dog parks, boarding or grooming, she needs the canine influenza vaccine, if it's given in your area.
6. Crate train. The crate will be your best friend and gives her a safe space.
7. Especially in females, keep the feminine parts clean to avoid a UTI. UTIs are common in large breed puppies — make sure she drinks plenty of water and gets outside often.
8. Giant Schnauzer puppies pee a lot, and that's normal. Their bladders are small and they love water. She'll grow out of the piddle phase by 4–6 months.

The kennel's position: in a large breed it's best to wait until 24 months to spay, because they need the oestrogen to keep developing their bones. The wider evidence supports that — the hormones of sexual maturity are what signal growth plates to close, and desexing large breeds early is associated with higher rates of joint disorders.

They also recommend a gastropexy at the same time as the spay — the stomach tacked to the body wall so it can't twist later. As they put it, you're doing surgery anyway, so you might as well do it while she's already under anaesthesia.

There's no proven diet or lifestyle that prevents GDV, though avoiding hard exercise straight after a large meal is sensible. Learn the signs before you need them — they're behind the Bloat button at the top of every screen.

Heartworm prevention is recommended year-round across almost all of the US. If you have mosquitoes, you need it. The kennel's reasoning is worth understanding: the cure for heartworm is injecting melarsomine into the epaxial muscle next to the spine, and you do not want that going into your dog. Use prevention.

They use Sentinel Plus and Interceptor Plus. Start her on whatever your vet recommends at the first visit. If you're bad at remembering a monthly dose, ProHeart 6 is an injection covering 6 months and ProHeart 12 covers 12, though it's newer and few vets carry it. Their caution: a vet may push monthly doses because the margin is higher — and monthly doses also handle almost all intestinal parasites. Do your own research.

Fleas and ticks

She had no flea or tick treatment at the kennel because she was too young. Set up a monthly preventative at your first vet visit; most vets will give you a free sample. Ticks carry diseases that can be fatal, such as Lyme and ehrlichiosis, and fleas cause tapeworms. The kennel uses prevention on all their dogs, but says if you only choose one, heartworm prevention matters more. They use NexGard and Simparica on their adults.

They vaccinate for DAPP until 2 years old, then check titer levels. Bordetella yearly, because their dogs are around other dogs. Canine influenza yearly for the same reason. Leptospirosis yearly — lepto is one of the more reactive vaccines, but that doesn't mean it isn't useful. Adam works in veterinary medicine and has seen lepto many times; it's a horrible way to watch an animal die, and they recommend vaccinating because the benefit outweighs the risk. Rabies as required by law. Depending on your area you may need tick-borne illness vaccines such as Lyme.

They point you to veterinarypartner.vin.com to read up on these diseases and parasites yourself. Their words: these are not a joke, and some are fatal almost 75% of the time or more — distemper, parvovirus, adenovirus type 1 and type 2.

Parasites you're most likely to see

Hookworm, roundworm, tapeworm, whipworm and heartworm. Most heartworm preventions such as Sentinel Spectrum take care of all of these. Also read about coccidia, which is a little different.

It's common for puppies to carry parasites that pose a risk to puppies and adult dogs. Regular fecal tests matter for catching them early. The kennel tries to prevent them but can't guarantee she'll be free of them — and notes your Trupanion insurance will cover it if needed.

Giardia

Causes gastrointestinal illness. Signs include diarrhoea, vomiting, weight loss and a rough coat.

Coccidia

Single-celled parasites that can cause diarrhoea, dehydration, weight loss in puppies, and even death.

Roundworms (Toxocara canis)

Transmitted to puppies through the mother's milk or in the womb. Signs include a potbellied appearance, diarrhoea, vomiting and a dull coat.

The parasite bloom

Even with preventive dewormers, puppies can get a "parasite bloom" after moving to a new home. Changes in environment, stress and nutrition cause a temporary dip in immunity. This is why regular fecal tests and close monitoring matter in her first few months with you. Reinfection is easy and the life cycle is difficult to break, especially in litters — so if the first vet visit turns up hookworms or roundworms, don't be alarmed.

If you see diarrhoea, vomiting or a change in appetite, get her seen promptly. Alongside deworming medication, cleaning up after her and keeping her away from contaminated feces reduces transmission.

