The Miniature Schnauzer is a very popular German dog breed for its compact size and reckless nature, as well as for its playful temperament and loyalty to its owner. It is similar to terriers, with whom it shares a lively and combative nature. To make it look neat, the Miniature Schnauzer's double coat requires some care. To look good at a dog show, grooming should be done by a professional, but if your dog isn't a competition dog, it can be done at home in just a few simple steps.
Steps
Part 1 of 3: Haircut
Step 1. Brush the coat
To begin, you will need to brush the dog's coat. It is important that there are no hair tangles at the time of cutting, otherwise the animal may feel pain and the cut may be lacking evenness. Don't forget to brush the paws and goatee. Use a wire brush, then use a comb.
- Use a soft carder and a comb with about 1 cm long teeth.
- Don't forget to brush under the armpits, on the abdomen and between the fingers to untangle all the knots.
- If your dog has already been groomed in the past, it shouldn't have too much of a mess, if not, this step is essential to ensure optimal grooming.
Step 2. Bathe the dog
After making sure his fur is not tangled, give him a bath so his coat is clean for cutting. Use a mild shampoo and rinse with warm water.
Take advantage of the opportunity to brush his teeth
Step 3. Dry the fur
After bathing your dog, dry his fur. This requires the combined action of a towel and a hairdryer. Dry it as much as possible with the towel, then give it a blow of the hair dryer (set to medium temperature). Proceed alternating the two phases.
- Brush the paws, starting at the top and working your way down. Dry the dog's back and head, without pointing the hair dryer directly at the muzzle (he may find this annoying).
- In order not to strain your back, get a grooming table. If you don't have such a table, you can use any high, flat surface.
Step 4. Trim the fur on the back
Schnauzers need special grooming. To give the coat the most appropriate appearance, a dog clipper must be used. Use a # 8 or # 10 cutting head. Starting from the base of the skull, pass the clipper along the dog's back, up to the tail area, then, starting from the same point, repeat the process along the area near the back. On the hips, follow the direction of the hair until you reach the abdomen. To clip close to the tail, follow the direction of the hair around the dog's hindquarters then come down to stop, on the back, approximately 2.5 cm from the joint of the hind legs, at the side, just above the elbow and, at the front, just above the shoulder bone.
- If it is winter and you want your dog to have a little longer hair, you can use a n ° 7F head.
- From time to time, check the temperature of the blade by bringing it closer to your wrist. It is important that the blade is not too hot and does not burn the dog's skin. Remove any strands of hair that get caught in the blade.
- Use scissors on the most delicate areas. Some parts of the body are too sensitive to be clipped with the clipper, better to use scissors. Use them around the end of the tail, where the hair should be trimmed to the same length as that on the back. Do the same thing on the belly, without intervening in the genital area.
Step 5. You can also use the hair clipper on your tummy, but be careful not to injure the soft belly or genital area
Step 6. Trim the fur on the paws
The hair on the legs must remain longer than that of the other areas of the body and must be cut and brushed so that it protrudes outwards. When you brush it, make sure it protrudes equally on all four legs.
Step 7. The fur on the paws goes from where you stopped cutting previously to the bottom of the foot
It is usually of a different color.
Shear your muzzle. The muzzle area is particularly sensitive. Care must be taken not to injure the eyes and ears of the animal. Use the clipper starting from the base of the skull, where you started cutting back hair, and up to above the eyebrows. The hair around the neck should be cut from the bottom up to the chin line
Step 8. Before trimming the hair above the eyes, comb it down
Tilt the scissors down towards the nose then cut above the eye in a diagonal line.
To shorten the beard, comb it out and shorten it at the tip. The muzzle should appear long and rectangular
Part 2 of 3: Ear Care
Step 1. Trim the fur on the outside of the ears
The outer coat of the Schnauzer's ears grows rather quickly. Brush the fur on your ears then, using scissors, cut the one that hangs outside. Do not cut the hair that grows directly above the ears, it keeps them warm and looks good.
Step 2. Try to be gentle
The ears are particularly sensitive and injuring them is quite easy.
Step 3. Remove the hair from the ears
The Schnauzer's ear is very particular; the hair grows abundantly also inside and for this reason it is necessary to periodically eliminate the excess. Use a pair of tweezers to grab the fur, then gently pull it out, being careful not to hurt the dog.
Step 4. To protect the ear from external agents, do not remove all the hair
The important thing is that the hair does not block the passage of air, which keeps the ear dry. It only removes the excess hair, without going too deep.
You can also use scissors to do this, but be very careful: if injured, your ears can bleed profusely
Step 5. Clean your ears
Because the fur inside them grows so fast, the Schnauzer's ears can harbor a large number of bacteria. To prevent disease, the ears should be cleaned frequently and the hair inside them should be shortened quite often. As you thin out the hair, use a cotton ball to wipe away the water inside the ear (the ball should be gently rubbed on the visible portion of the ear). Finally, give it a good dry using a soft cloth, so that the water does not stagnate in the ear canal.
- You can purchase dog soap specifically for cleaning the ears at a pet store.
- Never use a cotton swab when cleaning a dog's ears, it can damage the ear canal.
Part 3 of 3: Foot and Nail Care
Step 1. Trim the coat
Tousle the overgrown hair on the dog's feet then, using a pair of scissors, trim it near the nails. It also shortens the hair that sticks out between the pads.
- Don't cut too close to the skin, you could risk injuring the animal.
- Repeat the process on all four feet.
Step 2. Shorten your nails
After trimming the hair, make sure your nails are not too long. To shorten them you can use either a "guillotine" dog clipper or a dog nail file. Cut (or file) the nail gradually, gently. When you notice a dark area on the inside of the nail, stop so as not to cut the live flesh.
- Inside the living part of the nail are the nerves and blood vessels. Cutting the nail too deep is very painful and can cause the animal to bleed. Such a cut can also lead to infections.
- After trimming, use a file to smooth the surface of the nail.
- Use a dog nail clipper: those for men don't exert enough force.
Step 3. Rub the foot pads
After trimming the nails, rub the pads of the feet with petrolatum or a moisturizing ointment for dogs, in this way you will give prompt relief to the skin after the nail trimming. Repeat the process on all four feet.
This will please the dog, leaving him with a good impression of the experience just made. Over time he will learn to appreciate the cut, without worrying too much about the nail clipper or file
Advice
- Compared to other breeds, the Miniature Schnauzer is quite difficult to groom. For the first grooming, contact a professional then, when it comes time to groom the dog yourself, based on the work he has done.
- Give the clipper blades some oil before using it. Non-lubricated blades can become hot and burn skin.
- To prevent injury, hold your dog firmly, especially when you clip his muzzle.
