Grooming Guidelines

I wanted to share with you the file that I used to trim our Toby, 10 years ago when he was a tiny pup.   I had never seen a Mini Schnauzer in real life, and I had no idea what the cut was suppose to look like...so I just searched the internet and found this diagram.   It was pretty much all I have used for the past 10 years.

I have to admit...I was scared to death the first few times.  But honestly, I was even more scared of grooming prices!

http://www.amsc.us/docs/grmchtsm.jpg

This website goes through the steps for grooming much more thoroughly than I did.....http://www.miniatureschnauzer.ca/grooming.php

 If any of you puppy owners are interested in trying to try grooming your puppy, here's my advice...


Its hardest to groom a little puppy when they are very little….because they don’t want to sit still.  so start by turning the groomer on ever so often.  Let your puppy get use to the noise and give him a few treats if he is calm with it.   Next time, if he is still calm let him feel the vibrations and give him a treat.   Keep this up, and he will not be alarmed by the grooming tool in the least.  

When you actually decide to trim him for real start with a comb attached...so you don't cut too short.  If you or your puppy lose patience ….you could still take him to the groomer.    Some groomers may actually give you a price break if you wash and comb out all tangles ahead of time.

When I groomed Toby for the first time, I had my son hold him while I did it.  I just broke the grooming into short sessions.   I remember when I went to Petsmart I heard someone say, “Look at that, a Schnauzer with a crew cut.”  I was a little sensitive about that, since I had no idea what he was ‘suppose’ to look like.  In hinesite, I should not have cut his fur quite so short….but I don’t think Toby was too embarrassed!

Finally, you could always let the groomer groom your puppy while he is young.  If you wait until he's a little older to try it yourself , he will be pretty relaxed  for the grooming process.