Edie's grooming journey begins

Grooming is an important part of looking after your Schnauzer. Regular grooming will help keep your Schnauzer healthy and comfortable and you will spot potential problems early. Whether you decide to clip or strip your Schnauzer, help is on hand. Schnauzers are generally a non-shedding breed and will require a fair amount of grooming to get rid of dead hair.
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Schnauzer Sam
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Dog #1: Rosie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 06 Jul 2017
Dog #2: Edie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 11 Jun 2018
Location: Guernsey

Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Schnauzer Sam »

From the first day I picked her up, I've been brushing Edie with a soft bristle brush and she is very accepting of that. Yesterday I used my course knife to card her and, OMG, you'd think I was killing her, nevertheless I persisted and she calmed down and I took a fair bit of black puppy coat.

I'm not being too heavy handed as I like them looking like fluffy puppies for a while. It occurred to me though, that you don't get the same dramatic transformation that clipped puppies get after their first haircut.
Country Girl at Heart (Molly) 8 April 2003 - 22 December 2018

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Robin black mini
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Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Robin black mini »

Hi Sam.
A soft bristle brush will only glide over the top coat..id start using a soft slicker brush..often called a cocker slicker..
You should not be getting any discomfort reaction when carding..be sure to pull the skin forward and card horizontally,towards the tail,so the undercoat comes away..it should be pleasurable,no stress..my dog often sleeps when I do this..for a pup,go gently and don't rush,this will set them up for life..
All puppies have different levels of tolerance..with my past ( poodle) pups,) ,I've sometimes had to just do feetshave one day,then face shave( 5 mins) another day..to get them into the groove,and grooming is pleasurable thereafter.
The grooms you do in these months will set the pup up for life..if the groom is a good experience,they remember..and it gets easier on you both
With a pup,of course it's going to take longer to get the slick appearance.You should be able to start stripping a little top coat by four months..if you clip,you know it's a quick result,but in long term the stripped dog will be a breeze to maintain and the waterproof,healthy coat will be so worth it.
I've been looking at your photos of Rosie too...you have got her stripping underway,but if you use the fine knife after the coarse ,you can get her top coat a lot shorter( if you wish).You simply repass over the whole coat,as you did with the coarse knife..it's surprising how much more coat will come off and the dog will look really slick.
It would be a pity if you clip to get an instant result at the compromise of colour depth,loss of wire ,and general good health of the skin.
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Schnauzer Sam
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Posts: 743
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 20:40
First Name: Sam
Dog #1: Rosie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 06 Jul 2017
Dog #2: Edie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 11 Jun 2018
Location: Guernsey

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Schnauzer Sam »

Hi Jo

There's not a chance that either of them will be clipped now. I much prefer the look and to be honest, the convenience of stripping them. I was just commenting that when a puppy has a clip it's a dramatic transformation.
Country Girl at Heart (Molly) 8 April 2003 - 22 December 2018

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Robin black mini
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Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Robin black mini »

Hi Sam..sorry if I sound terse..I try to get things down as as clear as possible,not a criticism...in fact I was hoping to get Rosie's coat a step further in your stripping journey..
.......I've been seeing a lot of the new pups on board whose first time owners are opting straight for the clip..the pup with a shaved face had no groom related comments..yet in the long run ,the bridge hair will regrow into the dogs eyes..

To the first timers aboard..clipping is an easy ,fast fix..you will have a neat looking dog..
However,the clipped coat simply cuts the hairs and leaves the roots in place..the follicles are blocked( 12 undercoat hairs and one topcoat hair in each follicle) so the new wire hair has to squeeze through this debris to get out...for this reason the next new growth is wavy, and will be paler due to the old undercoat hairs being left behind..clipped dogs are more susceptible to dermatitis and blocked follicles often cause bacterial infections..
Stripping coat is not difficult,nor painful to a dog..it frees the hair follicles from dead hair and leaves a free pathway for new coat to grow in.Stripped coats are waterproof and shed far less than a clipped coat.
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Schnauzer Sam
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Posts: 743
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 20:40
First Name: Sam
Dog #1: Rosie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 06 Jul 2017
Dog #2: Edie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 11 Jun 2018
Location: Guernsey

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Schnauzer Sam »

Hi Jo,

I didn't take your posting as terse in any way at all and I like to hear from people who are much more experienced and knowledgeable than me about stripping a schnauzer. I have all of 6 months experience !!