Female puppies are more susceptible to urinary tract infections than males, because a female puppy squats low to the ground, which lets bacteria enter the urinary tract. Keeping her sanitary and clean is a must.

The most common UTI is an E. coli based infection. Most vets will try amoxicillin or Clavamox, on which symptoms may subside briefly and then return. Most vets without Giant Schnauzer experience will think she has an ectopic ureter or juvenile incontinence. The kennel's experience is that this is usually not the case and that she'll need a stronger antibiotic such as enrofloxacin. Their vet, who has Giant experience, prescribes enrofloxacin for 3 weeks — and once the puppy completes that treatment all symptoms subside.

Giant Schnauzers are an intelligent, confident, strong-willed working breed. They thrive when they have clear leadership, structure and consistent expectations. Training should begin the moment she comes home. What seems cute in a small puppy can quickly become a problem in a powerful adult dog, so it matters to set boundaries from the start.

Be consistent with rules and expectations. If a behaviour is not acceptable in an 80–100 pound adult Giant Schnauzer, it should not be allowed as a puppy. Giants are extremely smart and will quickly learn what they can and cannot get away with. Calm, confident leadership paired with positive reinforcement will help her become well-mannered and reliable.

Early socialisation, basic obedience training and daily mental and physical exercise are essential for this breed. A well-trained Giant Schnauzer is an incredible partner — loyal, dependable, and eager to work with her owner.

Structure, consistency and early training set the foundation for the dog she'll become. Start now; you'll thank yourself later. You must be the alpha and not let her get away with anything, or you'll regret it later.

She'll pee a lot and that's normal for the breed — small bladder, loves water, grows out of it by 4–6 months.

How long she can hold it

Roughly one hour per month of age, plus one. At four months that's a maximum of about five hours. At her age you're realistically taking her out every hour when you can, and getting up in the night until she's old enough to last until morning.

The ten things that make it work

1. Take her out constantly. Every hour when you can, and overnight too.
2. Use a leash even in a fenced yard. Walk her to the toilet spot, cue her, wait. Same spot every time — the scent of previous visits encourages her. Without a leash a potty break becomes a play session, especially at 2am.
3. Reward the successes. Praise and a treat right after she goes in the right place. For a late-night trip choose a small food reward or quiet praise rather than a game of tug, which will wake her fully up.
4. Learn her signals. Sniffing, circling, hunching, starting to squat. Once you know her tells you can predict it — leash on, treats in pocket, straight outside.
5. Crate her when you can't watch her. Dogs won't usually soil a properly sized crate unless they're ill or have been left too long. Teach her to love the crate so it's a place she chooses to nap.
6. Never scold her for accidents. Accidents are your miss, not her being bad or vindictive. Don't rub her nose in it. Punishment confuses and frightens her, damages the bond, and can produce a dog who hides to go where you won't see.
7. Clean accidents thoroughly with an enzymatic cleaner made for pet urine, following the package instructions exactly. Her nose is far more sensitive than yours — if you can't smell it, that doesn't mean she can't, and the scent marker tells her this is the spot.
8. Give her a routine. Not just potty breaks on a schedule but consistent meals, playtime, walks and naps. Puppies often need to go right after eating and right after waking.
9. No unsupervised freedom in the house. Every indoor accident is self-rewarding and the scent encourages a repeat. Until she reliably tells you she needs out — barking, sitting at the door — she isn't ready to roam.
10. Build up her tolerance of bad weather. Many puppies won't go out in rain or snow. Start with short outdoor play sessions in cold or wet weather and gradually extend them.

Indoor surfaces, if you need them

Paper or pine pellet litter in a tray deep enough to hold an inch or so — deep enough to be useful, not so deep she can't climb in and out. Never cat litter: clay is tempting to eat and clumping types are dusty. Avoid anything scented. Upside: doesn't resemble rugs or bedding, so she won't confuse the two, and you can lift just the soiled litter out daily. Pine disintegrates when wet and absorbs fast. Downside: heavy bags, and pellets scatter when she plays in them.

Disposable pads are convenient, easy to store and throw away, and come in different sizes. Downside: puppies love shredding them, they can be expensive, and towels, rugs and beds start to look like the same thing to a puppy.

