The Miniature Schnauzer is non-shedding, therefore regular grooming is a must. Clipping or hand stripping is required every five to eight weeks and weekly brushing of the beard and leg furnishings is also required. Nails should be kept trimmed and ears cleaned as well. Below is a basic guidline chart to clipping your miniature schnauzer. Always bath your Miniature Schnauzer before clipping to keep your clippers sharp. A grooming table is very helpful but not a must for the average pet owner.
GROOMING YOUR MINIATURE SCHNAUZER
The Miniature Schnauzer is a double-coated breed that has a wiry topcoat and a soft undercoat. The topcoat is maintained by hand stripping and is required for the show ring. The pet trim calls for the same outline but it is maintained using electric clippers. The wiry topcoat will disappear with clippering, but this is the easiest and most efficient way to maintain a neat looking Mini. First rule of thumb is never clip against the grain of the hair this can cause what is known to some as schnauzer bumps, ingrown hairs, as well you can cause severe razor burn, which can lead to infections that can be difficult to clear up. Always oil your clipper blades often while you groom, and remove hair that builds up on the blades with a brush to keep them in good working order other wise blades tend to go dull early in life. If you have clippers with adjustable blades you can use the shorter length to clip the head and ears, a number #10, or if you prefer a #15 blade can be used for a closer cut. I myself prefer to use a number 15 on the head and a number 10 on the body however this is my personal preference and I am by no means a professional dog groomer.
TRIMMING OF THE FACE AND EYEBROWS
- Beginning above the eyebrows and going to the back of the skull between the ears, clip all hair above the eyebrows.
-Holding the ear pulled back, clip sideways/downward aproximatly your blade width between the ear and the eyebrow.
-Holding the ear safely out of the way, clip from the corner of the eye, along the cheek to the base of the ear
-Using your hand to pull all beard hair forward, clip the cheek from the beard hair to the side of the neck under the ear.
-Then clip from the under side of the beard down the throat. Make sure when the dog's head is in a raised position that the beard edge is even all the way around the muzzle.
-A "triangle" is trimmed using scissors or clipped with mini clippers between the eyes about a half inch wide, coming down to the inside corner of each eye. Any odd hairs or eye lashes under the eyebrow should be trimmed up. This should be done with short blunt nosed scissors, or safety scissors..
-The hair on the top of the muzzle can be parted and combed downwards. The muzzle hairs are not usually cut but can be trimmed up if you so desire if they become too long for cleanliness reasons. The eyebrows are combed down towards the nose and cut at a sharp angle towards the outside corner of each eye, the inner eye side hair being the longest.
-The length of the longest part of the eyebrows should be cut to approximately one-half the length of the muzzle. Any loose hairs around the outer eye can be trimmed with scissors.
-Be very careful when clipping the uncropped ear, as inexperience can result in nicking, causing unnecessary pain and bleeding. An ear should be clipped with the direction of hair growth while holding the ear firmly , with the ear flap laying flat on your fingers (palm side). Pay special attention not to nick the flaps of skin at the bottom of the ear as it is very easy for the blade to cut the edge of the ear. Always clip from the center of the ear outward toward the ear edges. The ear edges should have loose hairs scissored, which is best done by turning the ear over so that you can see where the skin and hair begins for those less experienced. If your dog's ear canals are thick with hair then you may have to pull some using hemostats or a good pair of tweezers. If your dog's ears are not very hairy this may not be required. However hairy ear canals can lead to yiest infections so something to watch for, a foul smell will indicate problems, scratching is often the first indication of a ear problem. If the inner ear flaps or canals appear dirty ask your vet for a reccomended ear cleaner.
CLIPPING THE BODY
-Using the #10 blade or the longer length if your blade is adjustable, clip with the hair growth, starting where the back of the skull meets the top of the neck, and clip the entire back all the way back to the tail. The neck and chest is clipped downwards from the chin under the beard to a point approximately level with the elbows. Be careful to clip in the direction of hair growth where there are cowlicks on the chest. You can use thinning shears to make the longer hair blend more smoothly with the shorter hair so as not to leave an obvious line if you wish. You can leave a little longer fringe on the chest between the elbows if desired but you should not leave too much length, just as there should not be a very long skirt around the body, but a slightly longer belly fringe around the body right back to the hind legs does add a very nice finished look. Going from elbow to rear leg, clip from the top to the bottom of the rib cage until you are about level with the elbows. While holding the leg furnishings safely away from the clippers, clip the remaining hair on the outer thigh downwards, following the outline of the leg down to the stifle and then curving rearward well above the hock.
CLIPPING THE BELLY AND REAR END
-Facing the dog's rear, start at the outer edges and clip inwards towards the center line under the tail, doing both sides the same way. Under belly hair can be clipped from the genitals up to aproximatly the belly button as well as part of the hair on the inner thighs to keep things neat and clean. Keeping in mind this is done simply to keep the dog neat, cleaner and free of mats, while keeping the general outline appearance of a minature schnauzer. Remember too that clipping the coat will lead to a softer coat in the miniature schnauzer and will take away a lot of the wiry coat that the miniature schnauzer is known for, verses stripping of the coat which will leave the wiry coat in place. Clipping the salt and pepper miniature schnauzer will make it turn a more silver coat in color as well as does clipping the black coat, which gives the black coat a more grey appearance. Perfection is not necessary as this is just a guidline for the pet groomer and not for the show groomer. Remember for show the schnauzer is stripped. Practice with each session will help you to perfect the look you wish to achieve in your pet schnauzer, and each of us may prefer just a slightly different individual look. If you do not feel confident in clipping your pet there are plenty of reliable professional groomers who will be happy to take on the job for you.
