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Giant Border Schnollie (Border Collie & Giant Schnauzer Mix): Info, Pictures, Characteristics & Facts

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By Nicole Cosgrove

Giant Border Schnollie

Height: 18 – 25 inches
Weight: 33 – 90 pounds
Lifespan: 12 – 15 years
Colors: Salt and Pepper, Black and White, Black, Grey, Red, Fawn
Suitable for: Active families, Home A lot, House with a Yard
Temperament: Energetic, Intelligent, Eager to Please, Sweet, Affectionate

When you take the Border Collie and mix it with the Giant Schnauzer, you end up with the oddly-named Giant Border Schnollie. The Border Collie is highly energetic as well as intelligent and affectionate, and the Giant Schnauzer is smart, alert, and devoted. The Giant Border Schnollie combines these two amazing purebreds into one unique mixed breed with the best of these qualities.

The Giant Border Schnollie is a medium to large sized dog that could have a rough, wiry, dense, and smooth coat that may or may not have feathering on the tail, chest, and legs. The coat tends to be black, black and white, grey, red, or salt and pepper in color and will more than likely have the Schnauzers distinctive eyebrows and beard.

Divider 1Giant Border Schnollie Puppies

Energy
Trainability
Health
Lifespan
Sociability

When you’re looking for a Giant Border Schnollie, take your time to find a reputable breeder. A quality breeder will let you visit the breeding facilities and will introduce you to the puppy’s parents or siblings. Meeting the puppy’s parents can give you an idea of the temperament and health of your puppy.

The Giant Border Schnollie has a ton of energy and is a healthy breed with a decent lifespan for a dog of its size. Their intelligence and eager to please nature make them easy to train, although there might be a stubborn streak to contend with. Since both the Border Collie and the Giant Schnauzer are herding dogs, the Giant Border Schnollie will have the same herding instincts and are wary of strangers and other dogs.

3 Little-Known Facts About the Giant Border Schnollie

1. The Giant Border Schnollie is not recommended for beginners.

The Border Collie can be anxious at times, and if the Giant Border Schnollie inherits this trait, they will need an owner who can provide firm guidance.

2. The Giant Border Schnollie won’t want to be left alone for long.

They are very attached to their family and combined with the Border Collie’s issues with anxiety, they will become destructive if left alone for too long.

3. The Giant Border Schnollie will enjoy herding.

Both of their parents are herding dogs, which will make the Giant Border Schnollie much more likely to enjoy herding everything they can.

Parent Breeds of Giant Border Schnollie
Image Credit: (L) Jumpstory | (R) Olga Cranga, Shutterstock

Divider 3

Temperament & Intelligence of the Giant Border Schnollie 🧠

The Giant Border Schnollie is a sweet dog with a ton of energy that should be burned off every day. They will be happy to follow their owner around as much as possible and is likely to watch over the entire family.

The Giant Border Schnollie is very intelligent as he comes from two smart breeds but might be a little stubborn thanks to his Giant Schnauzer parent. They will do best in a house with a yard, but as long as they are given a lot of exercise, they might do fine in an apartment.

Are These Dogs Good for Families? 🏡

The Giant Border Schnollie makes a wonderful dog for the family but will do better with older children as their rambunctiousness might knock the little ones down. All children need to be taught to respect dogs regardless of their age. No pulling tails or ears and definitely no riding dogs like horses.

Does This Breed Get Along with Other Pets? 🐶 😽

Both the Border Collie and the Giant Schnauzer are wary of other dogs, and their herding instincts might cause them to herd any smaller animals in the household. The Giant Border Schnollie will have the same instincts as his parents, but if he is raised with the other pets and socialized well, he should get along well with them all.

Divider 4Things to Know When Owning a Giant Border Schnollie:

Food & Diet Requirements 🦴

Your Giant Border Schnollie should be fed a high-quality dog food (like this one), but how often and how much you feed your large dog or puppy will depend on your dog’s age, size, and activity level. Once you’ve settled on the right dog food, you can follow the guidelines on the back of the kibble bag and speak to your vet if you’re concerned about his weight or health.

Exercise 🐕

The high energy level of the Giant Border Schnollie will require you to give him a minimum of one hour of vigorous exercise every day. Lots of playtime that could include frisbee or tossing a ball in addition to enrolling him in agility and obedience classes will help keep him occupied and happy.

Training 🦮

Both the Giant Schnauzer and the Border Collie are known for their intelligence and eager to please natures and are known to be quite trainable breeds. This means that the Giant Border Schnollie should be equally easy to train. Just watch out for his potential towards stubbornness.

Grooming ✂️

The Border Collie and Giant Schnauzer have different coats texturally, but they both require weekly brushing. Your Giant Border Schnollie also requires weekly brushing but isn’t known to shed excessively. You should only give your Giant Border Schnollie a bath approximately once a month with a good dog shampoo.

You should clean his ears about once a month, and trim his nails every 3 to 4 weeks. His teeth should be brushed about 2 or 3 times a week.

Health and Conditions ❤️

While the Giant Border Schnollie isn’t as likely to have the same health problems as his parents, there is always the chance, so it’s essential to be familiar with the potential health problems that his purebred parents might have.

The Border Collie is susceptible to:
The Giant Schnauzer is prone to:

Your vet will want to check your dog’s hips and will run heart tests as well as urinalysis and blood tests.

You vet will check your dog’s thyroid and eyes and run blood and urinalysis tests to help rule out the possibility of these conditions.

Divider 5Male vs. Female

The male Giant Border Collie is a little larger than the female and is 20 to 25 inches in height as compared to the female’s size of 18 to 23 inches. The male weighs 35 to 90 pounds compared to the female at 33 to 88 pounds.

If you decide to have surgery for your pup, spaying the female is a more complicated operation than neutering is for the male. Therefore, expect to pay more and for your female to take a longer time to recover from the surgery. Spaying and neutering your dog can have its advantages beyond stopping unwanted pregnancies. It also could prolong your dog’s life by preventing serious health issues in the future.

Lastly, it has been said that female and male dogs are different in behavior, but there discussions about this. Females are said to be more affectionate and easier to train than males, but there really is no concrete evidence to prove this. How your puppy has been socialized and trained and how it has been treated as an adult will have the most significant impact on most dog’s personalities.

Divider 3Conclusion

One way to look for one of these mixed breeds is to speak to the breeders of Giant Schnauzers and Border Collies, who might have more information for you. You can also attend dog shows and talk to local and national dog clubs. One of the most effective methods for finding the Giant Border Schnollie might just be posting on social media. If anyone has a puppy available, most people will love to let you know.

If you’re on the lookout for an adorable bundle of energy, the Giant Border Schnollie could be the perfect dog for your family.

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Featured Image Credit: kanashi, Shutterstock

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