Schnauzers! From miniatures to giants!

 

Schnauzers!

If you have ever met a schnauzer before, you won't ever forget it. They are one of the most recognized dog breeds out there! As a groomer, I see a schnauzer and think 'schnauzer hugs'. These dogs will put their front legs around your neck and hug you! Also, they are great protectors! They will be the first to tell you if they see someone suspicious! Known for their big personalities, I will have to say they are one of my favorite dogs to groom. Their haircuts are fun and they always look so regal when they are finished. However, here is something not everyone is familiar with. They come in 3 sizes! Miniature, standard, and giant. The most popular size is miniature however usually alot of people like the looks of a giant schnauzer more. They are always a show stopper. In the picture above, the black dog on the left is a giant schnauzer. The dog on the right is a german shepherd. See the size comparison?! Love it!

This photo shows the breed cut for the schnauzer. The haircut is all about angles! Angled eyebrows, angled skirt, angled beard, angled legs.. you name it! The skirt (the hair on the side and belly inbetween the front and back legs) and legs are left longer and well blended. The length on the back shown is a #5 blade. Usually on a pet trim, the back is done a little shorter but it's all about your preference. If you want to achieve this exact haircut for your dog, tell your groomer you want a #5 schnauzer cut. Indicate if you want the beard trimmed and if you want the eyebrows shorter or neatened up and long. Also, if the leg and skirt hair is long you can ask for them to trim it shorter as well.

Don't want to deal with brushing out your schnauzer? Here's the look for you! A shaved schnauzer! It's great if you want very little maintenance but still keeping that schnauzer look with the face. The length on the body here is achieved with a #7 blade. You can opt to go a little shorter or longer. It's all about your preference. Some people want the body fluffy. Either way, short or long, you can ask for the same length all over instead of a schnauzer pattern. The groomers can show you different lengths to chose from. Just let your groomer know how short or long you want it and say you still want a schnauzer face.

WOW! A completely shaved schnauzer!! If you want your schnauzer naked, this is what he or she will look like. Deciding on a shaved face? Keep this in mind. Their faces take a long time to grow back out. Usually the faces are shaved because the beard was badly matted. This is why it's very important to keep the beards clean! Alot of groomers don't feel comfortable dematting a dogs face because it's always very uncomfortable for the dog so be sure to brush out the beard if you don't want it shaved. On the other hand, shaved faces are SO easy to maintain. You don't have to brush them daily, your baby won't track water all over the house after drinking from their bowl, their faces smell better, and food and debris won't get caught in the hair. It's worry free! It also makes their ears look bigger which is so adorable! If wanting this exact look, ask for a #10 blade all over including the face.

Wanting to toughen up your dog? A mohawk always does the trick! If your dog has enough hair on the head, you can ask for a mohawk. As time goes on, the hair will get longer and you can get it to stand up with doggy hair gel. Here's a link to some hair gel. Most owners love the mohawk and keep it around for awhile. It gets alot of attention and what dog doesn't love that? Just let your groomer know you want to start a mohawk and indicate if you want it just on your dogs head or going all the way down the body to the tail. Rock on!

Shih Tzus: the spunky, lovable breed!

They are popular. They are adorable. They are loyal. Yes, I am referring to the Shih Tzu! This breed is one of my favorites to groom. Somehow they always come out looking perfect after their haircut. My Mom actually has two Shih Tzus and I think they have something to do with my love for the breed. ;) Anyway, like I promised, I am going to show you some of the popular haircuts for the breed!

Lets be honest. This dog is beautiful! I LOVE seeing full coated Shih Tzus because they are just downright gorgeous!! If you want to get your Shih Tzus hair like this one, ask for a very light trim all over just to neaten the body and tell the groomer you do not want the bangs or any hair around the face trimmed. In order for your dogs hair to be pulled back without any loose hairs sticking out, you must grow out the hair for months. Also, the hair on the head will need to stay in a bow or ribbon at all times so it's not falling in the face. Keep that in mind because it's alot of work! It has to be brushed out daily so the bow doesn't cause any matting. It's not easy being beautiful! If you have the time, I say DO IT! You will get many compliments and you'll love the way your dog looks!

This is one of my favorite haircuts on a Shih Tzu! It's neat, clean, and very easy to maintain! Brushing is still needed to keep the hair tangle free. The body was cut with a 5/8 clip comb to keep the hair fluffy and head was scissored nice and round. Round faces are my absolute favorite look on a Shih Tzu. They look like puppies and it gives them a softer look. Let your groomer know you would like a 5/8 clip comb on the body, short round teddy bear face, ears trimmed to the chin, and the tail left fluffy to get this look for your baby.   

