Clipping and Stripping

I am the average standard schnauzer owner. That is, I don't show my dog. He is solely a family pet. Before getting our dog, I did a fair amount of reading about the complex grooming requirements of the breed. I was sure I wanted him to look "like a schnauzer," meaning that I was willing to do what it took to maintain the look (with the exception of cropping the ears). At the time, I wasn't sure I would be stripping Kafka's coat, so I bought a couple of stripping tools as well as clippers. I was sure I would be using the clippers, at least for the face and under the tail, but I didn't know if I would want to strip.

Stripping
I went to a schnauzer show and loved the stripped look, so I bought a video from the Standard Schnauzer Club of America. As soon as I saw what it takes to strip a standard, I knew we would not be able to do it. The dog has to sit, without complaint, for a fair amount of time while the owner pulls out hair that needs to have grown to a certain length. It is not something you want someone else to do, unless you're rich and have lots of time on your hands or an assistant to drop off and pick up your standard (think Usher).

The video was frank. Some dogs tolerate it and some don't. It is true you need to do it by parts, or you can end up with a repetitive motion injury. Standard schnauzers are not border terriers. They are medium-sized dogs with lots of hair to pull. To add to my confusion, everything I read says the stripping knives pull out dead hair and that this does not hurt the dog, but I've now seen photos of dogs stripped to the skin. Live hairs must have had to be pulled to achieve that look. Does that mean some dogs will tolerate a fair amount of discomfort when their hair is completely pulled? I was not sold on stripping.

Then there's the issue of Kafka. It took me months of persistence and training to get him to tolerate clipping. I just don't think we could strip him, unless we muzzled drugged him. Not only is he a very determined fellow, he is BIG. When he decides he won't do something, I have to demonstrate to him that he must do it. And this takes a lot of energy. For example he hates anyone touching his nails, and every groomer in the area has refused to cut them, so now the vet does it, with a sedative. Even though a stripped coat looks wonderful and so natural, and even though you strip less frequently than you clip, I have to pass on the stripping.

Clipping
I am sorry to say clipping is no picnic either! But at least the right groomer can do it for a reasonable price, about $64. here in the Bay Area. Least you think that is too much remember the dog has to be bathed and that pepper salts and blacks are each challenging in their own ways. I clip Kafka's jacket every three months. It is true that the hair gets lighter and softer, they don't say that because they're trying to convince you to strip.

There is a steep learning curve to clipping in a manner where you will not be embarrased to take your dog out to the park the next day. I recommend watching a lot of videos (Skansen sells some and so does the SSCA), going to shows, and looking at as many pictures of show schnauzers with your dog's hair type as you can. You can't be afraid to make mistakes, and you need an assistant to hold her still. Your dog must be old enough not to get tired after 15 minutes, and trained enough to understand the concept of "you hold still for a couple of minutes at a time and then you get a treat."

All-grey pepper salts with soft american hair are easier to clip than those with german wire hair, or more contrast between light and dark areas. Mistakes are not that visible on hair that does not have a marked agouti pattern. When you are clipping a pepper salt, you must strive to cut at the same depth in similar areas. The deeper you go with the clippers, the more will the lighter undercoat show in the cut. In other words, if your cut is a mistake and you've gone deep into the coat, that area will show in a much lighter color than you would like. Similarly, transitions between clipped areas and those that aren't must be done skillfully, or there will be too much contrast between light and dark. It is bad when this happens on the face and on the elbows.

Then there's the issue of patience. Your standard schnauzer must sit for long periods of time and watch you cut with scissors around sensitive areas. Not just regular scissors, but blending scissors. Until I became more skilled with the clippers, I left a lot of work to the blending scissors, but even the best behaved dog has limits. I now use them mainly on the face and hocks.

I still like to do my own grooming, mostly because I am a visual person and I know someday I will start getting it right!