New to Standard Schnauzers, grooming?

The Standard Schnauzer is a working or utility dog and is the original breed of the three sizes. Standard Schnauzers are generally a robust, squarely built, medium-sized dog with aristocratic bearings.
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Gehlsurf
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New to Standard Schnauzers, grooming?

Post by Gehlsurf »

Hi guys,

I'm from Florida, and am going to be getting a Standard Schnauzer Puppy in about 2 weeks. Super excited!! This is my first post, so please excuse any long winded stuff....

I'm used to training dogs, albeit, usually a bit older, like around a year old, we like to adopt rescues typically, this will be my first pure bred, but I'm proud to be getting one, as all my friends have muppets for dogs (Labradoodles).
Our other 2 dogs is a fat Chihuahua named Chicken Buritto and a Chug named Beanie Weenie. Beanie is definitely the "derilect" of the family, but I was successful on training him. My proudest moment was him not crossing the threshold of the house, when unloading groceries and such. So looking forward to training a new dog, but up the ante, like my old dog.

I have hobbies now, gunsmithing, reloading, an 89 Jeep YJ that's a bit suped up, and I suppose now I'm taking up grooming, lol. My old dog (passed away last month), Rusty, he was a mix, imagine a Malinois but brendel and about 50 pounds. Bad hips got the better of him, at 15 years old, but he had a good life. He used to get the undercoat fluffing about 3 times a year and I'd hand pluck it outside. Our local birds probably have the softest and most luxurious nests this side of the state, lol. So I'm used to grooming. And his coat would bead off water like a duck, but he never smelled, was quite amazing actually. I'll admit, he probably couldve used hand stripping, but to be honest, no vet ever told me about it, and the pin brushes seemed to work decently. He started to get warts in his old age, once read that no hand stripping can cause this, made me wonder.

Anyhow, I can handle grooming and maintenance of a standard, and would like to strip him, unless the FL heat would be too much for him. Part of the reason I'd like to hand strip is to spend time with him and build a bond. I like to go out in the woods and theres nothing worse than a dog with something in his foot and he wont let you touch it to take care of it, just as an example. Grooming can build a trust, IMHO.

Only thing, is that I'm confused about the knives and the sizes. I've watched countless videos, hold knife 90° to fur, light pressure with thumb and short straight action in direction of fur, wrist stiff, almost like widdling. But they have so many different sizes, and some say dull, others say not to. Another question, is the stones, Pin Brushes, etc. I'd assume pin brush is for daily maintenance, and stoning is for after stripping?

I find lots of answers for the Mini Schnauzer, but not standards, and just want to get the right tools.

Thank you in advance, I know this has been asked extensively. But there doesnt seem to be many groomers in Saint Petersburg that seem to do this. Maybe it's like Carbeurators on old cars, lost art and the folks doing it are retiring out. I'm into old ways of doing things, and do a skilled trade that is also lacking people, so understand importance of keeping some things around and alive, even if it's just for tradition sometimes. As a side note, I find the "old ways" typically better in function, too. My old Jeep has never let me down, and easy to fix, my wife's Ford Edge ST? Look at that thing wrong and a light is popping on, lol. Guess I'm a gears and cog kinda guy, and if I could have a beautiful and impressive dog with some nice SS scissors (regular and blending, correct?), knife and comb? That's my dream right there!!

Sorry.... I like to talk, lol
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Dawnspell
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Re: New to Standard Schnauzers, grooming?

Post by Dawnspell »

Hi and welcome :-h
How exciting a standard we need puppy photos. Is he black or pepper and salt ?

Yes you are right grooming is a great bonding exercise. With regards to tools everything you have read for grooming a mini is applicable to standard and giants. Its more a matter of finding the tool that suits you by that I mean it has to feel comfortable in your hand and your dogs coat. I've got loads of discarded tools that I just havent got on with or Ive found something better. At the moment I'm actually using a DIY gadget which is thin piece of stripping stone that Ive glued to an old stripping knife that I liked the handle but not the blade and using that for stripping. Some people just use finger cots and pull it all by hand no stripping knife.

The stone is for getting undercoat out you just run it over the dogs body in the direction of hair growth and it gets the fluff out and any loose wire coat. Personally I dont use pin brushes I always use a greyhound type comb for combing furnishings and beard. I find I can get down to the skin to stop knots forming whereas I cant with pin brush. Again its what works for you.

Its expensive for groomers to hand strip and most owners dont want to do the maintenance in between strips or pay the high prices. Cant your breeder help with advice?
Our first family dog
Barney - Pocketpark Biali Eyebright 6/2/13 - 8/3/19 Gone too soon
Motto for owners who groom their own Schnauzers -"Never mind it'll soon grow back"
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Schnauzerluv
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Re: New to Standard Schnauzers, grooming?