Edie will be my first "blank canvas" as I took the quick fix with Rosie at first but now her coat has been carded and stripped for 6 months she's beginning to look as I want her. Dogs are welcome in our garden centres (probably something to do with them selling pet food and accessories :) ) and a lady of a certain age came up to me and said that when she was younger they always had schnauzers and it was good to see one strip as so many people clip them. Well, I felt like I'd been awarded an OBE. Now that I've a bit of confidence in what I'm doing, I've no fears about tackling Edie from scratch.

Incidentally, while I accept everything you say about stripping v clipping, I do understand that for many reasons not everyone wants to strip their dogs.

I always appreciate your input and advice Jo, so please don't hesitate in continuing to give it to me.
Country Girl at Heart (Molly) 8 April 2003 - 22 December 2018

You're never alone when you own a schnauzer

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Robin black mini
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Born: 24 Nov 2012
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Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Robin black mini »

Schnauzer Sam wrote: 12 Aug 2018, 13:53 Hi Jo,

I didn't take your posting as terse in any way at all and I like to hear from people who are much more experienced and knowledgeable than me about stripping a schnauzer. I have all of 6 months experience !!

Edie will be my first "blank canvas" as I took the quick fix with Rosie at first but now her coat has been carded and stripped for 6 months she's beginning to look as I want her. Dogs are welcome in our garden centres (probably something to do with them selling pet food and accessories :) ) and a lady of a certain age came up to me and said that when she was younger they always had schnauzers and it was good to see one strip as so many people clip them. Well, I felt like I'd been awarded an OBE. Now that I've a bit of confidence in what I'm doing, I've no fears about tackling Edie from scratch.

Incidentally, while I accept everything you say about stripping v clipping, I do understand that for many reasons not everyone wants to strip their dogs.

I always appreciate your input and advice Jo, so please don't hesitate in continuing to give it to me.
That lady of a certain age could have been me,.....I hope you took her for a cup of tea and a cream scone and asked her for hands on info...
I will be 65 this year,I've shown and groomed aince I was in my early twenties...my mentor was a similar old bird,and what a mine of info she was!
I accept everyone will have a different opinion on grooming,so if the basic facts have been presented then that's enough for me...we all must decide for our own dogs..there is no perfect way .if people want to learn the traditional way to strip a wire coated dog ,I'm happy to give my time to assist.
Oscar 12345
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Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Oscar 12345 »

A big part of the problem is that not a lot of people want or have time to groom their own schnauzer and with today's groomers there isn't much choice because they don't offer stripping and it is a dying art/craft. Having said that I would much rather see a tidy clipped dog than a matted dog.
Man cannot survive with wine alone...
we also need a schnauzer.
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Schnauzer Sam
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Posts: 743
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 20:40
First Name: Sam
Dog #1: Rosie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 06 Jul 2017
Dog #2: Edie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 11 Jun 2018
Location: Guernsey

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Schnauzer Sam »

I arrived home yesterday to discover that a grooming table had been delivered for me. It had been ordered for me by my wife as a surprise. :) I've already had Edie (and Rosie) on it just to card them. Edie is much more comfortable about being carded and I've had a few pulls of the puppy coat with a coarse knife to get her used to the sensation.
Country Girl at Heart (Molly) 8 April 2003 - 22 December 2018

You're never alone when you own a schnauzer

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Robin black mini
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Born: 24 Nov 2012
Location: Italy

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Robin black mini »

What a lovely gift..I honestly could not do without my table,it really makes life so much easier. Once on the table the dog knows it's there to be brushed,or examined etc..it also will set your dog up for future vet visits where they know it's time to stand still and nothing bad happens...
Will you have a specific area to put it? I put mine in an area I could wood line the walls and then make hooks for brushes etc to hang..this was the start of my" grooming room" and it's gone from strength to strength.

