The Schnauzer Forum

zeta1454 wrote: ↑13 Feb 2017, 12:00 A lot will depend on the kind of coat Fudge has now - both topcoat and undercoat. Stripping out the dead top coat is usually done as part of a hand stripping regime where the undercoat is also removed. You will only be able to hand pluck the long dead hairs not the whole jacket once she is an adult so the undercoat (even if not removed) would still not be revealed.

With our puppies, we strip out all the "puppy fluff" from about 8 weeks old which can leave them looking a bit naked initially as they do not have any adult coat at that point but this is in preparation for hand stripping and retaining the harsh jacket. The undercoat is removed with a stripping stone. These photos show one of ours as a puppy with the coat coming in and then as an adult:





However, some of the dogs which we bred return here for a clip and scissor groom from families who are either trying some hand stripping or just want a full clip. You will have an idea from the "before" photos of how the schnauzer coat will grow to look if not clipped /stripped.

These photos show the before and after of dogs that are clipped:





And the before and after of a dog that has retained the top coat:





You can whatever kind of look is possible with a schnauzer coat taking into account that they are not a "shedding" breed and that, if you leave either a clipped or stripped coat to grow long, you will need to ensure the dog is not becoming matted, is kept clean and untangled, and does not overheat in hot weather. Also it can be difficult to predict as a puppy exactly the colour of the adult coat especially the undercoat. Clipped coats can be dramatically different in colour from the puppy coat. This was the puppy:



And as a clipped adult:






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