The
Standard Schnauzer is a
double-coated breed. The undercoat is very soft and fluffy and
requires racking. The correct topcoat is made of tri-colored
hairs and is very coarse to repel of water and dirt.
If the coat is maintained,
Schnauzers do not develop a strong or bad odor and do not need
to be bathed. Typically for show dogs we only bath the legs,
furnishings and beard. Beard and leg hair must be combed and
brushed often to prevent the formation of mats.
Hand stripping of the coat
is typically performed when the hair reaches approximately
3-inches in length. To maintain the clean and sharp appearance,
hand stripping should be performed every couple of weeks.
The coat of a well groomed
Standard Schnauzer should shed very little, if at all. The coat
may be clipped is hand stripping is not an option, and it
requires less maintenance. One side effect of clipping is that
the coat/hair will loose its coarseness and will become lighter
in time. If clipping is your preferred method of helping to
maintain your Standard Schnauzer's coat - it should be performed
approximately every 3 - 4 months.
Like any other breed, regular
grooming is required such as: nail clipping, ear cleaning and
teeth brushing.
