# Those who has Mini Schnauzer Clients



## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

I'm curious do the owners request a grooming preference or do you have to shave off everything? I like the Standard Schnauzer Cut, I've notice the "before & after thread" pictures a lot of them are completely shaved off. Is it because they're matted or the owner asked you to shave everything?


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## HersheyPup (May 22, 2008)

I have many Miniature Schnauzer clients and most want a true Pet Schnauzer clip. Often they request a good trimming of the beard.  I like the cut, it is slick and sporty! One of my clients picks up her two mini's and calls them "Sexy" after their cut! 

However, since some folks don't like the up-keep with the furnishings, they ask for an all over shave. A summer cut, if you will. Along with VERY short beard and eyebrows.

I personally own a black Standard Schnauzer and generally keep her in a long schnauzer clip. I may try handstripping her again in about 3 months. It takes approx. 6 months for the coat to be ready for handstripping after it has been clippered. She hasn't had a cut , except for cheeks, throat, ears and bum in about 3 months. My friend says she looks like a Junk Yard Dog! LOL


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

lmao they do look nekked I've seen pictures of handstripped Mini Schnauzers  I was just curious about the owner's point of views. I'm sure most of time you have to shave them  Due to the lack of brushing & combing


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## Graco22 (Jul 16, 2007)

I have lots of mini schn clients, and a few giants. At least half my mini schn. clients request short all over's with proportionate schnauzer faces. Minis generally have terrible texture on the leg hair, and owners just don't keep up with the combing either...so many times, it have to be taken short anyway. I find clients with giant schnauzers tend to prefer the breed trim though..


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## amynrichie (Sep 3, 2008)

We have a mini schnauzer and live out in the country. It is hard for us to keep up with grooming her furnishings so we do opt for a hybrid schnauzer cut. She keeps some of the skirt and leg furnishings but it simplifies the grooming, and is easier to pick the weeds out of her hair. I do like to keep the beard and brows a little longer. For us it is more for function rather than simply looks. I don't like her with an all over shave, that is just to nekked looking for me!


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

I have some minis and most of them want a schnauzer pattern with very short feathers. I don't have to shave them down because we keep them in this cut. It's avoiding the matting - nipping it in the bud - which I think is great.

Every so often a new client will come in and they need a shave down, but the regulars do not.


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

oh thank you everyone! Do you have a favorite Miniature Schnauzer look can you post a picture?


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

I have quite a few schnuazers who get pet breed trims. I don't handstrip any, but I really wish I did, because I love handstripping; but most people don't like the time committment, and how often they would have to bring the dog in to keep the neat stripped appearance. So most of them get a clippered cut. I do make sure to card the coat before and after, though, which has greatly improved many of my client's coats.


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## sparkle (Mar 3, 2009)

The 2 factors that come into mind when dealing with my customers are time/cost and how well the dog can handle the occasional hair pulling that results . Some dogs have a higher tolerance and are easier to handle in this regard and others simply require more restraint and sometimes are too stressed out. If one is really good at holding the base of the hair so that the dog feels little discomfort and sometimes we can not do such a good job in insuring that this does not happen.


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## bfoster (Feb 9, 2009)

I have a black and silver miniature schnauzer that whose coat I roll. This involves hand stripping out the longest hairs once a week. it takes about an hour and does not hurt him because it is mostly dead hairs that you are pulling. I am not a professional dog groomer and I do take him to a professional about every five weeks to have the scissor work done and his "privates" shaved and foot pads trimmed.
It makes a VERY big difference in the coat's overall appearance if you have the 1 hour per week--(always has to be the the same day )to devote to the coat.
It takes a little while to get the hang of the technique-but if you have someone that knows what they are doing show you--it is just a matter of practice and patience.
Groomers could teach their clients who are willing to commit that time how to keep up with the coat in between grooming appointments.
Just my 2 cents worth


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

They do amazing job


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## bfoster (Feb 9, 2009)

so- as you can see- with just the regular grooming appt every 5 weeks- if the client is willing to work with their own dog- and I never hand stripped or did any grooming before getting this puppy- they can look very nice.
I guess thats the problem though- some people don't even brush their dog in between appointments.


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## MoonStr80 (Oct 9, 2006)

The hand stripping is for Show Dogs .. I'd never hand strip a dog unless it's for showing purpose IMO


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## bfoster (Feb 9, 2009)

Why?? I agree I would not strip him all the way down--that is a show dog thing.
But rolling the coat keeps him looking nice all the time plus he has a nice hard wire coat --like nature intended. it is weatherproof- and needs to be bathed very infrequently. I wash his furnishings and his face about once a week but the wire coat keeps dirt and water off-he does that schnauzer shake and his wire coat is dry and clean--good smelling- just a daily brushing with a soft copper brush needed. His "jacket" only needs to be bathed about once every 1-2 months.
Why is this just for show dogs?? It is functional as well as beautiful.
When they are clippered they are left with nothing but the undercoat which is convienient for the owner I guess but not necessarily the best thing for the dog.
I agree its not for everyone- but if you are willing to put the time in--whats wrong with it?


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

There is nothing wrong with stripping out a dog; show purposes or not. Handstripping keeps the coat from turning into a 'cottony' type coat, lacking the nice wirey texture, as well as maintains proper coat color, like in airdales, and fox terriers. It maintains the dog's natural appearance, as well as the protective qualities to the coat. 

Although carding can inprove and maintain most of the coloring, and some of the wirey texture, it's not a 100% given, that the dog's coat won't change with clippering. 

I would prefer to handstrip alot of my terrier clientele, but most don't have any intention or desire to keep it up at home, nor do they wish to bring them in every week or two to keep it in that condition, so enters clipping, for most clients. It's not that they think it's cruel (because it's not), it's just that they don't want the extra time committment.


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

Hey Sophie, where did you learn to handstrip? I never learned it at school, and no one I have ever worked with did it either. But I think it could be something valuable to learn for the right client.


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## midge0413 (Mar 5, 2009)

at my job schnauzers are one of the most popular breeds that we groom. there are three different grooms that we do. either the breed standard, a sports cut (where the skirt is completely shaved off and just the legs and chest are left along with a normal schn face), or we do one length all over (either with or without the schn face. we do have one dog that comes in that get backwards eyebrows... they are pretty ugly! but i don't think that there are very many cuts that you can do on the breed. don't get me wrong i love schn and they were my first breed to learn how to groom. just wish someone with more imagination would think of a new cut for them.


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## GroovyGroomer777 (Aug 21, 2008)

Why don't you think it up, and ask one of your clients if you can try it out? I think it would be really cool if you came up with something really creative and posted it up here so we can see.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

GroovyGroomer777 said:


> Hey Sophie, where did you learn to handstrip? I never learned it at school, and no one I have ever worked with did it either. But I think it could be something valuable to learn for the right client.


When I was grooming at my old shop, we had a grooming seminar pretty much every year; I learned from some of the groomers that we brought in for the seminar. My old boss also attends lots of dog shows, so would always come back with little tidbits of information, which we, of course, had to apply to our own dogs...Lol!


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## PlushPupsGirl (Mar 10, 2009)

What we offer to the clients, if they can not maintain the standard clip, is what we call a sport clip. The back and front of the legs are shorter, but the hair on the sides of the legs is still a little long. We also trim the face a little shorter while still leaving it in the schnauzer cut. The feathering is also shorter then usual and it comes over to the sides a little further down....If we ever get some pictures of the Sport clip ill upload them for you...


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