Care, cutting and trimming of the Miniature Schnauzer. Tips and tricks from professionals

The Miniature Schnauzer is an original and charismatic breed of dog. It is distinguished by a luxurious exterior. He boasts long bangs and an impressive beard, and his thick, wiry coat is a delight to look at.

The impeccable beauty of the Miniature Schnauzer is not a gift from nature, but the result of the long and painstaking work of the groomer. Be sure to study the basic rules for caring for a small representative of this breed and remember the golden truth that a dog is a mirror image of its owner.

What types are there

According to its purpose, grooming of this breed is divided into several types.

Cosmetic (hygienic)

Must be done once a month. It includes: combing the undercoat, trimming the hair on and around the paw pads, removing hair in the ears, trimming the hair on the ears, trimming the beard and bangs, removing excess hair in the groin area and under the tail.

Base

Carry out once every 2-3 months. Its procedure includes trimming dead fur (undercoat) and trimming it along the body, as well as all the listed hygiene measures.

Seasonal

Particularly important during the period of active molting of the animal (2 times a year). Between seasonal grooming, hygienic and basic grooming are required.

Exhibition

Necessary for preparing the dog for the ring and show events.

Incorrectly carried out grooming can ruin the dog’s appearance and cause the Miniature Schnauzer to be deprived of promising exhibitions. Trust your pet in the hands of a professional groomer who knows the characteristics of the breed.

Video “Grooming a Miniature Schnauzer”

From this video you will learn how to groom a miniature schnauzer.

Haircut scheme

Sketchy cutting and trimming a Miniature Schnauzer is not an easy task, especially when it comes to preparing it for an exhibition.

Mature hair is trimmed along the body, starting from the neck, smoothly moving along the back and sides towards the tail. The hind legs are usually trimmed to the hocks.

The following areas can be cut with a clipper: the inside of the neck, the area under the tail and the ears.

Scissors are used to trim the muzzle and bangs, front and hind limbs and the lower line of the body.

An easier way is to cut it with a clipper, without any special frills. In this case, the neck and back are cut short, the hair on the paws is trimmed with scissors, and a so-called skirt is left on the stomach. The beard and bangs, in this case, emphasize the breed.

Muzzle trim

The Miniature Schnauzer's muzzle is his calling card. She is adorned with a massive beard and elegant bangs. The muzzle must be properly designed and always well-groomed. Considering the fact that a beard constantly gets dirty, caring for it is especially important.

The length of the beard can vary, but should not be short. The hair on the muzzle is combed down from the extreme corner of the eye, and on the bridge of the nose, parted in the middle.

Next, the beard is trimmed with scissors and, if necessary, thinned. Closer to the nose, the beard is slightly shorter than in the cheekbone area. The bridge of the nose is not trimmed.

The bangs are a decoration for the Small Schnauzer. It falls over the eyes, but does not cover them completely. The bangs can be short or long, straight or oblique, or in a trapezoid shape. In any case, its presence is mandatory. When forming bangs, long hair from the forehead is combed down to the eyes (1.5-2 cm wide) and then trimmed.

The absence of bangs and beard is not stipulated by the breed standard.

Dog grooming

In addition to trimming, the Miniature Schnauzer needs basic hygiene procedures. Caring for your dog comes down to periodic bathing and regular brushing:

Before combing, the coarse coat of the miniature is moistened with conditioner and only then treated with a slicker or metal comb.
Bathe your Miniature Schnauzer as it gets dirty. Bath procedures are carried out in a warm room using shampoo for wire-haired dogs.

Grooming and trimming a miniature schnauzer is not a tribute to fashion, but a necessity that helps maintain the health and aesthetic appearance of the animal. A plucked and trimmed dog will become the real pride of the owner and will receive high marks from experts. In Moscow and other large cities there are many salons staffed by skilled grooming specialists. But it is much more pleasant to realize that the appearance of a miniature dog, arousing the admiration of others, is the merit of the owner himself.

Trimming

The procedure of trimming (plucking) hair for all representatives of the Schnauzer family is a mandatory event. Trimming has a number of positive factors:

Emphasizes the advantages of the breed.
Helps the dog get rid of dead hair faster.
Deprives the owner of the problem associated with dog shedding.
After professional trimming, the new fur grows silky and elegant.

It is recommended to start accustoming your Miniature Schnauzer to trimming at 3.5-4 months. This is necessary so that the dog quickly gets used to the atypical sensations and manipulations of the groomer.