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And then it grew..

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Schnauzer Sam
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Posts: 743
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 20:40
First Name: Sam
Dog #1: Rosie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 06 Jul 2017
Dog #2: Edie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 11 Jun 2018
Location: Guernsey

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Schnauzer Sam »

Hi Jo,

We don't have enough room for me to have a dedicated room to groom in (not until the stepchildren leave home) :) so it'll be on the tiled floor of the kitchen diner until then.
Country Girl at Heart (Molly) 8 April 2003 - 22 December 2018

You're never alone when you own a schnauzer

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Robin black mini
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Born: 24 Nov 2012
Location: Italy

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Robin black mini »

Schnauzer Sam wrote: 16 Aug 2018, 22:10 Hi Jo,

We don't have enough room for me to have a dedicated room to groom in (not until the stepchildren leave home) :) so it'll be on the tiled floor of the kitchen diner until then.
My first table was a plastic ,I meter square garden table...then I added a box for the tools..then I progressed to an angle in the room of my house...and so on..to me it's the routine and commitment that's important rather than the place you do the grooming..but it's been wonderful to have a place in the end that I can switch on my music and groom..bliss.
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Schnauzer Sam
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Posts: 743
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 20:40
First Name: Sam
Dog #1: Rosie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 06 Jul 2017
Dog #2: Edie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 11 Jun 2018
Location: Guernsey

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Schnauzer Sam »

Saturday strip has been done - the dogs that is :)

Edie is very accepting now of being carded. I've given her coat a few tugs with the course knife and the puppy coat is beginning to come away. I'm under strict instructions though not to pull too much off as the family want her to have the puppy look for another couple of months.


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Country Girl at Heart (Molly) 8 April 2003 - 22 December 2018

You're never alone when you own a schnauzer

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Oscar 12345
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Dog #2: Otto
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Born: 04 Jul 2017

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Oscar 12345 »

Lol, she looks trouble to me Sam..... what is she thinking I wonder.
Man cannot survive with wine alone...
we also need a schnauzer.
User avatar
Schnauzer Sam
Member
Posts: 743
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 20:40
First Name: Sam
Dog #1: Rosie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 06 Jul 2017
Dog #2: Edie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 11 Jun 2018
Location: Guernsey

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Schnauzer Sam »

Oscar 12345 wrote: 25 Aug 2018, 13:45 Lol, she looks trouble to me Sam..... what is she thinking I wonder.
I can assure you that she is trouble with a capital T - wouldn't change a thing about her though :)
Country Girl at Heart (Molly) 8 April 2003 - 22 December 2018

You're never alone when you own a schnauzer

https://www.facebook.com/pg/Rosie-and-E ... 872588622/
User avatar
Schnauzer Sam
Member
Posts: 743
Joined: 28 Sep 2017, 20:40
First Name: Sam
Dog #1: Rosie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 06 Jul 2017
Dog #2: Edie
is a: P/S Mini Bitch
Born: 11 Jun 2018
Location: Guernsey

Re: Edie's grooming journey begins

Post by Schnauzer Sam »

I'm continuing to card Edie every few days and the undercoat continues to come out with a little of the black puppy coat. The P&S wire coat is becoming visible on the back of her neck.

Overall she looking very sleek except for two areas. Her whole head is unruly but I'd need to take the clippers to her ears and scissor the forest off the edges of her ears but I'd never be forgiven so I'll leave it for another 3 or 4 weeks.

The other area that looks untidy is the top of her legs (especially the back ones) where the jacket runs down before the colour change. All I'm doing there is carding the area and testing for loose hair but they seem well rooted so for the moment she looks scruffy there as I've not pulled anything out.
Country Girl at Heart (Molly) 8 April 2003 - 22 December 2018

You're never alone when you own a schnauzer

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