Dogs of some breeds need special care for their coat. Trimming is the plucking, manually or with the help of special tools, of old hairs from the hair of an animal, which can easily be separated from its skin.
What is trimming for?
Many hardened dogs have stopped shedding during evolution. This is primarily a Giant Schnauzer, a miniature schnauzer. In addition, these are almost all types of terriers - west, fox, core, selihem, scotch tape and others. However, even with them, the old wool becomes thinner and dies. In this case, a haircut is unlikely to help your pet - after it, the hair gradually thins, becomes softer, and can change color. Therefore, it is much more efficient to use trimming, that is, remove old hair with a special tool.
When to trim
Growing, coarse hair is gradually thinning. As a rule, this occurs approximately 3-5 months after the previous procedure. A good, healthy hair differs from the old one in the first place with a clearly visible elastic thick part. An animal covered with such hair looks well-groomed. It lies in a dense layer, does not fall apart into strands, does not bristle with tufts.
When the hair grows old, your pet begins to look messy. Therefore, at this time, trimming is a necessary procedure. We want to immediately warn the dog owners that it is quite long and difficult to do it yourself. Therefore, it is better to entrust this procedure to a specialist, especially if you are preparing for the exhibition.
Dog trimming is a procedure that experts recommend conducting in the fall or spring, that is, at the time when the animals' natural molting occurs.
Schnauzers need trimming
Usually in this breed of dog, the hair matures in about six months. This period is individual for each individual. If you need to prepare the animal for the exhibition, then trimming the schnauzer should be done 6 to 8 weeks before the intended event. The first time your puppy is unlikely to like this process, that’s why the very first procedure is done in several stages, when the puppy reaches 6-7 months of age. If this age does not fall in the fall or winter, then it is better to wait for the right season.
Two weeks before the show, the Schnauzer is doing a cosmetic haircut. Remember that this is a very crucial moment, and the master has no right to make a mistake. But do not think that trimming is a less responsible matter. If it is performed correctly, then most likely the expert will condescendingly look at the shortcomings of cosmetic haircuts.
Fox Terrier Care
Fox terriers became one of the first wire-haired hunting dogs brought to our country. If you want your pet to always look well-groomed and beautiful, you should work hard. First you need to learn how to care for the stiff hair of your pet.
If you do not want to attend a special hairdresser, then in a year of practice you will master this skill. To start, wash the dog with a special shampoo. Let the coat dry. You will need scissors with sharp and blunt ends. You should not use a clipper .
Put your dog up and start trimming the Fox Terrier. If the animal is launched, its processing has not been carried out since birth, then your task is greatly simplified - on the sides and back the wool is plucked completely painlessly, and in these areas there are sprouts of new wool.
Trimming Technique
This procedure is carried out by a special comb. An adult animal will need two types of tools - for medium trimming (intended for the sides, nape, neck and hind legs of the dog), as well as for small trimming, which is done on the chest, ears, cheeks. All owners of dogs of this breed should know that trimming of the fox terrier is really necessary to do regularly, since the old coat of these dogs does not fall out and impedes the growth of a new undercoat.
Miniature Schnauzer Trimming
Comb the dog well, comb its hair with stripping. Then you should carefully comb out the undercoat with the help of a furminator or with a special trimming knife. After this pluck will remain a little.
Then put the dog on the table on its side and start trimming from the bottom, holding the skin of the animal above the treated area. Movements should be tugging, not pulling. Trim in the direction of hair growth. The entire body should be processed, excluding only the lower part of the chest. For a miniature schnauzer, a big drawback is the similarity with a terrier. Therefore, you should carefully pinch your shoulders and back of the hips. Then in the future it will be possible to create the necessary silhouette for the dog with a cosmetic haircut.
The neck is fully processed except for the throat and the front. Necessarily trimming the forehead, it is desirable to process the tail, otherwise it will not fit well with the appearance of the dog.
Giant Schnauzer Trimming
This is another representative of wire-haired dog breeds, which is vital for trimming. Inability, and sometimes ignorance of how to properly care for the hair of a schnauzer, leads to the fact that the animal outwardly completely changes. The dog becomes like a mongrel.
In recent years, the timing of training these dogs for exhibitions has changed. Now they are held at the beginning of the year, and not in the fall or spring, as it was before. Trimming dogs of this breed is done at any time of the year, which greatly facilitates the work of masters. Usually, Giant Schnauzer wool is processed no more than four times a year, one and a half to two months before the exhibition. Trimming is a procedure that can be preventative. In this case, its main goal is the complete renewal of wool. It can be carried out simultaneously with a haircut, but the latter in no case should replace trimming.
Giant Schnauzers have very stiff hair. She needs constant combing, otherwise she quickly rolls down. Trimming is done manually, using a knife for stripping. This will keep the hair wire-like and stiff (a machine haircut makes the hair soft, its structure changes, and sometimes its color). Trimming is done from the back of the head to the tail. We pluck the neck from above and on the sides, sides - to the bottom of the chest, work well on the back, hips - to the hock. It is advisable to process the tail from above.
Today, many dog breeders prefer to call a master for grooming and trimming dogs at home. And such a decision is justified. Your pet will not need to get used to an unfamiliar environment, and therefore, he will not be emotionally stressed before the procedure that is not most pleasant for him. In addition, the master can come to you at any time convenient for you - do not forget that the procedure can last several hours. A professional will quickly tame your pet, with the correct trimming and haircut to emphasize all the advantages of the animal.