Most everyone has seen a P/S miniature, some have met the P/S standard schnauzer but very few are familiar with the P/S variety in giant schnauzers. I’ve explained their characteristics in a different place-now I’d like to explain some typical traits that truly are unique to this color.

The coat of course is a cast of different grays and some whites thus giving them their name pepper & salt. Salt is white and pepper is black or brown. So there is a tremendous variety in the P/S from very light, to very dark, to dogs with a fair amount of light tan which we are calling champagne-a color very much in demand but not ideal for show where you want more black and white.

The original P/S giants came from the standard P/S schnauzer. To get the size several breeds were used, definitely the Irish wolfhound who they resemble in many details. For example, their long legs and kind of shoveling gait. They take a very big stride when trotting but when forced to walk slow they often pace which is a comfortable gait but looks a little sloppy.

Most P/S giants in the past had very little leg hairs so I set upon to improve this feature by breeding them to the blacks. After 20 years we now can breed the American style P/S with lots of furnishings. They now look like a very big miniature schnauzer which is what I wanted to breed. The more wiry harsher coated German style P/S which does have a better color for show purposes is still easy to get-in other words, we have two coat choices just like in the blacks.

About Hips : Everyone wants a healthy dog, which lives a long time hopefully with no veterinary expenses. I am personally convinced that if you can raise your dog on natural RAW meat and bones diet that your dog will stay healthy and strong until he is an old dog. To balance the 60% RAW meat you can offer steamed or raw vegetables, carrot/apple pulp when you make juice, cooked potatoes and of course the basic vitamins; pet pals, all-C, and vitamin E.

Of course your dog needs exercise-a lot as he grows. He must be allowed to run free in open spaces like a beach, the woods, playgrounds, etc. So he can stretch his muscles-don’t just keep him on a leash.

Also, while growing he can eat a lot but adult P/S giants must be watched or they will get fat very quickly and easily. Fat dogs, like fat people have all kinds of health problems, including thyroid problems, arthritis, etc.

If you take your P/S giant to the vet and take an x-ray of his hips most likely your vet will say he has hip dysplasia based on the hip bone not looking like the black giants. The hip joint is not as fully developed which makes OFA or your local vet give you this diagnosis.

I have had P/S giants for over 25 years and have not had one lame one-in fact dogs with this open joint have lived to 10-13 years old in great health. They still jump, run and move with great ease-no arthritic build up. They are often capable of clearing high fences even at 10 years old.

The P/S are so rare world wide that to breed them at all-one has to use healthy free moving P/S as breeding stock even if their inside doesn’t look like all other dogs on the x-ray. Dogs live 10-13 years old if properly fed with good supplements they stay very healthy and that is how we want all pups to turn out.

Do you have children? If so do you and your wife/husband go to a doctor and have your hip bones evaluated before you had children? Did your parents have x-rays taken before they conceived you? Of course not-you think I’m absurd for asking these questions, yet a child live 80-100 years and no one thought it important to check!! Yet, people who are misinformed ask if dogs parents have their hips checked!! Even if the parents , grandparents, etc. are healthy, active and athletic dogs.

I’m writing this so that you will understand that the P/S hips are different from the blacks on an x-ray but they stay as healthy and active as any large breed.

Because we are aware of this idiosyncrasy in this color giant schnauzer we do not guarantee our P/S will have a clearance of hips on an x-ray at 28 months old. However, we do guarantee against crippling hip dysplasia or a reading of OFA of severe.

The P/S is truly unique, in personality, looks and being so rare-probably less than 400-500 world wide. They are extremely intelligent and sensitive and so do not make change of ownership too easily. When you adopt a P/S puppy or older dog be prepared to be patient. Let him find you, let him adjust to you and your family before you invite all your neighbors over. Take him with you everywhere once he trusts you but ask people to leave him alone. Why do they have to touch your pet if he doesn’t like it?

P/S are very sensitive to things, new places and new people but like a parrot once you have earned their respect and friendship you have a friend for life. P/S can be very brave-protecting you from any foe, with their life.

To keep your friend a long, long time in good health you should feed our diet plus if possible add colostrum & m.s.m. to his diet daily to strengthen his bones and prevent arthritis. Also, if you really want to help your dog develop excellent health, consider Microhydrin-one capsule daily. I give it to all my dogs with great results. Ask about the audio, it explains how it works.

My one personal pet ‘Puzzle’ a P/S giant female is now 10 years old. She has never been lame or seen a vet in her lifetime. We go for long walks daily and she can at 10 years old still run down and catch a wild turkey with ease. She is a formidable guard dog, fearless, yet gentle and patient with young children. She is extremely intelligent, gets along great with other dogs, is aloof with strangers-she truly is the ideal companion.

So if you decide on a P/S giant be prepared for 10-13 years of the best friendship but do feed as we recommend

and of course no vaccinations after 5 months old except rabies as required by law in your state.

We guarantee all our pepper & salt giants not that the x-ray will read good compared to other giants, just that he will not show any lameness. If your dog is crippled by 2 years old of course we will give you a free replacement if he is crippled by his hips and not by other injuries like kneecaps, etc. But please remember most big dogs that become lame -usually it is caused by torn tendons in the kneecaps, etc.