Instructions for a Schnauzer Cut

Grooming your schnauzer at home can save you upwards of $300 a year. There are many things to consider when choosing to groom your dog at home, including what hair to remove and what hair to keep. Although trends dictate how a breed should look from year to year, there are fundamental standards set for each breed by its governing kennel club. Schnauzers are groomed for form and function. As with other breeds, the grooming can be broken down into five cutting areas: head, body, tail, legs and feet.

Things You'll Need

  • Brush
  • Clippers
  • Straight shears
  • Curved shears
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Instructions

  1. Legs and Feet

    • 1
      Grooming is part of preventative health maintenance for your pet.

      Remove hair that doesn't need attention, such as hair around the sanitary area and in between the pads of the feet. Using clippers that leave hair at a length of at least 1/16 inch or 1.5 mm, "scoop" out the hair between the pads and remove about a quarter inch of hair from all sides of the anal opening. Remove the hair from the belly area by clippering the inner thigh to the "belly-button."

    • 2

      Brush out all the tangles and mats from your dog's coat. Clippers will cease to cut once they hit a mat. It is best to brush your entire pet before attempting to cut any patterns into the coat.

    • 3

      Clip hair, using clippers that leave hair at a length of at least 1/16 inch or 1.5 mm, from the base of the tail, down the backside of the thigh, to about an inch above the stifle, or joint, of the back leg. Remove the hair on the thigh, leaving a line of hair about an inch in width along the front side of the hind leg. Repeat for the opposite hind leg.

    • 4
      Spending time grooming your pet is a great way to bond with each other.

      Brush the hair on the legs up, against the growth, making it stand out as straight as possible. Use straight shears to trim each leg to look round, like a column. This can be achieved by holding the scissors parallel to the leg and trimming any hair that sticks out further than the rest. Repeat for all legs.

    • 5

      Pick up each foot and brush all hair around the foot downward. Use curved shears to trim any hair protruding past the bottom of the foot.

    Body and Tail

    • 6
      The modern schnauzer trim is meant to accentuate the muscles underneath the skin.

      Remove hair from the back by using clippers that leave hair to a length of at least 1/16 inch or 1.5 mm. Start clipping at the occiput, or base of the skull. Clip a straight line from the occiput to the base of the tail. If working with a docked tail, completely shave the tail.

    • 7
      Dogs to be shown in dog shows have their coats stripped instead of clipped, and sanitary hair is not removed.

      Clipper a line from the occiput down the shoulder to just above the elbow. Repeat on the opposite side. There is a muscle underneath the skin here that we are trying to expose. Clipper all the hair covering this muscle on both sides of the dog. Remove all hair below the head on the neck, making sure to stop short of where the front of the lower neck meets the chest. Create a diagonal line from the hair left on the chest to the hair left below the elbow.

    • 8

      Use clippers to remove hair along either side of the original cut from head to tail. When nearing the skirt, stop short of the point at which the body starts to curve under to the belly. Follow the natural line of the underbelly; the skirt should not be perpendicular to the ground. The line from the shoulder to the tuck where the thigh meets the flank will have a nearly 45-degree angle to the ground. Blend the line of the skirt with the skirt left on the legs and repeat for the other side.

    • 9

      Hold the tail by the tip, straight out from the body, if your dog has an undocked tail. Brush all the hair to the left and use shears to taper the hair into a carrot shape, fuller near the base. Brush all the hair to the right and repeat the trim. Stand the tail up so that all the hair falls naturally and continue the pattern around the entire tail until it resembles the shape of a carrot.

    Head

    • 10
      Common schnauzer health issues are infection in the ear, due to lack of proper grooming, and allergies.

      Clean the ears of hair using clippers that leave hair at a length of at least 1/16 inch or 1.5 mm. Clipper all hair on the top of the head in between the ears to the occiput. Hold hair designated for the eyebrows down with one hand and clipper the forehead to the ears clean. Clipper down the cheek, from the ear to just below the eye, and stop at the whiskers. Repeat on both sides. Trim excess hair on the outer edges of the ears with straight shears.

    • 11

      Brush all hair designated for the beard and use straight shears to trim off excess length.

    • 12

      Brush the eyebrows forward. Use curved shears to cut from the outer corner of the eye to the tip of the nose, creating a triangle-shaped brow. Repeat for the other side.