Post by Schnauzerluv »

Hi welcome! We def need pics of your little boy when you get him! Also very exciting you are interested in trying hand stripping. Like most of the members here, I think we learned to do it here and with the help of certain YouTube vids. Have a look at this one, she is working with a mini schnauzer and maybe there are differences like perhaps a standard won't typically have as much furnishings, but it's very extensively informative for hand stripping. It's a long one and I still refer to it, but here it is
https://youtu.be/0dN93mPero8

I use my bare fingers to hand strip, but you will find your niche. I use the Andis deshedding tool to rake out the undercoat, works well for my pup. For the furnishings I use the Andis tool lightly to get knots and loose hair out, but I don't rake like the jacket. I have a rotation pin comb for furnishings and also I find the flee comb works well afterward to get little seeds and loose hairs out. My pup's furnishings are a bit longer, so it requires a lot of combing, certainly at least every 2 days to keep it really combed out. But at that point of you keep it combed out, it doesn't take long at all.

I use a soft bristle brush, but more because he just likes it lol. It softens up the furnishings, but probably not needed.

Don't forget to post pics! 😊
Gehlsurf
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Re: New to Standard Schnauzers, grooming?

Post by Gehlsurf »

Thanks!!! I'll check out that vid, I've watched a fair amount already, but this all makes sense. Part of the confusion was watching vids, lol. Seems many people use their own method. I was expecting, "For a Standard Schnauzer, use this X tool and this X way if doing it...", but it seems to be more of an artform or "you'll know it when you see it". I can respect that. Lots of things I've done people say, "hand tighten", is that hand tight to an Accountant, or hand tight to a construction guy like me? Lol. I could understand the idea of trying different tools and discarding what doesnt work, it happens. My old dog I would pluck the fuff out by hand, but in humid and hot conditions like FL, its annoying when your sweaty. Same with a knife, but seems to be a bit better for fur not sticking to me. As for combs and stuff, I'll try different types, see what he likes and what works best. I'd imagine it may change over time anyhow. What works for a 50 pound dog may not work well for him as a pup, so tools would change I suppose.

I'll for sure post pics once I get him, he's a Pepper and Salt, still with the breeder now. I am going to ask the breeder as well, but also like to get other reactions. They breed because they love the breed, not show dogs, which I kind of like, has purpose, so to speak.

Thanks for the clarification!!
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Dawnspell
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Location: Guernsey

Re: New to Standard Schnauzers, grooming?

Post by Dawnspell »

I could be totally wrong with this but I think you will have less problems stripping a standard than a mini. If you look at old photos of champion show winners of minis from the 1950s/60 they are totally different in appearance than those of today. A lot of breeders especially in the US have been breeding what they call super coated which are very soft coats without much wire. You look at show dogs of today and they also have a lot more profuse furnishings than in the old days. I know there are a lot of minis that are just not strippable because the coat is too soft.

If you look at photos of standards they really havent changed so I am thinking the majority will still have good harsh coats in the genetics. As I say just some thoughts.
Our first family dog
Barney - Pocketpark Biali Eyebright 6/2/13 - 8/3/19 Gone too soon
Motto for owners who groom their own Schnauzers -"Never mind it'll soon grow back"
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Schnauzerluv
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is a: Black Mini Bitch
Born: 12 Aug 2022

Re: New to Standard Schnauzers, grooming?

Post by Schnauzerluv »

Just found these too. It's a 5 part series with a brussel griffins, but a good reference as well.
https://youtu.be/9D_9kPqqNAE
https://youtu.be/ZCz_wefoZ7I
https://youtu.be/uuWyp-4-aZQ
https://youtu.be/YLQYuYJS5Y0
https://youtu.be/13b4dH9wqE0
Gehlsurf
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Posts: 23
Joined: 05 Jul 2021, 15:08
First Name: Matthew

Re: New to Standard Schnauzers, grooming?

Post by Gehlsurf »

Dawnspell, I could totally see that. If you look at dogs in WW2 and WW1 pics, you recognize the breed, but you can tell the differences in bodies, I think that's why I've stuck with mutts most my life, lol. Standard Schnauzers here in the states are pretty slim, but the people that breed them seem to really care about them, a cult following if you will. Purists, I suppose, lol.

Schauzerluv, thanks for the vids, I'll check them out!!! Funny, a Griffin was a dog that I was looking at, but they dont get large enough for me. I have 2 ankle biters now, love em, but need another "big guy" (atleast for our household), to be on guard duty and Jeep/woods off time duty, lol. While he thinks he's tough, and doesnt mess around, Chicken Burrito, our fat little chihuahua, isnt the best at guarding or going hiking, lol.
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