New Puppy, New Owner, New to Grooming

[AliceGrimm]

At the moment I am in a count down till when my puppy is allowed to come home, and I have already decided that I want to do the grooming myself. After doing some research (and still so much more to learn and a bit confused on some things, admittedly) I have come to find that to find that a healthier coat that maintains its color is to strip it (now I know this might not be all cases, but I hear that clipping/shaving can cause bumps in the skin as well as because the under coat is lighter, the dogs beautiful color starts to fade). So I am wanting to do stripping and am hoping to do a stripped coat.

I am not sure if I am able as my breeder has said that some dogs do not have the coat for stripping. And then I know there is rolling the coat (where you keep it at a certain length and just every week strip some hair sporadically) or there is where you allow the coat to go blown (so they look like something from star track and are super furry and then strip them down to where they almost look bald or are bald).

Now I know the breeders help the pups with learning that nail clipping is not anything to worry about, and get them use to water so they are not afraid of baths. I have seen them take their pups on tables so they get use to the height and textures and are always trying to get them to stay in show ready poses. They make sure to get the pups use to ears, feet, face, gums, and just their bodies in general use to being handled and touched. This is something I need to continue to keep her well adjusted.

While I read a lot.. and watched a lot of youtube and asked questions. I find myself needing more information and well just a refresher. And more tips.

Like understanding what sort of knives I need for her coat. I have heard stones are good for long long hairs and for puppies to start off with (I probably will not be using the plucking technique with my fingers). And what the difference is between fine (small) and more course (medium) blades. I understand it is best to strip before a bath because it allows the hair to come out easier and for you to grip it better. But I also have questions on baths.

Questions such as do not use human bathing products on dogs, but I see a lot of people using tear free baby shampoo for puppies, and is that okay or is the PH still high for them. I do want to make bathing a great experience so I am going to introduce it slowly. But then I am curious.. how often do you bath your pup?

I have questions on the types of brushes that are best for schnauzers coats and if freshening up sprays are harmful with dogs with sensitive skin.

I am nervous to do the sanitation area as I have never done a female before, or a small pup. And I forget how to properly do it as I do not want to cut the bum or her girly bits. I am also afraid because females have nipples.. how do people shave around them without getting them?

Also, my pup is a black schnauzer. So seeing her eyebrows is sort of difficult. And knowing what areas you strip and don't strip. I am good with the jacket.. but head and ears? I think I need a refresher. I am in the US, so things are a bit different here.

Or introducing how to brush teeth, clean ears properly. I am running out of time as I have to go, but I have so many questions and need of refresher for others. I did buy a grooming table, and am thinking of getting a velocity dryer as I love how quickly they dry, but I know they too can be scary for dogs and if not used properly could be harmful or dry out skin. Any tips would be appreciated it! Thank you!

[Robin black mini]

Slow down Alice..this is like having a baby come home and it happens in stages...I don't know any " new mom" who doesn't have a little panic and in the end you realise it's all in gentle stages and you move from one to the next as you get used to each other.
Is the breeder close by,if so I would ask her if you can visit when she is going to do a groom and you can watch her in action...ask her how to use the stripping knife,moving your arm from the elbow,not the wrist for example gives a fluid action and you don't dip the blade into the dog..
You can have fun by planning your grooming station at home..do you have a place you can set up your table and have your tools close to hand.? I started with a wooden table , a human power drier and added my tools as I progressed..we do have two power driers for my poodles but I like to use the human hair drier on my little schnauzer as the blaster was far too powerful for her .
To start...I bought Mars stripping knives..coarse and medium are used mostly.i never use my fine knife as this is for the ears and head and I clip those areas.
A nice pin brush and a soft slicker brush..for the legs and beard.
I got a wooden box and have all her basic tools in there so I can take my stripping out to the patio ,or to the lounge or wherever I wish...
I have rose line scissors to trim the leg hair and an arco moser clipper which is cordless,rechargeable for the sanitary area,ears throat etc..
I use johnsons baby shampoo on a tiny pup,the later around three months I use Pantene shampoo and pantene silk conditioner on her legs and beard..I have a detangling spray which I use on her skirt and I bath my dog every week,the day after her strip.
She has a shiney wire coat and has never had any bumps
This was in her first year

And now at two and a half you see I've really taken back her leg hair so she is faster to dry,easier to keep seed free when we come in from the fields etc..this is a really easy style to keep up,but I don't show the dog so I do use a clipper on head and throat,ears etc..