Washable cloth pads — including human hospital pads — have leakproof backing, are machine washable, hard to shred, and save you buying disposables forever. Same confusion risk with rugs, and they need regular laundering.

Artificial turf works well and helps her make the connection to real grass outside. Hoses off and is reusable, but awkward without a hose, and you want a spare while one dries.

Sod is real grass, so she's already familiar with it when she first goes outdoors. But it can't be sterilised, isn't available year-round in much of the country, needs watering, is heavy, and urine eventually kills it.

Unprinted newsprint, sold as packing paper where moving supplies are sold, is clean with no smudgy ink, easy to dispose of and biodegradable. Sizes are irregular, it can be expensive, it's tempting to shred, and it's less absorbent than the alternatives.

Leashes

A training leash is right for this stage — you're teaching her to heel and walk without tugging. Longer training leashes keep her close but mobile in the backyard. Never leave her unsupervised on one.

Somewhere to sleep

It may take a few tries to find what she likes. Bolster beds help puppies who move a lot in their sleep stay put; elevated beds are off the ground without being ultra-fluffy; some dogs want a thin bed or a blanket close to the floor.

Chew toys

She's going to be teething, so you need puppy teething toys as well as regular chew toys — teething toys relieve sore gums and keep her occupied.

Training treats

Positive reinforcement is how the early lessons stick. Work out which treats she actually likes. Some double as teething relief.

Dental care

Start the routine early — brushing her teeth young is mostly about getting her used to the feeling. Dental treats and dental wipes, including finger-brush forms, help too.

Bowls

She will grow, and for a giant breed that change is fast. Elevated bowls reduce neck strain. An adjustable bowl carries her through all her stages.

Housetraining supplies

A crate to reinforce the schedule, puppy pads, poop bags, and a urine detector for the accidents you can smell but can't find.

Boundaries

Give her access to only part of the house at first and expand gradually — puppy gates for rooms, the crate at certain times of day. If she's allowed on furniture later, a ramp or steps bridge higher surfaces.

This is not a low-maintenance coat, and it never becomes one. Budget for it as a permanent recurring cost. A Giant Schnauzer left ungroomed turns into a shaggy bear with matted armpits.

The coat

A harsh, wiry topcoat over a soft dense undercoat. It sheds very little, which is exactly why it mats — the dead hair stays in rather than falling out, and has to be taken out by you or a groomer.

Clipping or hand-stripping

Clipping cuts the outer coat short with electric clippers. Faster, cheaper, and what most pet owners choose. Over time it softens the texture and can dull a black coat toward grey or a reddish tinge. Roughly every 6–8 weeks.

Hand-stripping pulls the dead topcoat out by the root, so the new coat grows back harsh and keeps its colour. It's what show dogs get. It takes far longer, costs considerably more, and not every groomer offers it. Often run as a rolling schedule every few weeks rather than one big session.

Whichever you choose, find a groomer who knows the Schnauzer pattern: short body, longer furnishings on the legs and skirt, the flat top on the skull, arched eyebrows and full beard. Bring a photo of what you want.

At home, between grooms

• Comb to the skin, not just over the top. A slicker lifts the coat; a metal comb is the honest test of whether you actually reached skin. Legs, armpits, belly, skirt and behind the ears are where mats form.
• An undercoat rake pulls dead undercoat without cutting the harsh topcoat.
• The beard is the maintenance hotspot. It collects food and water. Wipe it after every meal and drink, comb it a couple of times a week, and dry it thoroughly after baths or swimming — a chronically damp beard develops odour and irritated skin underneath.
• Nails every 3–4 weeks. On a dog this heavy, nail length changes how the foot strikes the ground and affects her gait and joints.
• Ears and toes get looked at every session. This breed has elevated rates of nail-bed cancer, so any swelling, lost nail or odd growth on a toe is a vet visit, not a wait-and-see.

The easiest way to damage a giant-breed dog for life is to over-exercise her before she's finished growing.

Why

Growth plates are soft cartilage at the ends of the long bones where new bone is made. While they're open they're much weaker than mature bone. In giant breeds they don't fully close until somewhere around 14–24 months. Repetitive high-impact loading — road running, repeated jumping, agility, long forced marches — can micro-damage them and lead to uneven growth and joint problems that show up years later.

