# Mini Schnauzer Grooming Experience or Opinions?



## boots (Nov 5, 2010)

I've only had my mini-schnauzer since the end of August. She was just fixed last week, but her coat is getting longish and so when she feels better in a few weeks I'm debating options. I'm very unfamiliar with the breed, I've never been friends with anyone who had one. I only took her because she was getting re-homed on craigslist, no one was interested in her and the owners were not wanting to have to drop her off at a shelter before heading to their new home across the USA.

She was very well trained, and she's loveable and easy to get along with. Nothing at all like my first difficult experience with a craigslist adoption 3 years ago with my Jack Russell who came from a very abusive home. I've been pleasantly surprised with her.

However, my Jack Russell has skin allergies and sheds a lot. Not a whole lot of "grooming" issues. I brush her so she doesn't shed *as much*. This Schnauzer, Ena, is like a stuffed animal. The vet mentioned her ears need plucked, I've never seen ears THIS furry! 


I've done some internet research and found this whole new language of "Hand Stripping" vs "Clippering" on schnauzers? I've watched youtube videos on the subject and I'm curious what the average pet owner does for them?


This is what I understand from my research:

Handstripping: more ideal but more time consuming. Retains the natural color of the coat, the actual "hair" stays in tact this way and you don't chop off the top of the hair or mess with the growth at the base. The fur is more water-resistant and doesn't mat as easily. when done properly doesn't cause any extra pain to the dog, however the dog WILL be bald for like four weeks following the hand stripping. At the least 2x as expensive as clippering.


Clippering: easier, cheaper at the groomers, requires it to be done more frequently, every 6-8 weeks. Fur will lose its natural color and texture and eventually get very very soft and curly and matts easily. 



Some of my questions:

is handstripping that common among the amateur home-owning pets? I'm very non-professional here. 

How often would it need done? And would it be okay if I left her in a long coat over the winter months and then pursued this "hand stripping" option next spring?

Is it even possible to find a groomer who'd do it for me? I've questioned three of the local ones and they don't do it. They always clipper schnauzers.

Can I do hygeine upkeep and keep her in a longer coat? I usually brush her every day. I keep the brush by the computer and she sits in my lap while I check my email or do work online, so I just brush her. I hate matted fur. Is it acceptable to keep a schnauzer in a longer coat? 

My other concern is she's very soft and curly already, what if she's NOT a purebred schnauzer and more of a schnoodlish mix? Would the handstripping even be any more beneficial in that case? I would love to find a nice breeder or groomer who'd be willing to answer my questions, but I'm not even sure where or how to look?


Does it REALLY make a huge difference when you just pay to clipper down every month and a half? It just seems like a hassle to me. I got her the vaccine she'll need if she'll be going to the groomers, just in case I go with that option, but it really seems annoying to me, but maybe its because I'm unfamiliar with the groomer-lifestyle?


Opinions and experience please? I did post on craigslist asking for advice or groomer references. I had one person email me and tell me she'd be happy to teach me the "at home" stuff like ear plucking and hygiene stuff. So I'm definitely going to set up a date with her. 


I grew up with a pom which we bathed and brushed at home. And a lab, which we bathed and brushed at home. And now as an adult I've been a three year owner of a JRT. SO.....I'm kinda noobish! I'd appreciate any help!


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

Handstripping is very uncommon in pet dogs. My town has an inordinate number of them, and the only Schnauzer I've ever seen stripped was a Standard. Britmor has a lot of good grooming info, start on the linked page and read through clipping, handstripping (staging), and rolling the coat. The grooming subforum has a couple of threads on Schnauzer grooming. 

Gatsby sees the groomers about every 6-10 weeks. I don't keep him in the Schnauzer cut, I do one length all over, about an inch, with a Schnauzer head. None of the groomers I've been to have quite gotten it right, but I'm a control freak. He gets a bath at home once a week to once every other week.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

I don't really know much. . .all I can say is that I HATE the usual Schnauzer pet cut---shaved on the back with fringe on the sides. I just can't seeing stand it, LOL. Anything but that! My grandpa's Schnauzer was clipped like this and I always liked his looks so much better when he was grown out.









I do like the stripped look, or a uniform all over clip.


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

I think that's really a mark of a groomer's skill, if they can blend the line between the body and the furnishings so it doesn't have that line. This has some nice examples: http://groomblog.blogspot.com/2009/05/pet-schnauzer-grooming-in-tucson.html I particularly like Sophie and Coco.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Hmm, they do look much better if it's blended. If I had a Schnauzer I wouldn't mind that clip. Although I'd probably go with one length all over. Plus Fritz ALWAYS had burrs and grass stuck in his chest fur. It was like velcro under there. So I'd probably have the dog's chest clipped closer.


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## boots (Nov 5, 2010)

Thanks so much!

The first link is one I actually have bookmarked and tried to study intently to figure out what was going on. But its also the site that led me to believe I don't have a very good version of the breed and/or maybe she's got some impurity in her line. 

BUT that second link you posted has ONE dog that kinda resembles her. I think her build and coat might be like the first white puppy? 











But then I wonder if she's still built like a puppy and has puppy-ish fur?

Here's a picture of her from a month or so ago so her coat is shorter, she's grown out and looks straggly now.











Sadly I don't have to worry about burrs in the chest fur. My dogs are domesticated and live in well groomed yards in the city. The most wildlife they get on their walks are sidewalks and grass.

They enjoy full running reign in the house but we don't grow burrs inside >.<


But I think the "skirt" would look awful with her current soft curly fur texture, regardless of her lack of wildlife.


