Miniature Schnauzer haircuts: what are there and how to choose?

A number of dog breeds require particularly careful grooming. So, grooming and haircuts of a miniature schnauzer - a compact dog with a hard naughty coat, are included in the mandatory list of procedures, without which the dog will not look aesthetically pleasing. Their owners have to study in detail the trimming schemes characteristic of the breed, and use a variety of devices that ensure the correct design of the animal's appearance for the exhibition.

Many people are interested in whether it is possible to do without professional grooming, how to trim a dog at home for the first time, how often it should be done in the future. To make a miniature schnauzer look decent, you will have to make some effort. But with the help of proper grooming, you can create the desired impression, hide small disadvantages in the pet's appearance.

According to the requirements of the breed standard, certain criteria for evaluating the appearance are established for the Miniature Schnauzer. For the show, the dog must be trimmed in the back area, from the occiput to the croup. The rest of her body can be trimmed.

It is worth considering why trimming is used. The features of the coat of some dogs, including the Miniature Schnauzer, imply faster growth of the guard hair with a relatively short and weak down. Since the coat not only forms, but also dies off, its abundant retention on the body interferes with the normal formation of a new coat.

The dog looks sloppy, significantly loses in appearance - in comparison with brothers freed from excess undercoat.A stiff awn, due to the absence of shedding, also looks unpresentable, loses its shine and gloss.

The multi-layered coat of a miniature schnauzer is associated with the unevenness of its growth. Mature, maturing and young awn together remain on the dog's back and need to be thinned. When trimming, a special knife is used, which allows you to pluck out exactly those hairs that are no longer needed. When cutting, the fluff is simply cut off completely, the coat does not look natural, which is very noticeable in the ring. The exhibition length of the "fur coat" of a miniature schnauzer should be no more than 1.5 cm.

When trimming, it is important to remember to meet deadlines. In preparation for the exhibition, the first processing is carried out at least 60 days before the show, and the second processing is carried out 2 weeks before. This allows to achieve the correct length of the coat on the back, ensures that the aesthetics of the breed are maintained within the current standard. In black dogs with a brown undercoat, the intensity of hair growth is higher - they need trimming up to 7-8 times a year, every 1.5 months.

The basic scheme for caring for a dog includes a whole range of necessary procedures. Among the available types of haircuts and grooming, several options stand out.

• Hygienic. It is carried out monthly and consists in cutting the hair between the toes and on the pads of the paws, plucking the hairs on the inner side of the ears. Scissors trim the overgrown bangs and beard, groin, hair around the anus.

• Base. It is necessary periodically, every 2-3 months, consists in trimming the back, sides, neck of the dog, complemented by a full range of hygiene procedures.

• Seasonal. It is carried out additionally, during the period of autumn and spring molting. It makes this process easier for the animal, ensures the formation of a high-quality stiff awn in the off-season.

• Exhibition. Performed no later than 2 weeks before the show. In preparation for the ring, the master will correct the silhouette of the animal, ensure its attractiveness and breed. It is not recommended to carry out an exhibition haircut yourself.

Important! Absolutely all haircut options for miniature schnauzers include bangs and beards. - their absence will lead to disqualification of the dog. Cutting the body with a clipper instead of trimming will also be considered a disadvantage.

A procedure known as trimming is the plucking of a dog's coat. It is obligatory for all schnauzers due to the absence of natural loss of undercoat and guard hair during the shedding process. Plucking is done by hand using a special knife. The trimmer is placed under the tuft of hair, pinned with a finger and guided in the direction of hair growth. After the procedure, the skin is thoroughly treated with special soothing antiseptics.

This is a typical Schnauzer procedure. It is held with show dogs, at least once a month., allowing you to maintain the optimal condition of the coat for shows. For the first time, rolling is carried out at the age of 3–3.5 months; it is more difficult for an adult dog to transfer to this method of processing a "fur coat". Using this method, it is possible to ensure the formation of a three-layer breed wool.

The procedure includes several steps.

1. Creating the top layer... For this, the puppy fluff is plucked out, the spine sticking out along the body is manually removed. Further, the furminator works out the undercoat. In the future, its combing and removal becomes weekly.
2. Formation of the middle layer of wool. It is done 4–5 weeks after working with the top layer. By this time, the coat looks rather heterogeneous, you need to be patient, carefully and evenly remove excess hairs.The appearance of thin and prickly hairs at this stage is a sign of the formation of a breed hair. It is also important to continue removing the undercoat on a regular basis.
3. Creation of the bottom layer. After another 4–5 weeks, long and old hairs, already dead and unnecessary, are plucked out. After plucking, a young, beautiful awn of optimal show length will remain on the dog's body.

