[Graco22]

Thanks Rufuspup. I am glad to help. Yes, I am a groomer, but I don't show in AKC shows, just grooming contests. I think if you get the head and ears cleaned up tighter and more schnauzerlike, you will have less people confusing him. Of course, many people just don't know enough about dogs to see the difference, and you will still have someone confuse what he is, but I think it will be less if you can get the head down tighter and more schnauzer like.

[digimom]

I purchased a great miniature schnauzer grooming dvd from this site:

http://legacyms.com/

Also, I think because your schnauzer's years are straight up instead of flopped over or cropped short, that is why he looks more like a scottie. Both my schnauzers have flopped ears, but for some reason one of Brandy's ears tends to stay up more after it gets all clean. For inside the ear cleaning see if you can find a hemastat to pull the hairs out. I haven't done this personally myself, always been the groomer, but I'll have to dig in and try, "gently"

Karen.

[HersheyPup]

I'm right with you on this one! I have a black schnauzer, too, but mine is a Standard not even a mini and people STILL constanly comment on my scottie! LOL I'm politely tell them that she is a Schnauzer and the reaction is usually one of great surprise...I guess most people think schnauzers only come in one color, Pepper and Salt or in laymans terms= Gray! It happens all the time...I don't let it bother me.
Sometimes if I am feeling rambunctious I will tell them that she is a German Wired Haired Pinscher, which is what the Standard Schnauzer was called long ago in Germany. The look I get for that one says, "What the hell is THAT?"

[TheDogLuver90]

He needs the Schnauzer cut. Heres some pics

[Pepper]

I agree but I don't like them with their cheeks shaved! I have a mini schnauzer and she has a really thin face and still has her tail, we just got her groomed again and I fergot to tell them not to shave her cheeks or tail...so she came back looking anorexic in the face and a worm for a tail lol.

I like your 2nd and third pictures of the schnauzers, thats how she gets cut, she doesn't have that thick cottony fur so she never needs to be fully shaved down because she doesn't get tangles.

[TheDogLuver90]

oo sounds bad lol

[Pepper]

eh, her cheek fur grows back in about week so she looks healthy again =P

[TheDogLuver90]

haha, i love those dogs. to cuteeeee

[Line-of-Fire]

Yeah take the face shorter and he'll look like a schnauzer. I agree.

We get that a lot with our GSDs... But the funny thing is, people try and tell us that our own dogs are NOT gsds. That's ridic lol. Someone asked me what breed Cruz was (he's sable) and when I told them German Shpeherd, they looked at me like I was stupid and said there was no way he was a shepherd. They said he was some sort of mix. Retards. Lol.

[Love's_Sophie]

Originally Posted by rufuspup

here's some pictures I took with my camera phone (my digital isn't working )
anything I can do or should I just chalk it up to people just not being schnauzer-educated?

If you take his ears off clean, like schnuazers are normally, that would make a HUGE difference in his breed appearance alone.

Instead of keeping his furnishings up so high, too, simply run the clipper straight off his sides; on the chest, try not to leave the 'bowtie'...run the clipper straight down; don't press in, beyond the breast bone, but simply run the clipper down toward the table, and off the chest. Same with the side furnishings; On the forearm, run the clipper down to the elbow, then straight off toward the table.
On the sides, run the clipper straight down, but don't press in once you reach the bottom of the rib cage.

The pattern in the hind end needs to be brought further forward, and should end just above the hock (back knee).

I don't have any finished schnauzer patterned dogs, but here's an idea of what he should look like (the chest, elbow, back to the last rib is identical though)

When a dog is done in a pattern properly, you will hardly notice blending lines; which is why as a groomer, I sometimes get the dumb question, "you mean their hair doesn't grow that way naturally?" Lol!

preclip


done...