The rule of thumb

The number is a guide rather than a law, and it's argued about. The uncontroversial parts: don't run her on hard surfaces, don't do repetitive jumping, don't do endurance work, and let her choose to stop.

What to do instead

Mental work tires a Giant Schnauzer more reliably than mileage. Sniffing walks where she sets the pace, short training sessions, food puzzles, novel places, gentle play with a well-mannered adult dog. A tired brain is a calm dog.

When she can do more

Wait until at least 18 months before any structured running or jumping programme, and build up gradually even then. If you want to do a real sport with her — protection work, agility, dock diving — ask your vet about X-raying to confirm the growth plates have closed before you start.

Watch for limping, stiffness after rest, reluctance to keep going on a walk, or a change in how she moves. Any of those means back off and get her looked at.

Knowing the breed's weak points means you catch things early rather than late. None of this is a prediction — it's a watch list.

The parent club's health testing

The GSCA — where Adam chairs the health committee — requires four evaluations for a CHIC number: hips (OFA or PennHIP), elbows (OFA), an eye exam by a board-certified ophthalmologist, and thyroid (OFA-approved lab). Strongly recommended on top: a cardiac evaluation, preferably an echocardiogram by a cardiologist, and DNA tests for progressive retinal atrophy (prcd-PRA) and dilated cardiomyopathy. Ask Frank and Adam for her parents' results — responsible breeders publish them, and they've offered.

Orthopaedic

Hip and elbow dysplasia both run above average in the breed, and osteochondritis dissecans is associated with rapid growth. That's the reason for the feeding and exercise caution in her first two years. Formal OFA hip and elbow scoring is done at 24 months; preliminary films can be taken from 12 months.

Thyroid

Giant Schnauzers rank among the highest breeds for autoimmune thyroiditis. The signs are vague and easy to miss — weight gain without more food, lethargy, a coat that goes dull or thin, skin problems, seeking out warmth. Worth an annual thyroid panel as she reaches adulthood.

Toes

Squamous cell carcinoma of the nail bed occurs at elevated rates in this breed. It looks like a swollen toe, a lost or deformed nail, or a growth. Check her feet whenever you groom, and get anything odd seen promptly.

Bloat

Covered behind the Bloat button and in the spay section. It's the emergency most likely to actually take her, and the gastropexy is what prevents it.

Eyes and heart

Progressive retinal atrophy and dilated cardiomyopathy both exist in the breed, which is why the DNA tests are recommended.

Bleeding

Von Willebrand's disease is documented in Giant Schnauzers. Worth screening before any planned surgery, including her spay.

Supplies

• Beard trimmers, or a clipper with a #40 blade
• ½" to ⅝" round backer rod (Home Depot, Lowe's, Amazon). You may need the smaller size at first but will move up to ⅝"
• Zonas tape or sports tape. Never anything plastic or non-breathable. The kennel uses Johnson & Johnson Zonas
• Elastikon 1" tape, if the base won't stay in the ear canal. Extremely sticky — do not wrap tightly
• Tincture of benzoin (skin protectant)
• Torbot bonding cement (skin glue) — you definitely need this
• Scissors

Applying the post

The kennel recommends searching for Doberman ear posting "backer rod method" videos and tutorials.

1. Shave the ears every couple of weeks with beard trimmers or a #40 clipper.
2. Cut the backer rod to length.
3. Roll it twice in duct tape — this gives the post its support.
4. Reverse Zonas or sports tape so the sticky side faces out, covering the entire post.
5. Cut a small diagonal on each post. That cut end goes into the ear canal.
6. Optional but necessary on some Giants: apply benzoin to the ear leather, let it dry, then apply Torbot to the side of the post that will sit against the ear, and Torbot to the inner ear leather where the post will sit — but not down in the ear canal.
7. Gently put the post in the ear, pulling the ear up and tight.
8. Tape the base with Zonas or sports tape, going around the front of the ear where the flap is laid back. Tape loosely. Add another strip to the middle and top of the ear, loosely covering the whole ear. If the post won't stay in the canal, use Elastikon at the base.
9. Squeeze gently on the whole ear once taped, securing tape to ear and post.