The first time a miniature schnauzer needs trimming at the age of 4 months and older, always in the warm season. Further, the manipulations will have to be repeated approximately once a quarter, depending on the type of color of the dog and the growth rate of the coat. The simplest signal for the first plucking is the completion of the change of teeth. On average, breeders call the age from 6 to 10 months - this is when the dog turns out to be quite mature in psychological terms and is ready for a long grooming procedure.

Do not rush to the first grooming. A dog that is too young will have more down than normal coat. It is better to wait for the first molt to perform all the manipulations on the dead hairs. Capturing young fur can hurt or frighten the animal.

The softer and fluffier your pet's coat, the later it is time to visit the salon. The main thing is to remember that in the requirements of the breed standard it is the wire-hairedness that is indicated. A dog with a weak, soft coat will not receive high marks at the show. The desired stiffness is achieved by completely plucking out the awn, and can take up to 2-3 years.

A visit to the salon helps to form the correct lines for a miniature schnauzer puppy. Here, the master will show you how to trim the ears, handle the face and head. After grooming, the dog looks well-groomed, ready for a show demonstration.

The choice of a haircut for a miniature schnauzer largely depends on whether it is planned to participate in exhibitions with a pet or whether the dog belongs exclusively to the category of pets. In addition, the type of coat matters. Normally, he is tough, unwilling to form tangles. But in some dogs, the coat is either completely resistant to plucking, or changes slightly. In this case, it is necessary to remove the excess volume with a machine, losing awn in the breed qualities (the growing hairs will be soft).

A short haircut is also a way out for dog owners with wool marriage. Also, if you have allergies or other skin problems, clipping your body can help facilitate treatment. In this case, there is no choice. If the owner of a miniature schnauzer has a choice between trimming and rolling, it is the need to maintain exhibition conditions that is of great importance. When pinching twice a year, this condition cannot be ensured, after a while the dog will still look disheveled.

The independent technique of haircutting a miniature schnauzer may well be mastered by a dog owner. When forming the correct silhouette of the animal, you will need to act in stages. For the first time, it is better to cut a dog at home under the guidance of an experienced master or together with an assistant who is ready to hold the dog in the correct position. For permanent grooming, it is better to purchase a special table with adjustable height and lock. You need to prepare the following tools:

• trimming knife;
• sharp-edged hairdressing scissors;
• metal comb with fine teeth;
• clipper - mechanical or electric.

You should always start grooming from the back. A line is plucked from the back of the dog's head to the base of the tail, the lower part of the neck is not touched.With the help of a trimming knife, processing is carried out, while the wool is pinched with pressing against the blade, the skin is held with the other hand. Direction - only by the growth of the coat, the captured tufts should be small. The procedure will be as follows:

1. neck treatment;
2. removal of dead hairs from the sides and back to the bottom of the chest;
3. trimming the shoulder blades to the elbow and thighs to the hock (outside);
4. plucking the front of the tail.

After trimming, the protruding hairs need to be cut with a clipper without a nozzle. In the absence of painful sensations, you can manually pluck out the rest of the body - on the head and neck in front, inside the thighs, in front of the chest, on the stomach and in the groin area.

To keep the ears neat enough, they cut them short, cutting off the fringe at the tip and at the edges. An electric clipper is used on wool, a mechanical clipper is used against its growth. The hairs inside the ears are plucked by hand, one at a time. As soon as the hair on the chest and neck is cut in front, you can start working on the throat, cutting the dog's head. Scissors remove the tufts of hair that are in the inner corner of the eye.

The length is maintained under the eyes. The bangs are made in the form of a triangle, combed forward. It is important that its width is not larger than the forehead.... The beard is trimmed slightly so that the muzzle takes on a regular rectangular shape. The sideburns are shortened to keep the coat from sticking out. The beard is carefully combed forward.

If the upper thigh is usually trimmed, the inner surface of the thigh should be trimmed with scissors. The abdomen and the area around the genitals are carefully clipped. On the paws, the coat is combed upward, unevenly protruding hairs are clipped. All transitions of the dog's silhouette should be smooth and elegant. Following these guidelines, you can tidy up even the most overgrown miniature schnauzer in one day and gain invaluable experience in grooming dogs of this breed.

You can learn the secrets of miniature schnauzer breed stripping by watching the video below.