The lamb cut is fun and always adorable! A lamb cut is when your dog's hair on the body is short but the legs are left fluffy and neatened. It's a great cut for busy pet parents because you have half the maintenance than you would if you left the whole body fluffy. Brushing out just the legs and the head in half the time is always appealing! You can get the face short like this little one or you can get a longer face. Either way it looks adorable! If you like this particular cut, ask for a #5 lamb cut, a 1" clip comb on the legs, short round teddy bear face, ears trimmed to the chin, and to trim the tail.

The shaved Shih Tzu!! This haircut is heaven sent if your dog tends to get a dirty face easily. Everything on the dog is usually shaved but the tail. Why shave the face? It's easy to wipe tear stains, wipe off food from the mouth, and the haircut lasts a lot longer so you get more of your money out of it. Make sure this is the haircut you want before actually getting it done because it takes awhile to get that beard back! If your dog gets alot of ear infections, think about shaving the ears too. Shaving the ears helps air out any moisture that is in the ear canal. Moisture eventually causes bacteria to form and that's when the brown/black gunk starts building up that you'll see when cleaning the ears. If you think this is the cut for your pup, tell your groomer you would like a #7 or a #10 blade all over on your dog including the face and ears. If you would like the tail shaved too, indicate that as well. The only reason I don't recommend shaving the tail is because they can sometimes look like a "rat tail". If it matts easily, shave it. If it doesn't, keep it fluffy!

Yorkshire Terriers: little dogs, big personalities

Yorkshire Terriers! Quite possibly the most popular breed you'll see in grooming salons!

Have a Yorkshire Terrier and debating on what type of hairstyle to do for him/her? I have a few pictures of the most common haircut styles! Enjoy!

This first hairstyle is what your Yorkie will look like with very minimal scissor work. The upkeep for this is ridiculous! Brushing is very important to keep the hair tangle free. Run a comb through the hair once a day to maintain this look. Depending on your dogs current coat length, it can take months to get the coat to grow as long as the one shown. If asking for this hairstyle, say you want the hair left long and just neatened all over, tipped ears (the top 1/3 of the ear shaved), and topknot pulled back into a bow. Tell the groomer you don't want the bangs trimmed or any hair trimmed under the eyes or on the bridge of the nose. Once the dogs hair gets long enough, the top knot will pull up into a bow without any loose strands. Keep in mind though that the topknot will need to be brushed daily and pulled back at all times so the hair doesn't fall into the face.

This haircut is very popular! The body length is kept short and the face is round and neat. The blade used on this dog is a #7. It's considered a shave blade. Keep in mind though that if your dog's hair is thin, the #7 will look shorter than it does on this dog. When asking for this haircut say you want the #7 blade on the body, a round teddy bear face, and tipped ears (top 1/3 of the ear shaved).

This haircut is very similar to the one above but the hair is a longer on the body. This is great cut if you are wanting something with less maintenance but still keeping that "Yorkie look". The ears in this photo are not tipped. You can get them tipped if you like the look better. The photo above is what the ears would look like if you decide on getting them tipped. (Top 1/3 of the ear is shaved when tipping the ears.) The length of the body in this photo is probably equivalent to a 7/8 clip comb. When asking for this haircut, say you want the 7/8 clip comb on the body, round teddy bear face, and indicate if you want the ears tipped or not.


Sometimes I will get some clients that request to get a different kind of style cut for their dog that is not in the norm. With Yorkies, you have so many options because their hair grows long and it looks great no matter how you cut it. Here are some photos of those other cuts that aren't quite typical but are asked for enough to make it in this post!

The "personality cut" on a Yorkie with a long tail. #4 blade used on the back.

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Yorkie with a schnauzer face with no eyebrows and a mohawk. #10 blade used on ears and body.

Schnauzer cut on a Yorkie puppy. #7 blade used on the back.

Greetings and Common Misconceptions

Hello guys and girls!

If you are reading this, I must say that I am THRILLED you stopped by and I hope to answer any questions you may have about grooming your dog. This blog is going to be dedicated to common questions pet parents have about grooming and will show various haircuts your dog can get.

