Groom-him-Yourself Guide Part I

I am your average pet owner. I had never picked up clippers or cut human hair before owning a standard. But after realizing I would spend about $65. for a less than satisfactory cut every three months, and that my dog's face would look like a sheepdog's in between cuts, I decided to learn to do it myself. Later I found out a lot of schnauzer pet owners take this route, but back then I had the impression that only show dog owners did their own grooming.

Learning by yourself is not the quick, easy approach. And, your mistakes will be exposed at the dog park, and people who think you took your dog to a bad groomer will feel compelled to refer you to good grooming places. Let them! Just don't reveal it was you who did it. You'll need to accept the fact that you will make public mistakes because there is a steep learning curve.

So are there any free learning aids out there for the standard schnauzer owner? In a few words, yes, but they are not detailed enough. There are good descriptions on the Standard Schnauzer Club of America's website. There are also videos on You Tube you can watch, but with no closeups and very little if any narrative. They are good if you only want to learn the strokes used in clipping. Here is the best one of them, with a caveat: the groomer shaves the leg furnishings!

So as you see, if you are looking for a quality learning aid, the internet is not a good place. Go back to the Standard Schnauzer Club of America and buy their Grooming Guide and DVD to get started. This is a must if you plan to show your dog in the future, but those of us who don't show our dogs will find only the last third of the video very helpful. It is mainly oriented towards the grooming needs of show dogs. Fortunately Sylvia Hammerstrom, a conformation judge and owner of Skansen Kennels, sells a video focused on pet owner needs, but you'll have to e-mail her for the list, as it is not on her website.

Another possibility is attending a grooming workshop sponsored by your local schnauzer club, if you are fortunate enough to live near one, and if they do actually offer them. You could also pay a groomer to teach you, provided said groomer is familiar with the cut a standard should receive. Lastly, there is your breeder, if you did not rescue your dog or bought it from a pet shop. May breeders offer to help you learn how to groom, but in practice, this is easier said than done. Some breeders are very busy showing and have no time for you. Others will give you a quick demonstration and consider their duties fulfilled. And there are a few who don't even offer to help. In any case, taking your time, observing carefully and conservatively cutting until you get the hang of it will serve you better.

Once you have these learning aids in hand, study what they say in order to pick the tools that are right for your needs. Often, breeders and groomers will have favorites that they will push as the "indispensable tool." Some of them may have negotiated a deal for peddling to a captive audience. Consider what they say, but don't take their word as gospel. A cheaper tool that does the job just as well may be perfect for you. Remember that you will not be doing high volume grooming, so your tools don't need to be commercial grade. Cherrybrook sells show dog grooming supplies, (great brushes!) but I found their shipping exceedingly slow. You can find greater variety in price and lightning-fast shipping at PetEdge.

If I knew back then what I know today, I would have bought two clippers, two blades (#40 and #10), disinfecting/lubricating blade spray, one stripping knife, one metal comb, one high-quality brush, thinning scissors, regular scissors, The Stuff hair conditioner, hypoallergenic shampoo, nail clippers, a hair dryer and a grooming table. This would have more than sufficed in the beginning. As I learned more, I would have added a tiny clipper for the stop, a nail grinder, a hair vacuum and extra blades.

You don't need to have clippers and scissors to start training your pup. Your Standard will need more training than other breeds, because standards are not shy about letting you know when they are bored or annoyed. And grooming is one of those activities they might never come to enjoy. With good training, they will learn to merely tolerate your efforts! The first thing you need to get is a grooming table. Get her to pee outside first, then get her on the table and don't let her sit down. Give treats. End of first lesson. Gradually increase the time she spends standing, always handing out treats. Eventually you want to use the noose that attaches to the grooming table's arm to show your schnauzer you don't want her to move during grooming. Even if your dog can jump off the table, never let her do it. It is a discovery you don't want her to make. Always make sure she has emptied her bladder before a session, and that she is not starving. Some people walk their dogs before grooming and this is most helpful for Standard Schnauzers, if they are not so sleepy or tired that they can't stand on their feet.

Next time I will give a pet owner's perpective on tackling those first groom-him-yourself weeks, complete with some tips from experience. Of course a groomer might disagree with what I say, but that's half of the fun...