Page Five

Trimming Head, Beardand Eyebrows

The Miniature Schnauzer's head should give the appearance of being brick-shaped as illustrated in Diagram I. All trimming is done to achieve this took, aiming at length and flatness of skull, cleanness of cheeks, as well as a keen and alert expression.

There is a tendency to leave an overabundance of whiskers as in Diagram K, both in lengthandthickness. This detracts from the overall rectangular took which is desired. Diagram L shows a dished-out look, where too much hair has been removed from under the eyes.

Before proceeding, be sure the beard and eyebrows are freshly washed and chalked. Facing the dog, comb the beard forward and with barber scissors cut a straight line to the outer corner of the eye. Where the clipping of the cheeks and the cutting of the beard meet, blending should be done with thinning scissors. The area under the eyes and at the bridge of the nose should be carefully hand plucked should there be any "fuzzy" quality here. The darker mask, so desirable in the salt and peppers, should be carefully maintained. Finger-strip when it begins to look untidy.

Trimming the eyebrows takes, special skills, and the process should be studied firsthand before any attempt is made. A word of caution: take off less rather than more, and give yourself some time to look at your work. More can always be removed.

Facing the dog, comb the eyebrows forward,but slightly outward. Trim close at the outer comers of the eyes. The length of hair left on the inside will depend on several factors. If the foreface is short, a little less eyebrow will give the effect of more length. If the foreface is longer than the skull, leave the eyebrows slightly longer. Longer brows are often left to disguise light, round or large eyes, reducing the amount of eye seen. Follow the pattern illustrated in Diagram J for the basic technique.

Trimming Front Legs and Feet

The aim in grooming the front legs is to have them look solid, full and straight viewed from any angle. All Schnauzers are not blessed with heavy leg furnishings, therefore they should be kept as dense as possible. The texture of leg hair may vary from soft and silky to hard and brittle. But in each type, cleanliness and careful grooming will prevent loss of furnishings.

Dry clean and comb out the legs before beginning. Add chalk and back-comb the leg hair and then lightly comb downward with a palm pad. Before trimming, make sure the dog is standing in its natural show stance. An honest appraisal of the front will pay off here, as you will want to minimize any fault that is present. Avoid creating a fault that isn't there! Poor blending at the elbows can create a pinched-in front or an out-at-elbow effect. Study Diagram M before proceeding.

Standing directly over the dog and looking down on to the front legs, use straight scissors, pointing straight down. Trim in a circular manner all the way around each leg. This is called "posting," as the aim is to achieve a "straight-as-a-post" look.

The hair around the feet should be trimmed in a similar fashion, aiming at a round rather than pointed look. Lift each paw so that the pads are visible as shown in Diagram N. Remove mats or any excess hair between the toes. Be careful not to carry your trimming to the top of the toes. The hair on top of the feet should be left full so that it can be blended evenly with the lower leg hair.

If your dog is not blessed with full furnishings, you will want to do some trimming at the same time (or before) the first week of body stripping. Spa or brittle furnishings can be improved by limited stripping, using thumb and finger. Applying a light oil or lanolin preparation will help prevent brittle hair from breaking, and seems to encourage growth.

Trimming Hindquarters and Feet

The hind legs are prepared and trimmed in much the same manner as the front legs. Here again, be sure the dog is in his natural show stance, and assess his qualities and faults. Study Diagram O and see what technique may be used to create the best possible look.

Back-comb the furnishings and then comb downward with the palm pad: or comb. In trimming the hocks, begin in the same manner, standing over the! dog with the scissors pointing straight down. You want to achieve that "straight-as-a-post" look, and will trim the hocks in the same circular motion. The hair on the rear feet should be trimmed in the same manner, remembering that the rear feet are slightly smaller, and will be left a little fuller.

On the inside of the stifle, from the breech to the inside of the hock, trim any wispy hairs. On the outside of the stifle, trim along the natural contour: of the stifle to blend into the hock. Make sure the finished scissoring of the rear is in balance with what you have accomplished on the front legs.

The true test of your trimming occurs when you move your dog. What efforts you have made to minimize faults while in stance, may not be adequate on the trot. More work may be necessary, but extreme care should be taken. It takes some time to grow an inch of leg hair.

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