Standard Schnauzer Cuts

The standard schnauzer originated in Germany and was bred to work on the farm. The schnauzer has a particular standard cut that is used in competitions, shows and grooming purposes. The cut accentuates the schnauzer's long hair and silky texture, elongating the hair underneath the muzzle, belly and legs. With a pair of clippers, thinning shears and scissors, groomers create the standard cut for the schnauzer.

  1. Head

    • A standard schnauzer cut starts just above the eyebrows and shaves to the back of the skull, clipping all the hair above the ears. The dog's muzzle is held gently in place while being shaved. The ears are pulled back to expose the side of the face. The clippers shave sideways and downward between the eyebrow and ear. With the ear held back, the groomer clips from the outer corner of the eye along the cheek to the bottom of the ear. The groomer then holds the hair of the beard, the hair around the schnauzer's muzzle, and clips from the bottom of the cheek to the side of the neck directly under the ear. The groomer then uses scissors to cut the triangle between the eyes. The eyebrows are trimmed so that the longest portion of the brow is cut approximately to half the length of the beard.

    Body

    • The dog's body hair is trimmed in the same direction as hair growth, starting at the back of the skull and working toward the base of the tail. The dog's back and top portion is shaved closer than the hair on his belly and legs. The hair that hangs from the belly and legs is known as the fringe. The hair on the belly is kept longer than the upper sides and back but not more than an inch longer. Groomers often use thinning shears to blend the hair from the sides to the fringe so that the short and long hairs mix together.

    Tail and Rear

    • Tails are clipped close to the same length as the back and upper side of the schnauzer. The groomer works with the hair's growth on the tail. Groomers also must be careful not to shave too close to the tip of the tail, which considerably hurts the dog if caught in the clippers. In some standard cuts, a feathered fringe is left on the tail to increase its fluffy look. The rear of the dog is clipped inward from the upper thigh and up under the tail. The hair is clipped close around the rear to avoid matting.

    Feet

    • Once fully clipped, groomers bathe the dog and blow dry the coat to fluff out the hair. After drying, the leg hair is shaped. The groomer starts by trimming around the edges of the front paws to form a circle. Groomers use scissors to trim around the feet, removing stray hairs and neatly shaping the hair around the paw. The hair length around the elbow is shorter to remove some bulk around the legs. The rear legs are shaped like the front but thinned on the back of the leg above the hock, or where the dogs rear legs curve outward. The goal is to make it look much like a circular pole.