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## RaeganW (Jul 14, 2009)

Hmm. Do you have a front and side shot of her?


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## boots (Nov 5, 2010)

Going through my facebook pictures to see what I can find!

(after seeing all the amazing shots of the pets on these forums, I'm going to take my dogs outside sometime soon and practice my amateur photography skillz now  )


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## cprescott (Jan 23, 2011)

I am also getting a Mini Schnauzer puppy in a couple of weeks. I was told by the breeder that he will need his first hair cut soon as well. I'm not too fond of the regular ms cut but i do like the one above that's all over one length! My only concern is the ear plucking. I have been doing research and have seen it done on a few of the videos. Does it hurt the dog? The ones i watched the dog would wince everytime, and is that something that MUST be done? Or is there an alternate option available?


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Ear plucking is similar to plucking eyebrows, it pinches a little but should not cause real pain if done properly.


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## Willowy (Dec 10, 2007)

Pai said:


> Ear plucking is similar to plucking eyebrows, it pinches a little but should not cause real pain if done properly.


LOL. . .don't tell me about eyebrow plucking. I can't stand it (even done "properly" by an aesthetician). If it feels like that I feel sorry for the dogs!


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## Pai (Apr 23, 2008)

Willowy said:


> LOL. . .don't tell me about eyebrow plucking. I can't stand it (even done "properly" by an aesthetician). If it feels like that I feel sorry for the dogs!


Well, that's just what I've been told. I've never had to do it to my own dogs. I've seen YouTube videos where the dogs don't even react while it's done, so it may be like people where some are just more sensitive than others.


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## hachna (Jul 31, 2010)

cprescott said:


> I am also getting a Mini Schnauzer puppy in a couple of weeks. I was told by the breeder that he will need his first hair cut soon as well. I'm not too fond of the regular ms cut but i do like the one above that's all over one length! My only concern is the ear plucking. I have been doing research and have seen it done on a few of the videos. Does it hurt the dog? The ones i watched the dog would wince everytime, and is that something that MUST be done? Or is there an alternate option available?


If you do not fancy traditional minis hair cut, try to find a photo of your dream hair cut with you for the first haircut. Some groomers have several different haircuts for minis. Especially in asian countries, they like to clip shorter around face and legs without keeping furnishing. 

IMHO I do not see the point of keeping schnauzer without that haircut but then it is just me. In saying that I hate really close hair cut for the body (#10/#7) I personally groom my minis with #5 which is longer. That way dog looks natural, not like carrying extra hair around his legs.

Yes you need to pluck often. Minis does not like it but it is so necessary. Start early!

Yes you can leave the hair long and they can be left unclipped during winter. It is however wise to clip regularly if you live in long cold and wet winter as sometimes long hair can be in the way (such as cleaning and drying after walk) Even summer you do not have to have close clipping as reasonable length of hair can protect the skin from harsh sun.

One of the things you need to be aware are clipping hair between pads and claws. Try to them at least every month.


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## MollyGrue (Jan 30, 2011)

I have two Mini Schnauzers, they are pets (not show) and I have them hand stripped for a couple of different reasons. I started out clipping and then changed over to stripping (It takes a while for the coat to recover but it is possible. 

Reason #1: I hate the look of the pet cut, some groomers (personal bad experience) will clipper a spaniel type cut on the body, leaving the skirt line too high and straight. A Schnauzer skirt should be low and follow the lines of the body and blended so there is no harsh line. I also don't like the feel of a freshly clipped back, IMO too prickly if you run your hand against the fur. I found that stripping is better for the skin, it's less flakey. Also, if you have someone who doesn't know how to do the body, they probably will mess up on the face too (my former groomer did)

Reason#2: I have solid dark liver male and a flashy light liver pepper female and the clipping was fading the coat color and changing the texture of the fur. My liver pepper female was starting to grey out and look like a S/P. The only way to tell the difference was to look at her nose (it's brown not black). Changing over from clipping to stripping took some effort and time. It was three months for the color to come back deep and vibrant and longer for the texture to recover.

Reason #3: Clipping was changing the texture of the fur. My male's harsh coat was getting wooly and losing the wire hair that is typical of the breed. And Well, my female, she never developed a good wire coat to begin with so clipping completely destroyed it.

This is what I do with my schnauzers, I roll the coat so they are never bald. This involved creating at least 3 layers of coat on the body. I started out hand stripping 1/3 of the coat on week 1, then on week 2 I strip out 1/3 the coat and rake out the undercoat, on week 3 I strip out 1/3 the coat. Each session takes 20 min on a Sat. On week 4, I take them to my current groomer (love her) and she will do a very good hand strip and neaten up my work, do a wonderful schnauzer face and all the other things (nails, ears, hand scissor the legs, sanitary). Never try to hand strip the legs, usually the fur texture is different from the body with little to no wire. It is not as expensive as some people make it sound. I did a lot of research 1st and my groomer was willing to show me the technique so I could do it at home. 

Now to give my opinion to some of your questions.
It is perfectly fine to leave your schnauzer in a long coat, (this won't hurt her as long as its free of mats) but you will probably want to up keep the ears (plucking insides to prevent yeast infections), keep the eyebrows trimmed (for vision purposes), keep the sanitary area clear of long fur (nothing worse than poop stuck to your dog), and keep up the feet and nails (pads free of fur and nails trimmed back). I do know that after a while with a long coat, if it has a larger % of wire hair, your puppy will "blow her coat". Basically all of the wire coat will 'die' at the same time and it will fall out leaving the undercoat. This is normal with Wire hair breeds.


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