The cross brace

Once both ears are posted you need a cross section holding them upright. The kennel takes a 12–16" piece of Zonas or sports tape, tears it in half down the middle about 3–4", wraps the split area around the base of one ear, then does the same at the other end, adjusting the length so the ears sit high on the head. Fold the tape in half between the ears so it doesn't stick to her.

Changing posts and aftercare

• Take posts down every 5–7 days and leave the ears unposted for 24 hours. Repost for another 5–7 days after that rest.
• If the ears get wet, take them down at once and repost with fresh supplies.
• If the ear canals get an odour or seem infected, see a vet — Animax ointment is the best choice and is prescription only. Change posts daily if an ear infection occurs, and don't leave the ears unposted.
• In extremely hot, wet or humid conditions, repost every 4–5 days to prevent infection.
• Clean the ear with a dog ear cleaner (Zymox) whenever the posts are down. Highly recommended.
• Keep going until the ears stay standing normally after her adult teeth are in. Some ears take 12–18 months to stand.

Supplies

• Beard trimmer or clipper with #40 blade — shave the ears every couple of weeks
• Zonas tape (sports tape)
• Speed-sew glue (fabric glue, available on Amazon)

What a correct Giant Schnauzer ear looks like

Symmetrically hanging ears, set high and V-shaped. The fold for the pendant should be level with, or hardly higher than, the skull; the ears then drop forward with the inner edge of the V touching the temple.

Because some countries have historically allowed cropping, the natural correctly hanging ear was often neglected by breeders — cropping artificially solved a breeding problem. The source of this page notes that 80% or more of the Giant Schnauzers they bred have ears matching the correct description, because they decided back in 1976 to stop cropping and select for the correct hanging ear.

When ears "fly"

It happens mainly during teething that one or both of a young dog's ears start to fly. A little help is then needed to lead the muscles of the ears in an identical and correct direction.

If her ears deviate, you need a roll of Elastoplast stretch fabric, 25mm x 3m, manufactured by Smith & Nephew and available at any chemist.

1. Following the longitudinal direction of the ear, stick about 4cm of the tape on the inner side of the first ear.
2. Unroll the tape just long enough to pass under the chin — without making it too tight.
3. Join the other ear and stick about 4cm to its inner side.
4. Fold the free part of the elastoplast together so it sticks to itself rather than to her hair.
5. On each ear add a short piece of elastoplast to make the adhesion more solid, long enough to turn around the existing strap.

If you're lucky the tape can stay on for a week. If it peels off, replace it, until the ears are carried correctly. It is absolutely imperative that you don't make the strap too tight under the chin — just touching is all right.

The official AKC standard, in short. It's the picture the breed is judged against, and it explains why she's built the way she is.

Overall

A larger, more powerful version of the Standard Schnauzer — bold and valiant, robust, strongly built, nearly square in proportion of body length to height at the withers. Active, sturdy, well muscled. Temperament combines spirit and alertness with intelligence and reliability: composed, watchful, courageous, easily trained, deeply loyal to family, playful, amiable in repose, and a commanding figure when aroused. The sound temperament, rugged build and dense weather-resistant wiry coat make for one of the most useful, powerful and enduring working breeds.

Head

Strong, rectangular, elongated; narrowing slightly from ears to eyes and again from eyes to nose tip. Head length is about half the length of the back. Skull moderately broad between the ears, flat on top, skin unwrinkled, cheeks flat. Muzzle strong, ending in a moderately blunt wedge; nose large, black and full. Bite: a full complement of sound white teeth — 6/6 incisors, 2/2 canines, 8/8 premolars, 4/6 molars — with a scissors bite. Overshot or undershot is a disqualifying fault. Eyes medium size, dark brown, deep-set, oval. Ears when cropped are identical in shape and length with pointed tips, carried perpendicularly at the inner edges; uncropped they are V-shaped button ears of medium length and thickness, set high and carried rather high and close to the head.

Body

Compact, substantial, short-coupled and strong. Height at the withers equals body length from breastbone to point of rump. Chest medium in width, ribs well sprung, oval in cross section, deep through the brisket. Back short, straight, strong and firm. Tail set moderately high and carried high in excitement; docked to the second or not more than the third joint.