When trimming, hard hairs are schematically and carefully plucked from the neck to the base of the tail, and then the area of the shoulder blades is worked on. At the end, the sides and chest, hips and tail are trimmed.

Trimming is carried out using a trimming knife. The work is carried out as follows:

A small section (tuft) of fur is lifted with the thumb, while the remaining fingers hold the skin.
The tuft of wool is pryed off with a special knife (trimmer), and then it is pulled. In this way, all the necessary areas on the dog’s body are worked out.
After trimming, the dog’s skin is treated with antiseptic agents, and in the cool season it is advisable to walk in protective overalls.

Step-by-step haircut instructions

Place the dog on a table with anti-slip rubber coating.
Comb the wool from tangles, remove them using a tangle cutter or thinning scissors.
Then wash the dog and dry thoroughly.
The body is trimmed with a clipper, the hair is kept short, but the dog is not completely exposed.
A body haircut is carried out against the growth of the hair, starting from the tail and ending where the bangs grow. The hips are cut from the outside in the shape of a pointed triangle.
The hair on the belly, chest and limbs is not cut, but combed out and trimmed along the contour with scissors.
The ears are trimmed on both sides.
The beard and bangs are trimmed with scissors.
The paw pads are trimmed to remove excess hair with a trimmer, then the fur on the paws is given a rounded shape using scissors.

Application of the machine

The Miniature Schnauzer clipper is used for zonal trimming of the coat, as well as for complex and model haircuts. The machine must be highly professional, powerful, high quality, equipped with sharp steel knives.

Models of clippers of various types (category ZOO) from leading manufacturers can easily cope with the coarse coat of Schnauzers and their thick undercoat.

Using a comb

For daily care of the Miniature Schnauzer, the owner should have various types of combs in his arsenal. They are a basic tool. Only high-quality combed wool can be further trimmed and subjected to rolling and trimming procedures.

Combs must be metal, have blunt tooth ends, and be more than 1 cm long.
The frequency of the comb teeth depends on the dog’s coat, thickness and stiffness.
It is advisable to have 2-3 combs. One with long and rare teeth for preliminary work, and the second with more frequent teeth for control combing.
Rake-type combs with rotating teeth help to better cope with the task of combing wool.
Combs with curved tips add extra volume to the hair.
The slicker is not large in size, the length of the sides of the head is 5-7 cm, and is also important in caring for the Miniature Schnauzer.

The need for a furminator

For owners of Miniature Schnauzers, there is a clear need for weekly use of the Furminator.

Having such a useful, strong and high-quality tool in your arsenal, you can easily remove dead undercoat without damaging the dog’s outer coat.

WLANIMU'S

Dear schnauzers!

I think it is quite obvious to each of you that the schnauzer is the most charming, cheerful, cunning, independent dog. Once we have become acquainted with this breed (regardless of its size - Risen, Mittel or tiny miniature) we often fall under its charm and become its faithful fans. Indeed, in addition to a healthy psyche, excellent learning ability and wonderful character, schnauzers also have wonderful hair, which, on the one hand, does not create problems in everyday life (owners of other breeds may not believe or be sincerely surprised, but in the house of schnauzers there is really no hair on furniture and clothes owner), and on the other hand creates a unique image of these dogs - funny and stern at the same time. However, to maintain its unique appearance, the Schnauzer requires regular grooming. In wire-haired dogs (which also includes schnauzers), natural shedding is difficult (and there is practically no hair in the apartment), so it is necessary to periodically remove the hair mechanically.

When grooming Schnazers, we can choose one of the care options. First, let’s look at the “material parts”, that is, consider the basic concepts:

Trimming is the process of removing mature hair from wire-haired dogs. The wool is removed after full maturation once every 5-6 months. You need to pluck both the guard and the undercoat. After trimming we have a hairless "exotic breed" dog with a beard, bangs and furry paws. Before trimming - a shaggy lapdog. And only in the middle of this period, after 2.5-3.5 months, the schnauzer’s coat reaches the peak of beauty and power that is inherent in this breed.

Trimming - Miniature Schnauzer Rona Do

Trimming - Miniature Schnauzer Rona After

Stripping - pinching with a special knife. Stripping can also be called artificial shedding. As a result of stripping, the dog's hair is renewed.