First things first, I am going to clear up a few misconceptions that pet parents have.
       Time! I don't mind grooming your dog without interruption. I prefer to do it that way. However, the salon phone can't answer itself and no matter how hard I try not to, I have to put down Fluffy and attend to other business. :( To get a full haircut for Fluffy, it can take up to 3-4 hours. That is the standard time for most salons. There are ways out of that time frame though. Here is a secret! Ask for an "Express Service". An Express Service is when we groom your dog without interruptions, without kenneling, and call you ahead of time so right when I am doing the finishing touches on Fluffy, you'll be walking in the door and ready to take your baby and go about your day. Some salons do not offer the service but it wouldn't hurt to ask! Those that do offer the service usually will tell you that it's only available Monday-Friday because the weekends usually are too busy. Personally, I love Express grooms. It's great for dogs that hate to be kenneled and have separation anxiety!
       Cost! Unfortunately a lot of corporate companies have set prices for dogs by breed. For instance, a Shih Tzu (no matter how big or small it is) is $45 for a full haircut, bath, nail trim, and ears cleaned and plucked. Whether it weighs 10lbs or 35lbs, that's the set price. Groomers can't change the price due to size. Here is another secret though! To cut cost, you can opt for just a face, feet, and sanitary trim. (This only applies to dogs that are not matted. Matted dogs would cost additional or would need to be shaved. We will get into that in just a sec. ;)) A face, feet, and sanitary trim also includes the bath, nail trim, and ears cleaned and plucked. It's just at a discounted price since no hair is being trimmed off the body. This is great for dogs that just need a good touch-up between grooms! Now onto the matted dog scenario.. We all get busy and sometimes we don't always have time to brush our dogs. Alot of salons will charge extra if your dog is matted. Why? It's alot more work! I personally prefer to shave a dog than to dematt it for hours. No dog likes having it's hair pulled for a long period of time. However, if you like the hair long and opt for dematting, expect extra charges. Charges vary from salon to salon so I'd ask for a quote to get an idea of what to expect. Keep in mind too that sometimes a groomer can not dematt your dog because the matts are too close to the skin. If you are told you have one option and that's to shave, I'd go for the shave. Usually that happens when the dog hasn't been brushed for awhile and that the matts are so tight that the dematter comb cant get inbetween the hair and the skin. If a professional groomer can't dematt it, don't bother.
       Pick up time! Alot of salons don't have the capability to walk your dog while they are staying in the salon. Unfortunately that leaves Fluffy with a full bladder and no where to release it! I suggest that when you receive the phone call for pick up, to arrive as early as you can. If its not possible to arrive for a couple hours, its understandable. But if you are available, Fluffy will be thankful for it!
       Groomer preference! Really enjoy that last groomer you had? Ask for that person's name! It is perfectly fine to request a groomer. Make sure when you make your appointment that you say, "I want Nikki to groom my dog please." (Hey, I had to use someone's name!) Doing so, the person will book you with that groomer and no longer will you have to describe what type of haircut Fluffy needs in full detail again! It's convenient for you and the groomer! Also, Fluffy will develop a bond with the groomer which helps ease any anxiety it maybe experiencing.
        Services offered! Most salons offer these services:

•        nail trim
•        nail grinding (They round off the tips of the nails to smooth them so they aren't sharp. The nails also can get shorter this way too!)
•        ear cleaning & ear plucking
•        anal glands
•        bath and brush out (Nails trimmed and ears cleaned and plucked included)
•        de-shed bath (They use special shampoos and conditioners to work out the undercoat and brush it out after the bath.)
•        full service groom (Face, feet, and sanitary trim)
•        puppy bath (Usually applies to young pups below a certain age. They get a bath, nail trim, ear cleaning, ear plucking for a cheaper price).
•        puppy trim (A puppy bath plus a face, feet, and sanitary trim) 

       Each salon has their own set of "add on" services too. Special shampoos, upgrading the nail trim to a nail grinding, tooth brushing, extra brush out time, and nail polish are just a few services that most salons offer.
        Puppy Cut! Alot of pet parents tell me they want a puppy cut. All a puppy cut means is the same hair length all over on the body. That's it. It doesn't tell what length you want the haircut to. Alot of salons can show you what the hair will look like at different lengths so don't hesitate to ask for a fur chart or an example.

Now that I covered the basics, on my next post, I will talk about haircut options! This is the fun part! I know alot of clients are unsure what type of haircut would look good on their dog. This next post will include photos of finished grooms so you can get an idea of what some haircuts look like.