Gait and coat

The trot is the gait it's judged at — free, balanced and vigorous, with good reach in front and driving power behind, single-tracking at a fast trot with the back staying strong, firm and flat. Coat hard, wiry and very dense: a soft undercoat with a harsh outer coat that stands slightly up off the back when seen against the grain. Coarse hair on top of the head; harsh beard and eyebrows are the Schnauzer hallmark.

Colour and size

Solid black or pepper and salt. Black should be a truly pure black; a small white spot on the breast is permitted, any other markings are disqualifying faults. Height at the withers: males 25½–27½ inches, females 23½–25½ inches, with the mediums preferred. Size alone should never take precedence over type, balance, soundness and temperament.

Faults

Any deviation from the described dog is penalised to the extent of the deviation. A judge dismisses any shy or vicious Giant Schnauzer. Shyness: refusing to stand for examination, repeatedly shrinking from the judge, fearing approach from the rear, or shying markedly at sudden and unusual noises. Viciousness: attacking or attempting to attack the judge or handler. An aggressive or belligerent attitude towards other dogs is not deemed viciousness. Disqualifications: overshot or undershot; markings other than specified.

Frank and Adam are both highly active in the GSCA and invite you to ask them about the club.

The Giant Schnauzer Club of America, Inc. was established in 1962 as a non-profit and became the AKC parent club for the breed in 1966. It's responsible for the official breed standard, educates judges, breeders and the public, and has hosted Specialty events annually since 1968. There are over 400 GSCA members in the United States as well as Canada, Mexico and Japan.

Membership is open to anyone in good standing with the AKC who subscribes to the club's purposes and agrees to abide by its Constitution & Bylaws, Standing Rules and Code of Ethics. It isn't restricted by country of residency.

The club's three objectives

• Preserve and improve the character and conformation of the Giant Schnauzer
• Conduct dog shows, obedience trials and sanctioned matches
• Protect and advance the breed

What membership gets you

• Mailed copies of the club magazine Giant Steps, plus monthly newsletters by email
• Voting rights (US residents) and a say in the biannual election of board officers and regional directors
• Eligibility for annual awards — top 10 in conformation, companion and performance activities
• Congratulatory awards for earning new AKC titles on your Giant
• Discounted rates on certain educational materials and publications
• Giant Schnauzer University webinars and recordings of previous sessions
• Access to the members-only area of the GSCA website
• Opportunities to serve on committees, host specialty events and give feedback

Joining

Complete the online membership application thoroughly and accurately — a sloppy application can be delayed or refused. There's a non-refundable $25 processing fee, plus dues for the current year based on membership type and prorated depending on whether you apply before or after June 1. No action is taken until the total is paid; you can pay by card, PayPal or Venmo, or contact the Treasurer to arrange otherwise. If your application isn't approved, dues are refunded.

You need two sponsors — members in good standing for at least a year — who each complete an online sponsor form. If you don't know two members, the regional director for your area can help. Your name and location are published in the next monthly newsletter, and members then have 30 days to submit concerns in writing. After that the board elects applicants by meeting or email vote; a two-thirds affirmative vote confirms membership. The process can take 2–3 months once your application and both sponsor forms are in.

Links from the book

• Doctor's Choice Supplements — Fido-Vite · coupon code DLK · 800-639-0249
• Veterinary Partner (VIN) — the kennel's recommended reading on diseases and parasites
• AKC Expert Advice — source of the article pages in the book; the kennel recommends searching it with video when you have questions
• American Heartworm Society
• Giant Schnauzer Club of America
• OFA — health testing databases, to look up her parents
• Pet Fooled — documentary on Amazon, recommended before you decide on raw
• The BARF diet, Dr. Ian Billinghurst — the raw feeding reference they point to

Their closing note

"We don't warn you of these things to scare you, only to let you know ways to prevent problems down the road." They have many more recommendations and are always there to help.

The scans cover pages 5–12, 16–18 and 25–31 of the book. Pages 1–4, 13–15 and 19–24 weren't scanned, so nothing from them is here. Page 13 onwards likely continues from the parasites section, and 19–24 sits between the GSCA pages and the article reprints. Scan them and they can be added.

The book also refers to a physical list of raw-feeding supplements and the Fido-Vite brochure enclosed in it, neither of which is in the scans.