# Anyone hand stripped a Schnauzers coat?



## NRB (Sep 19, 2009)

A Standard Schnauzer, not a mini. I was wondering if there was anyone on this BB who grooms a Standard Schnauzer and could talk to me about stripping the coat. 

I've seen web info for stripping a mini schnauzer and they literally stripped all the coat away. Then what grew in was the wirey looking schnauzer coat. Yikes. I mentioned this to a local groomer and she said that Mimi Schnauzers are completely different than a Standard's coat and the hand stripping is different. 

Anyone on this BB know anything about it?

Thanks NRB


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

NRB said:


> A Standard Schnauzer, not a mini. I was wondering if there was anyone on this BB who grooms a Standard Schnauzer and could talk to me about stripping the coat.
> 
> I've seen web info for stripping a mini schnauzer and they literally stripped all the coat away. Then what grew in was the wirey looking schnauzer coat. Yikes. I mentioned this to a local groomer and she said that Mimi Schnauzers are completely different than a Standard's coat and the hand stripping is different.
> 
> ...


Hand stripping is hand stripping for the most part. Yes, there are some very tiny differences in PATTERNS between a min and standard, but the basic rolling of a coat is the same for any stripped breed. It is not uncommon for the coat to be pulled bald, and most coats are started that way, then "rolled" to maintain the constant groomed look. That means the coat is worked at least weekly. Most breeds are to have wiry, coarse hair on the body, and clipping instead of stripping will soften the hair, and lighten the colors.


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## NRB (Sep 19, 2009)

thanks for the reply Graco22 I guess I will need to talk to the groomer more and find out what she plans on doing. I can also copy the mini schnauzer web link and send it to the owner of my pup's mom (she uses same groomer) and ask her if that is what this groomer does. 

I'm really not in favor of stripping all the coat away at once. That sounds painful. I thought that hand stripping a schnauzer's coat was just simply hand plucking out the long hairs 2x a year. Color me stupid. I love the look of the puppy's coat right now, (wild multi colored hair strands, looks very wolfish) and I don't like the look of clipped. So I guess I have more research to do......

ok this is what I was thinking of, esp since the breeder handed me 2 grooming stones when she dropped off the puppy...

taken from; http://www.standardschnauzer.org/grooming.html

"Rolling" is the constant stripping-off of dead hairs to keep the coat in the year-round showing condition (without ever stripping down to the undercoat). The dog thus carries a coat that always consists of about 1/4 hairs beginning to "blow", 1/4 hairs at a good show length, 1/4 hairs approaching show length, and 1/4 hairs just emerging at the skin. 

"Undercoats - Some people strip to the skin. Most of us, however, just strip the top coat." And rake the undercoat.

So this site is saying that most SS folks don't strip a dog to bare skin, but rather pluck off the dead top coat and rake (comb) out the dead undercoat hairs. And that stripping the dog is just removing the blown dead hairs, not pulling out live hairs. Whew, that sounds more ok to me..... I didn't want to start with a bald dog, it would be painful to pull live hairs and I wouldn't want to do that to my girl.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

That is a great guide for you! ( the link I mean). No, stripping does not hurt when done correctly...even if taken bald. You are pulling dead coat, not live coat..but if all the coat is dead (which it will be if not kept rotated, even now, on a puppy) then new growth will not come in until it is pulled. Many dogs' coats are started by stripping bald, in certain sections, certain weeks apart, then rotated. If the coat gets away from you, then sometimes the only option is pulling it all out and starting over, at least in certain areas, especially the shorter areas like throats, heads, rear, etc. You can also strip some and clip the more sensitive areas, like rears, throats, cheeks, etc..but ONLY on a pet..NOT a show dog. Be sure to clarify with your groomer what you are wanting, and I advise you to learn how to keep up with the coat at home, if you want your dog to look like a schnauzer most of the time. Regardless of how you want her to look, dead coat is dead coat, and new will not come in until the dead is pulled out.


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## NRB (Sep 19, 2009)

so does a schnauzer blow their coat and shed like say my old Australian Shepherd did? Your post sounded like they won't loose thier old dead coat until you pull it out by hand. 

And yes I intend to ask the groomer to use clippers on the more sensitive areas, this is a pet, not a show dog.


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

NRB said:


> so does a schnauzer blow their coat and shed like say my old Australian Shepherd did? Your post sounded like they won't loose thier old dead coat until you pull it out by hand.
> 
> And yes I intend to ask the groomer to use clippers on the more sensitive areas, this is a pet, not a show dog.


No, they do not. The only time they will shed is when the coat is completely dead and "blown" as we call it..lol But its not the same "blown" as a double coated breed like an Aussie. When a schn coat is blown, some will fall out on its own, but the majority of it will stay in the dog, until it is pulled out. If its not pulled out, new growth will not come. That is why you lose color and texture when clipping a harsh coated breed. Those harsh hairs with the vibrant colors are meant to be pulled out. That tells the folicle to grow a new hair. When they hairs are clipped instead of pulled, the only thing that grows back is undercoat...no salt and pepper..just grey fluffier/softer coat. And schnauzers are one of the hardest breeds to get the good coats back after having been clipped a few times. Some, it never can be returned to "true" coat.


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## bfoster (Feb 9, 2009)

I roll the coats on two of mine. It involves pulling out the longest wire hairs and the undercoat once a week- same day every week
They keep their color and texture that way.
It does not hurt them.
It takes about 1 hour per dog per week.
The dog in my avatar is a black and silver with a rolled coat- here is a picture of my salt and pepper rolled coat


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