What age to start grooming

[Beany]

Hi there

Can someone please advise me at what age I should expect to start grooming?

My standard is 14 weeks old.

At the moment he is brushed daily in an effort to keep him smart and get used to being handled. After the initial 'wrestle' he settles down and will let me brush him albeit a little haphazardly! I trim the fur from between his pads and keep his ears clear.

He currently has the top dark 'puppy coat' but this is starting to disappear and reveal his adult pepper and salt colouring.

I am going to try and strip myself as there don't appear to be any groomers in my area prepared to do it and I thought it might be nice to actually do anyway. The only thing I'm a little nervous about is the clipper work but if I really can't manage that I thought maybe a groomer would do that bit for me but that is a bridge to cross further down the line.

My question is though at what age should I start to expect the stripping work to begin?

Thanks for any advice you are able to give.

[zeta1454]

With our miniature schnauzer puppies, we start taking out the puppy coat from eight weeks old. If you do want to hand strip it is best to start as soon as you can. Would your puppy's breeder be able to help you get started?

Do short sessions initially, on your lap and when he is ready to relax. You will need a special grooming stone or stripping knife and you can pluck out the longest hairs by hand. We prefer using the stone to remove puppy fluff / undercoat:

http://www.groomers-online.com/groomers ... coats-p658" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

You can get these kind of grooming stones cheaply from equestrian stores and they can be cut into smaller pieces for easier use




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[Robin black mini]

I also would start asap..i.e. eight weeks ..then each week..strip and bath the next day..
Pup goes on the table to brush or be stripped....my larger breed went on the table from the start,first to brush and comb..for the nailsetc...and in your case to use the stripping knife.
....especially with the larger breeds ,if the grooming is done on the floor they have the chance to run off...if on atable,you have more control and the pup learns the rules..then they learn that it's actually quite pleasant to be groomed etc and you develop your partnership for life..
Gently use your coarse knife ,horizontally to the skin,to " comb" through the coat and you will see a lot of undercoat coming out...
Gently start stripping ..ie pulling any long hairs form the top coat, and you will begun your journey..
If you can post pics( first put into your gallery then post)
It will be helpful to suggest further progress for you..

[Beany]

Many thanks both for answering my query.

It looks like I'm a little late to the party because he is 15 weeks old!

Asking the breeder for help isn't really an option as she is a 3 hour drive away. When we picked Otto up Ruth was very good in explaining about grooming and we also were given excellent notes however as I said I didnt realise his puppy coat needed stripping I just thought that would eventually fall out and I would just start with his adult coat, silly me!

You can see from the pics below his current condition. His puppy coat is coming out but probably not due to anything I have done as all I do is brush him at the moment. I will invest in a stone and start on him as soon as possible. He does wriggle when brushed but eventually settles down and quite likes his mooostache being done!





Please let me know what you think now you can actually see his coat?

Many thanks.

[Robin black mini]

I would use a coarse stripping knife..your pup has the potential for a lovely wire-coat.
His skirt and furnishings will come along later..don't worry about these yet..
First horizontal comb through to get the puppy undercoat out.(carding)
Then start pulling the longer dark hairs and you should soon see the wire coat coming in...
Definitely put your dog on a table to work and things should be a lot easier for you.
Don't forget to pull the skin forward and taut,and grip the coat hairs that stand up proud when you do this.
....on your dog I see a lot of long black hairs that need to be pulled.

[Beany]

Do I comb through with the striping knife as well as use it for pulling the hairs or do I use something else for the carding?

Sorry all very new to this!

[Robin black mini]

Whilst a pup ,,you will find the coarse knife sufficient for both tasks..later as the hair grows in at different rates you will want to add a medium knife to your stripping skills..
The lovely thing with stripping is you don't have to be an expert all at once..you develop your skill with the stripping and then start to work towards "the pattern "you are trying to achieve...all the time both you and your pup are learning to trust each other and the groom is a bonding experience for you both.

Also,do look at u tube etc..Kate werk videos of stripping really help one to see the way to hold your knife,pull the skin taut etc..
The more you watch the more you will see the patterns you will want to achieve..better yet if you have the breeder,or a groomer friend who will show you how to use the knife safely....it's like driving,practice makes perfect,but better if you get some practical guidance before you dive in..

[Beany]

Thank you so much for the advice.

I ordered a knife on Saturday from amazon and it arrived yesterday! Had a little practice, it is going to take forever however as you say practice makes perfect!

