[Shannonp73432]

Hello... I have a miniature schnauzer puppy and I plan to show her in conformation. I was wondering if any of you might be able to offer me some tips. Maybe things I can do now to prepare her for that polished look when she is older.

Thanks,
Shannon

[justagirl21]

Firstly, congratulations on your Schnauzer pup. If your wanting to show her its best to hand-strip or card the pattern lines on her instead of clipping them which is what is normally done for the pet Schnauzer. Clipping them will destroy the correct harsh coat texture and weaken the "salt-and-pepper' colouration of the coat. Mantainence wise, work includes clipping the nails every four to six weeks, cleaning the ears with a ear solution (you may need to pull out excess hair from the ear canal, use Hemostats for this), and of course regular, daily brushing with a slicker brush and greyhound comb. The structure of this dog is tight and tailored and the particular pattern is based on showing this off. Carding the coat promotes healthy skin tone and proper coat texture and colour. Carding is a long and monotonous job and while most breeders don't trust their show dog in other peoples hands, you're better off finding someone who will card for you (possibly another schnauzer breeder) as it will be done neatly and properly. A good groomer can also do it for you but they will proberly recommend that its done over the course of a couple of days as it takes a long time and they will prob charge through the nose. If you're able to learn how to do it yourself you will certainly save $$$. You should be able to get your hands on the pattern lines off the internet or via breeders/groomers in your area that will show you where to card and where to leave long etc. The head is trimmed as so it emphasises the rectangular shape. and the dog also has small triangular brows. Use straight shears to trim the beard and thinning shears to blend in the facial area, beard and eyebrows... there is so much I could tell/show you I could just go on and on! I'll try and find you an informative website that can help you out.
Good Luck!!

Ok, not much luck finding a good carding website, but I did find (on page three) a hand-stripping a Schnauzer article which may be of some help. I'll rely on another one of our groomer friends to add to this and possibly a better link

http://www.strippingknives.com/groom...uzertips_3.htm

[007Dogs]

Actually the schnauzer coat is done in stages. It varies from breeder/groomer to breeder/groomer. We did them in 3 stages, that way all the hair is the proper lenght come show day. Plus once the jacket is in proper condition the coat can be rolled weekly to maintain it for the ring, plus doing weekly clipper work and scissoring. We also bathed and conditioned furnishings weekly to keep the hair from breaking off. Is the breeder you got your pup from local? YOU MUST find a mentor to help you learn to groom. Don't expect this to be free. Most groomers charge $80 per hour to hand strip and $100 an hour to teach. If your breeder is close by, they should teach you without compensation. The next all breed show in Oklahoma is not until March 29th and 30th. How far are you from TX. There are tons of shows in Texas coming up. You need to go and meet people who are actively showing the breed. I must say you did not start out with an easy breed to groom. If you are new to showing, maybe you can find someone with a retired Champion you can learn with, or that will guide you to some handling classes in your area. Joining a club would also be helpful.

[Shannonp73432]

WOW! Thanks for the excellent detailed information. I am in the process of finding a mentor.

Thanks again,
Shannon and Allie

[007Dogs]

If there is anything I can do to help you with showing please feel free to send me a private message. I saw you were leash training in your other post. I would suggest getting her into a show lead for this training. I like to start them in a Resco. And start teaching her that the table is a good place to be. When you stack her, always start on the show side front leg, then show side back leg, then off side back leg, then off leg front leg. I normally count for my pups, one, two three, four, stay. And when they do it even for a second they are rewarded. Then you can work on free baiting with treats.