My routine strip takes 20 minutes one day and the bath ,dry,scissoring and ear clip etc work ,the next day, takes an hour.

Do have a look at the grooming section as there are some really good posts to read and you will get a good idea before she comes ,so I don't bog you down here..

[AliceGrimm]

Do you worry of the part you clipper turning gray or getting lighter or brown?
Your pup looks gorgeous! I may be able to set up my table permanently... I have a folding grooming table.

Is it bad to keep a rolling coat for a pet?

I have been slowly going through the grooming section!

[Robin black mini]

Our schnauzer breed doesn't shed twice yearly...this link explains the differences in dog coat types..
https://furstclasslounge.co.uk/the-grow ... dogs-coat/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

If you scroll to wire coat ,you will see the terrier coat doesn't shed twice yearly like a shepherd,but rather each hair grows and then dies at its own rate..so you can have a top coat with some dead hair,some new hair and some mature hair..

The idea of using a stripping knife is to pull out the dead hairs leaving the new ,shorter hair more space to grow in...rolling the coat takes the dead hair,leaving the newer coat..
Raking the knife horizontally (carding)through the coat will grab the soft undercoat..and remove it.
. Some liken this to deweeding a garden...imagine the undercoat hairs being multiples in a hole( the hair follicle ) in which one new wire hair is also trying to grow..
You free the coat from undercoat and pull out the dead hair..leaving the hole( the hair follicle) free to house and nourish the new hair...the hair grows straight,not bent from the hole.
The hair grows straight and true,no0t Forced to bend as it pushes it's way out of a choked hole( you have freed it from undercoat and dead hair)..
Many clipping enthusiasts say it's better to clip....but the coat comes ot wavy( see above).because the follicles are choked with dead hair stumps and undercoat ,the latter giving a paler and washed out colour to the new coat...
The risks of dermatitis are much higher from a clipped coat..due to blocked follicles.

I agree that in a black dog you may see some white hairs coming in to any clippered area...indeed on my girl ,now 2.5 yrs, I have started to see some paler hairs on the crown of her head which I " clipper"(1 mm on head)....however I groom each week and the dog goes back to black on her head..I have found stripping this area much less tolerated and feel it's a compromise I'm happy to make since I strip her whole body and she's great with that.
The legs do brown out over time as the hair gets older and dies..I sometimes run a coarse stripping knife through the leg hair like a comb and this pulls out the dead brown hair..
Since Ive recently decided to scissor the leg furnishings regularly,the dead tips are removed ,and the legs are nice and black again.

Until your pup arrives,do keep reading the grooming section posts and have a look at Kate werk videos on u tube..she's really good and her Google links are very informative...also britmor schnauzer links...I used to download pics too and paste them om my grooming wall to be a guide in my early days..
Trust me ,when you get your pup ,it will all fall into place..decide on your plan,decide what method you want to follow and take it day by day..
Use your table to groom,to put harness or collar on,to cut her nails etc..for the pup it will become second nature and also save your back LOL

[Janer]

Hi there

Compliments on your excellent choice of a black Mini! I am glad that you have decided to strip the coat, it does keep the coat such a lovely black. My Meg has a grey rear end though, as her undercoat is quite grey, and she would be that colour all over if I did not strip. Initially I sent Meg to groomers for the basic lines to be kept but with strict instructions not to clip her body. But one time I took Meg back to her breeder (she boards her when we are on holiday) who commented that I could do a better job than they were achieving. She kindly gave me some lessons, I read everything I could about the subject, bought a video by Ewa Highland that I followed step by step until I got more confident (now I go my own way a little!!) and here I am 3 years down the line with a dog that looks more or less as a schnauzer should. I would post pics but have never mastered that!

I second everything Robin said above about the britmor schnauzers and the Kate werk websites, I also found this one very useful

http://www.draxpark.cc/grooming.php" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;

It is for giant schnauzers but I found it very useful for getting the lines right and for doing the ears. I have had a few mistakes over time but as someone else on here says 'they always grow out'. I have found it a very rewarding thing to do but I would second another thing that Robin said.....get a grooming table, not only does it save your back it shows the dog that it is grooming time which can be fun but they know you mean business!