[Love's_Sophie]

Originally Posted by rufuspup

I'll make sure to trim his ears asap, well as soon as I'm done writing this then
. Should I leave any hair near the inner ear as a protection or should it all be cleaned out? I wasn't sure and I didn't want to damage anything. In between his eyes is supposed to be shaved, right?. I'm a little fuzzy about where his beard is supposed to start also, should the hair under the eye be cut/shaved or should that contribute to the beard hair? lol- I've tried to gather what I can from pictures and a few online help sites, but they're not
as specific as I'd like.

The skirt on most terriers is scissored, or thinning sheared pretty close up to the stomach; Almost All terrier trims are to be "neat and tight" in appearances, especially when it comes to the skirt.

The ears are clean, inside and out...trim the outer edges that the clipper leaves.

As far as his facial pattern; the clippering should come from the base of his ear foward, to the corner of his eye (not the 'front corner'...). Then run the clipper from the bottom of the base of his ear, back toward the front of his face; take the pattern up to, but not beyond the corner of his mouth. This will give you the neat beard appearance that a schauzer has. The rest, just trim him up as close as you wish; some people like the longer beard, others don't...it's up to you. Don't clip the bridge of the nose; only trim under the eyes, and between each brow. Don't trim any of the brow off beyond the 'front corner' of the eye.

[rufuspup]

Alright! So I've tried my hand at it again. I'm hoping he's emitting a bit more of a schnauzer feel. I think the ears have made the largest impact. I cut his (now grown a tad) skirt diagonally to emphases the front. Also cut the butterfly and rear area down. Taking more care with the cheeks seemed to be another big one. I like the longer beard look but unfortunately he's not old enough to have one. Must be a sign of wisdom . Thanks to everyone for their pictures and links- i used them all and they were very helpful!

Again: sorry for the poor quality of the pictures, i may be getting a new phone tomorrow so I'll try to post better ones if that is the case. I don't know why the thumbnails look like they have doubles, but that's not the way it is in the larger pics if you click.

thoughts anyone? Anything I missed or anything you think worked really well?
...is it just me or does he look more like a scotty? lol.

[Graco22]

Wow, what a difference in those ears! Its hard to see much in the pics, but it looks like you did a good job cleaning up his ears! I can't see much to tell the lines on the beard and brows though, or his body/skirt. If you can get a profile shot of him standing, stacked, we can give better help, I think you are on the right track though. You are going to have some problems getting him completely schnauzery though, because his ears are not cut, and they still stand straight up. I don't know how old he is, and it might be too late to glue them so they will lay down, or if you are even familiar with glueing, and that process..but no, they aren't glued forever or anything cruel, etc. Anyway...It looks like you are making great improvements on his grooming. I am looking forward to some more pictures so I can give better advice. And here is a pic of a scottie....I don't think he looks like one.

[Love's_Sophie]

Actually, to me, it looks like they may have been cropped long?????

[Amber_Girl]

He sort of does look like a scotty, but he is probably much smaller but with longer legs. I would just quietly correct them, like when I walk my friend's mini scnauzer Riley (she's grey) even with her pink collar and leash, people still assume she's a boy because of her name and..her beard. o.O It's weird, but it is almost like they have a stereotype for them. lol.
I would just correct them, or give him a different hair cut. (:

[lizalots]

I had a scottie as a kid.. two actually, and the second one we kept cut similar to your schnauz. Wish I had a picture of him to show how similar they look.

People always think Sierra is part border collie. They base it mostly on the way she moves like she is stalking/herding other animals. People don't get the connection.. shepherd... shep.. herd.. as in, herding things. In any case, I tell them that she thinks she is a lion. It is better to joke, because some people will never get it.

[HersheyPup]

I constantly get people calling my female Standard Schnauzer a Scotttie and on top of that, they refer to her has a HIM! lol! I know she looks like a boy, must be the beard . She is a Tomboy, too, which doesn't help.

Her ears are cropped, my Vet did not do the cropping, but she says they were done in a "show crop". I guess that means long! She is going to be 10 months old on Monday, and these pictures are at about 7 months. She has grown since these were taken and she has more furnishings (long hair on legs).

[pugmom]

I think that for some reason people think black dog = Boy dog....I have a bright pink harness on my girl Isis and people still say he