Rolled coat routine

[Takk]

Hi,

I'm going to have a Mini Schnauzer in a few weeks and I think I have everything under control, except for the grooming part. I've been reading quite a lot on this forum and other websites all things related to stripping and rolling the coat and I have to say I'm still not sure how should I go about establishing a routine.

So far, this is my understanding, but there's so much conflicting information I'm probably wrong:

- Other than brushing with a slicker brush, I shouldn't worry too much until my puppy is a bit older (he'll be about 10 weeks when I get it).
- After he starts growing more hair, I should take out the dead hair with a rake (Twin King seems to be the weapon of choice here).
- Every week I should maintain that coat by demating, brushing and using that same rake to take a bit of that dead hair.
- Then every two-three months I should have a pro groomer do the stripping (or do it myself with a couple of stripping knives) and scissor cutting ears, legs, beard, etc.

Is that right? Am I missing something?

Thanks a lot, it's my first dog and this forum has been extremely helpful!

[zeta1454]

Hi Tomas and welcome to the Forum

If your new puppy is from an experienced mini schnauzer breeder who knows how to groom (the ideal ) they should be able to give you guidance as to how to hand strip and maintain the coat on your new puppy. They should also have done the first puppy groom to take out at least some of the fluffy coat.

If the breeder has not done any work on the coat and/or is not able to help re the grooming, it will depend whether you want to hand strip or clipper your puppy. Hand stripping is best for the coat and not too difficult, if you are shown the technique by an experienced groomer. You will need to take out all the puppy fluff, however, as soon as possible to allow the harsh outer coat hairs to come through. You must not wait or the coat will grow thick and fluffy and become "blown" which will mean hours of hard work to get it right. The puppy may look a bit bald for a while but, if you want a good harsh jacket on your pup, it needs to be done You need not do it all in one day but do a good session daily until the fluff is cleared and you should be able to see the good coat hairs coming through.

A professional groomer who understands how to hand strip a miniature schnauzer will still expect you to have kept the undercoat raked or stripped out and the coat to be clear of mats etc. The scissor cutting is probably the most tricky for a novice actually but, again, if you can have a one-to-one guidance from your puppy's breeder or a quality groomer, it will be helpful to get you started on home grooming for your little one.

[Takk]

Thanks, Leigh, my breeder is very experienced, so I'll ask him about it.

He is the one who told me about stripping when I visited him, because I saw they were doing it to another dog and I asked about it (I had no idea that even existed, I thought dogs were either clipped or just brushed when shedding ).

He showed me how they do it (with a stripping knife for an older dog), but he also told me that for a pet dog he usually recommends clipping because it's less of a hassle. Still, seeing it piked my interest and after reading a bit I think it's probably worth devoting a little time every week so my dog has better hair and skin.

I'll also ask him if he'll do the first puppy groom and I'll tell him to show me more of the technique when I pick him up.

Regarding stripping, can I use a Twin King as a substitute for hand/knife stripping or do they serve different purposes?

A professional groomer who understands how to hand strip a miniature schnauzer will still expect you to have kept the undercoat raked or stripped out and the coat to be clear of mats etc.

This was my biggest fear, messing up the maintenance and then making it difficult for groomers to do their job. Is demating, brushing and raking every week good enough?

[Dawnspell]

It tends to be the soft hair of the legs, beard and undercarriage especially the arm pits that matt. The wire hair will not matt just soft undercoat. I tend to comb Barney every other day but I keep his furnishings long. It all depends on the coat some matt more easily than others.

I learnt everything from the internet about grooming, Barney has never been to a groomer, and I did have an experienced groomer tell me I was doing a good job. Its not difficult and is great for bonding with your dog.

[Robin black mini]

1.Other than brushing with a slicker brush, I shouldn't worry too much until my puppy is a bit older (he'll be about 10 weeks when I get it).
-2 After he starts growing more hair, I should take out the dead hair with a rake (Twin King seems to be the weapon of choice here).
-3 Every week I should maintain that coat by demating, brushing and using that same rake to take a bit of that dead hair.
- 4Then every two-three months I should have a pro groomer do the stripping (or do it myself with a couple of stripping knives) and scissor cutting ears, legs, beard, etc.


1..I would start a sap...put him on a table every day to slicker brush,handle feet and comb beard using metal comb
. A few minutes,praise..then off to play

2. No rakes here...I use the coarse stripping knife to horizontally comb through the coat ( carding)...this will get out puppy undercoat and fluffy top coat,making way for your wire..L don't overdo this,but again,he gets used to our grooming and handling..

3.i do this every day..no rakes..just comb,brush ,check feet,ears etc You could introduce teeth cleaning here...rub teeth with a bit of doggy toothpaste on a cotton facepad ..or soft toothbrush..

4..if you start the above routine,you will hopefully want to continue to strip pup yourself as you become confident with handling him and tool use etc...
If you leave this too late ,the coat will become more challenging and out of your comfort zone... I strip weekly and the next day I bath the dog ,,scissor the skirt ,legs etc and shave the underpads,butt,head and ears...dog is always tidy ,shiney and top wire short..we use an overcoat in winter as we live in the alps.. and keep the strip really short.

k

[Takk]

Thanks, Robin, I think I'm going to follow your advice (maybe trying raking for maintenance since some people seem to get great results and it's easier).