[nickynoo]

Thank you both for this conversation. I am grooming our black and silver mini and found this very informative. He is 19 weeks and so far i have had most success stripping his back. He has courser hair starting to come through there now and it is very satisfying to see. The rest of him is a bit raggy though. I groom him on my knee and its hard to get his sides as he starts to get too playful. He is sporting a magnificent uni-brow at the moment. I darent go near it lol. Next step is to buy a clipper to do the clipped areas. I really love grooming him and hope i can achieve the full schnauzer effect myself.

[Robin black mini]

Hi Nicky..
Re clippers..I have really expensive aesculaps for my poodles..but I've bought and love a cheaper cordless arco moser for the mini schnauzer..it's great for the ears,paw pads,throat and sanitary areas.i would recommend this for a mini,but not for our larger dogs,where you need a more robust clipper.
http://www.moser-animalline.de/en/produ ... /_leaf/795" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;
I also like to strip my mini whilst I'm sat on the floor..I can do her back ,neck..and then I get her to roll on her side for the sides...I use a coarse knife at this stage..
When she is on the floor,and only ever then,I let her have a rawhide bone to chew on and we keep this special for the floor strip...she loves this rare treat and I get a completely relaxed dog..she's like a rag doll and lays where I want whilst she chews happily on her bone..I don't like raw hide and replace them even before they go soft on the ends..but they do a great job in this situation so it's a compromise..
As you have found the floor groom is good to get a lot of coat off the back area,shoulders and up to the skirt...but to do the second pass with a medium knife I like to go back to the table where you can step back and see your lines .
FInally you can use a stripping block( pumice stone)...I like to cut mine into three strips which are more manageable.. Then ,stroke them over the dog to take of the last flying ends of hairs you have missed..I also run this over the legs and beard and it's amazing how much brown dead hair will come away ..it really helps to clean up the groom and leave a more polished look.

[nickynoo]

Thank you Robin black mini. That is so useful. I must thank you as it is your posts that have given me the courage to atttempt the grooming myself. I have not met anyone in my location yet that strip their schnauzer (but then i have only bumped into a few) and a groomer i spoke to didnt know anyone that didnt have them clipped. I had almost decided it must be too difficult.. until i read your posts. I then thought, im going to have a go. You tube vids are great, but i had to adjust my expectations when i realised that puppies do not stand perfectly still whilst you cut their eyebrows or try and trim the hair between their foot pads! Its more liike wrestling... one big game. I use raw hide in the same way as you Robin, except i hold it between my knees so he can sit on my lap biting it whilst i have two hands to get whatever i can whilst he is entertained lol. Oh and the most ive done to his face is a quick wash under the eyes and a brush of his beard. Its work in progress! Im sure i will have some amusing tales along the way. Xx

[AliceGrimm]

I think.. if it is possible.. tire the puppy out.. A tired puppy is a good puppy. lol

Thank you guys! I have tried to look up Eva, but her videos are in the UK.. though I did reach out to see if they could be shipped to the US and if they worked on our DVD players and such.

Grooming is difficult on the back and knees. But I am lucky.. I won't have to kneel unless I want to.. seeing as the pup can be on the table and the table is at a good height.

[Janer]

One thing about stripping knives.....they are sold sharp here, whether they are in the US too I don't know. Unless you can get them pre-dulled you will have to do it yourself otherwise you will cut the coat rather than pull it out.

I have used a jar filled with very coarse sand and stirred and stirred until my hand has nearly fallen off and then you have to do it some more! You really cannot do it too much. I was told by someone who shows dogs that the best way is to get a piece of carpet and keep running the stripping knife through it until the carpet is bald - then it is ready to touch the dog's coat. I haven't tried that myself.

[Janer]

Hi Nicky

A couple of thoughts about your post, remembering back to Meg's puppy time I think that the thing was to keep the grooming sessions short, not easy when you are learning too but so long as the session is fun with a good treat at the end it gets easier. I cover my grooming table with a towel to try and catch the hairs and once I have shaken that out (on my compost heap, it composts beautifully) Meg gets to play tug and wrestle with the towel which she loves.

The other thing is to get your puppy used to you holding onto his beard, it makes all the difference to your confidence when using scissors on the eyebrows and between the eyes (I did get some rounded end scissors to do between the eyes and the paw pads, for my nerves as much as anything). Meg now stands well while I am doing her eyebrows like she senses that it is not easy (and could be dangerous!). Perhaps comes with maturity.