And finally, the hero of our article is rolling , the so-called pinching. Ideal for dogs with a busy show schedule. If rolling is done correctly, the dog always looks appropriate for its breed.

For those schnauzers whose schnauzer is not only a house or working dog, but also a show participant, and possibly a ring star, the peculiarities of coat growth pose additional difficulties. When trimming, the hair reaches show condition 2.5-3.5 months after the procedure. I think many of you have encountered the fact that the exhibition calendar does not always coincide with the trimming calendar. And often you have to miss a show that is promising for the dog, because during this period you are not coat-ready. Or you have already signed up for the exhibition, the participation fee has been paid, but it is unknown whether the fur will have time to grow to the condition that you want to show to the judge. With proper rolling, these problems disappear - your Schnauzer's coat is always in good show condition.

Rolling gives us the opportunity to have a dog ready to go to shows at any time. The procedure is quite troublesome, but it's worth it! The idea of rolling is to create 3 layers of fur on the dog. I will try to share my technique with you.

Miniature Schnauzer Tema before Rolling

Miniature Schnauzer Theme after Rolling

It is best to start working with a puppy at the age of 3 months. Let's consider this option (transferring an adult dog that was previously trimmed to rolling has its own specifics, which I will discuss below).

So, you have decided to keep your puppy rolling. Let's be patient and get started. Our goal is three layers of wool, but we begin to form them gradually. So:

Formation of the first (top) layer:

This is the puppy's first acquaintance with the pinching process, so most likely he will be very indignant. Be gentle, but decisive, let the puppy know that you intend to see the job through to the end. Over time, the dog gets used to regular nipping. The first step is to remove the fine “puppy” hair that sticks out in all directions. You need to pinch (with your fingers) evenly throughout the entire body, not forgetting the head, shoulders and hips. After trimming, it is necessary to remove the undercoat randomly along the body. The undercoat is removed with special tools, but be careful not to injure the dog's skin. In the future, the undercoat will need to be combed once every 7 days. Removing undercoat is very important! Excessively thick undercoat makes it difficult for the hair to emerge.

Schnauzer puppy before the 1st subtip Schnauzer puppy after the 1st subtip

Formation of the second (middle) layer:

After 4-5 weeks, it’s time to work with the second layer. During this period, your dog's fur will look patchy and patchy. Don't be alarmed - this is normal! Under no circumstances should you cut your dog’s hair to even out its fur; you need to be patient here! Now you need to pluck the dog again, evenly removing all the untidy hair. When you remove the unwanted hair, you will see a short, prickly “hedgehog” of new hair under the undercoat - this is the regrowth of the hair that we removed during the first trimming. At this stage, this is our first and so far only layer. We also remove the undercoat every 7 days over the next month.

Schnauzer puppy up to 2nd subtip

Schnauzer puppy after 2nd trimming

Formation of the third (bottom) layer:

After 4-5 weeks, you start working again, boldly removing all the remnants of long, old hair. Underneath you will see a new, tough and beautiful awn. It already consists of two layers, top and middle. The dog already looks neat and beautiful, but its fur is still short. In another month, your dog will already have 3 layers - top, middle and bottom. The bottom layer is short, it is almost invisible, after a month it turns into the middle one. The middle layer is the perfect length, but after a month it grows out and becomes the top layer.

Then you simply pluck the top coat monthly and remove the undercoat weekly. In order to clearly understand how much wool you need to pluck, lift the wool and look at it against the light, you will see that the wool of the top layer will be longer, and you need to pluck it without affecting the middle layer. It will take you 18-20 weeks to fully transition to rolling.

If you are transferring an adult dog, the tactics are the same as with a puppy, but in an adult, previously trimmed dog, you need to wait until the spine is almost completely ripe and not remove all of it, as with trimming, but pluck evenly, while leaving some of the hair for the next month. This is needed to create layers. In the third month, you need to remove all the old hair. It will take longer to fully transition an adult dog to rolling than a puppy.

Unfortunately, the entire rolling technique cannot be fully described in words; skill comes with experience. Over time, you begin to feel with your fingers exactly how to pinch to get a beautiful result. Through trial and error, one day you get a result you can be proud of. And after a moment you think that you could have done it even better, but this is already lyrics.

Good luck to you in our difficult task! I will be glad if the article helped you in some way! Go for it, because even the best grooming masters once did their first rolling of the inimitable Schnauzer.

Olga Lubenskaya