# Keeping beard clean?



## zoebear (Apr 12, 2009)

We have an adorable miniature schnauzer (of course I'm biased) but it is hard to keep her looking good. We brush her every day with a slicker and have her groomed regularly. Her legs and body stay pretty clean, but her beard gets dirty so fast! We try to wash her face every night, but can't seem to keep up. Every time she eats, drinks, or sniffs something on the ground she comes out looking like a mangy puppy  A friend suggested a conditioning type spray that is used after a bath and repels dirt, but couldn't remember the name. Anyone have any ideas? Does a finishing spray help with this?


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

Unfortunately, dogs with beards are very hard to keep clean and "neat" looking on a daily basis. Eating drinking, sniffing, etc. As a groomer, I cannot recommend any product that is really going to help repel anything enough to notice a difference. Your best bet is to use a brush out spray on her beard when you brush and comb her face daily. That will remove any gunk, and keep her looking as neat as possible.


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## bfoster (Feb 9, 2009)

I am not a professional groomer but I do groom my own dogs and I have four schnauzers. First thing that I learned the hard way is use a pin brush rather than a slicker brush especially on the furnishings and the beard. The pin brush is more gentile on the hair and the dog. Next follow up with a comb. I always thought that brushing was getting the tangles out--not necessarily so. Make sure you get a good comb( like a greyhound comb) and after you brush run the comb though. The comb goes closer to the skin and will keep those nasty mats from showing up. 
I am a little bit of a freak about the nasty beard so I do wash the beards frequently. I started mine when they were puppies with having their beards wiped off after eating-so they are used to it. 
There are also some pretty good no rinse shampoos (I use chris christensen but there are others) You just spray it on-lather it up and dry it off--
Its a little bit of a challenge keeping the beard clean but worth it in the long run- after all- our little buddies are all about the beard aren't they?!


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