Grooming

Bathing

Always brush the longer hair, legs beards before bathing. Brushing dirty leg hair has oils and dirt to help knots and mats to brush out easier. Using thinning shears on the matted area will also help. Bathing knots only tends to make them tighter — and harder to get out.

When bathing the dog all over, getting the head wet last will help to keep them from shaking soapy water all over you. Use cotton balls in the ears if you're afraid of getting water in them. If you get shampoo in the eyes, rinse them with saline solution for contacts.

Drying and brushing

Always groom you dog on a table with a noose. This is safer for the dog and enables you to have both hands free.

Toenails

Grinding toenails sometimes works better than cutting. SOMETIMES, let's face it they are Schnauzers and they just don't like it!!! BUT it is important to keep those nails short. Long nails can get hung up on carpet, crate grates and tear off making for lots of blood and a very sore toes.

Long nails also can splay the foot and cause arthritis as the dog ages. Not to mention how they hurt (us) when jumped on. I know we all hate to tackle this, but please try.

If you cut or grind a nail too short, :-( use styptic powder known as Quick stop. You should always have that around but if you are caught without it try apply flour (baking type) or a moist tea bag on the nail and apply pressure.

Ears

Ears with NO hair are best. Grooming (or ear) powder makes pulling the hair out much easier. Lots of us teach our dogs to lay on their side when on the table. This is a big help with ears. You can see and pull those long critters out of their brains!!! Forceps are a handy tool for this project. Lots of hair in the ears can get wet and hold the moisture, making a wonderful place for a yeast infection to start. Not to mention they hear better!!! No potatoes are to be grown in there! :-)

Clipping

When clipping a dog, in the summer I use a #9 or 7F blade on their bodies and most people use a #15 on their heads and butts. I use a #40, but watch out for clipper burns (this is a surgical blade). I find if you start clipping with this blade and keep up on a regular basis the skin grows use to it.

Winter cuts can be done with a #7F or #5 if you like to keep some hair on them for warmth. Remember with Andis and Oster blades, the higher the number the shorter the cut.

Remember these are schnauzers and should look like one all the time... The old English Sheepdog look is out! Please groom your dog!

Shampoo and conditioners

I use a whitener/enhancer shampoo found in all the stores and catalogs. Cream rinse conditioners are also used to help soften leg and beard coat.

I do bathe my stripped dogs. It will not ruin your dogs coat if he has a wiry coat! Remember they are working dogs and it does rain from time to time when working the fields in Germany :=) It will help your dog's skin and brighten the coat. When stripping, I always bathe even more when they are in undercoat.

These suggestions are based on my own experience grooming Schnauzers. For more detailed grooming see the Standard Schnauzer Club of America's web site. They have wonderful grooming advice. I couldn't have done better myself! Happy grooming!

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