[Janer]

Hi there

Just wanted to add to the excellent advice above. For now the stripping stone should be enough to get the puppy coat out (careful that you do not spend too much time in one place, otherwise it gets hot from friction), using a knife also is a good idea to get the pup used to it but a word of caution -

Stripping knives are usually sold sharpened. For stripping a Schnauzer you need a dulled knife as otherwise the knife will cut the coat rather than pull it out. To dull the knife you can stir a jam jar of sharp sand until your arm is nearly dropping off and then again the next day and the next and the next (what I am trying to say is it takes some time to get a properly dulled knife)......until the knife no longer has any cutting edge. Another method is to get an old piece of carpet and run the knife through it until the carpet is bald, then and only then should it touch your pup's coat.

But remember no matter what you do to the coat.....it always grows back. That has been my mantra since I started stripping Meg and still is.

If your breeder's name is Ruth and it is the same Ruth who bred my Meg it is a shame that you do not live closer as she has helped me no end with grooming advice and demos. I may even have met Otto!

[Bodee]

My little girl Milla is nearly 15 weeks and I have been "carding" her for about 4 weeks now with good results.

However, I am slightly confused about hand stripping. I have tried just pulling a few hairs out with my fingers while she lies in my lap but nothing wants to come out.
As this seems to be contrary to what some experience on the forum I got in touch with the breeder who is also a groomer, this is what she wrote back.

"With regards to her hair I wouldn't try to pluck anything till she's atleast 6 months when her adult coat begins coming in, at the moment carding is all she'll need to encourage the wire coat. The puppy coat is quite soft and doesn't really pull but that will fall out in it's own time to make way for the adult coat "

If this is the case are some of the owners on here just hand stripping the puppy coat or is it a case that some pups have different/ more advanced coats than others?

I also have a question about my knives. They are Aesculap "McClellan Style" knives can someone explain to me how you know they are "blunt" enough to use for stripping. I don't really know whether these knives are sharp or blunt but appear to be sharp and therefore may need blunting. (why are they not supplied already "blunt?")

I understand that when you strip with a properly blunt knife there should be equal amounts of hair on both sides of the blade but as my puppy's hair is not ready to let go, it seems, I am wondering what the groomers on here advise as the way forward.

[Robin black mini]

HI Boyd..there are two ways to strip coat..one is rolling the coat each week as I have chosen,or to strip when the top coat has died and take off all dead coat every few months..it sounds like the breeder is in the latter school. The dead coat will come off all in one go and the pup will emerge like a butterfly from a pupa..if you go this route I'd suggest the breeder or a groomer does the first strip as you,a beginner to this ,will not be able to set your pattern and also it will be better for the first time strip ,that your dog has a pro do this.
In your pic your girl has a huge amount of coat to take off...when my dog was this age (4 m) I'd got her top coat off and the wire was there..leggings and beard hardly existent,but my pattern was set..
4 m

6 m

Your knives are very probably already pre blunted..they are top quality mark so I'd bet they are.
Most good knives are pre blunted these days..in the old days a cheap and cheerful knife would require to be run through sand ,or used on a very dirty ,thick coat a few times to blunt the teeth.
If I just pull a few hairs with my fingers,I don't get the same results as I do using my coarse knife..I get a better grip with the knife..you still only take a few hairs at a time and you will see the whole hair come out..not cut hairs...if the latter you have used your knife at a sloping angle and cut coat.

[zeta1454]

A lot of "groomers" seem to suggest leaving miniature schnauzer puppy coats until six months but you will be faced with a blown coat and a huge amount of work and time needed to get anything like a quality look initially if you follow that advice. I have no idea whether these groomers are familiar with a miniature schnauzer coat or are coming at hand stripping from the viewpoint of a different breed e.g. Border terrier but anyone who shows their dogs or is experienced in the breed will advise you remove the puppy fluff and start stripping the jacket long before that. We have always started taking out the puppy coat of pups we have bred before they go to new homes at 9-15 weeks of age. As Jo says above, taking out the coat early will save a major effort later and there is no advantage to leaving it until six months.

Coat quality will vary depending on the quality of the parent dogs but, if they have a good harsh jacket, their offspring should be the same. Jo's photos are probably more appropriate as you have a black mini but I have attached a few pictures showing before and after of a pet P&S puppy at 12 weeks of age. The puppy will look a bit bald for a while once the puppy fluff is all removed but the harsh topcoat is already beginning to emerge. It may still take a few stripping out sessions to establish the jacket all over but it will come. Bear in mind that puppies can be exhibited in the show ring at six months so would have to have been prepared well in advance over the previous months to have a good harsh jacket.
Before:



And after:



A close up too:



And a hand stripped miniature schnauzer at 8 months:



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[Violet Turner]

good thread

[Robin black mini]

Violet..this is Beany,s post..
You must put up a new post that is your own,not use another posters post with your name as the poster..
I know this is a simple mistake as you are new to the board...but posts made must be your own..
A prior post can be quoted or linked,but not posted by a different poster with no reference to the source.