How To Groom A Schnoodle Dog

Schnoodles, the adorable mixture of schnauzer and poodle, have a unique fur type of silky, wavy, fine-textured fur that is non-shedding and hypoallergenic. The breed is very easy to groom at home with simple schnoodle haircut styles.

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Wash the dog. When the dog is in the tub and has been wet down with warm water, apply the shampoo. Pour a moisturizing dog shampoo to your hands and rub them together to mix and apply the shampoo into the fur. Rinse all shampoo out of your dog's fur. Shampoo residue can irritate a schnoodle's sensitive skin. When bathing your schnoodle, or any other dog, it's important to use dog shampoo that's been specially formulated for dogs, and not shampoo for humans.

Some highly-recommended dog shampoos include Skout's Honor Probiotic Pet Shampoo, an all-natural shampoo designed to help with itching, dryness, dandruff and excessive shedding, and Nature's Specialties Berry Gentle Pet Shampoo, a mild, tearless and natural shampoo perfect for dogs with skin sensitivity and allergies.

After shampooing, add a conditioning cream rinse, like Everyday Isle of Dogs Silky Coating Dog Conditioner that is made with a deep-penetrating formula to make fur softer, smoother and more manageable. It comes in a warm floral jasmine and vanilla scent. Schnoodle's fur and skin can get dry without conditioning. Pour a generous amount of cream rinse in your palms. Rub hands together and spread the cream rinse into the dog's fur. Let the rinse stay in the fur for 10 minutes, then rinse thoroughly.

​Read More:​ The Best Dog Shampoos – According to Dog Groomers

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Dry off your dog with a towel. Apply a dog ear wash to remove excess water from the ears. Follow the manufacturer's instructions. Gently wipe the ears with a cotton ball. This can be critical for a schnoodle prone to ear infections.

Pour a small amount of olive oil into your hands. Rub hands together and spread the olive oil into the dog's fur. The olive oil adds a lot of moisture and softness to the fur. This is important for the schnoodle's sensitive skin.

Blow dry the dog's fur with low heat on a medium setting. After the dog is dry, brush the fur with a slicker brush to remove all tangles. Be careful not to over-dry the fur because schnoodles often have relatively thin coats and dry quickly. They also have sensitive skin that can dry out easily. Now you are ready to cut the fur.

Grooming the back and sides of the coat. Start cutting the dog's fur with the #4F blade on your clippers. Shave in the direction that the fur grows. Start with the back and then move to the sides. This will help you determine the length you want and makes it easier to get an even look.

Use a #10 blade on your clippers to shave the chest area. This will create a closer shave. It is best to keep the schnoodle's chest fur short because the fine-textured fur in this area tends to get matted easily. Examine the under arms and inner legs to make sure there are no small mats in this area.

If mats are present, carefully snip the mats away with grooming scissors. Be extra careful when using scissors during grooming. Only use grooming scissors because they have blunt tips.

Don't use clippers on the legs. Grooming scissors work much better. Use a slicker brush to fluff the fur and determine how short you want to trim the leg fur. Carefully trim the fur to the desired length on each leg.

Carefully trim the fur growing between your dog's foot pads with the #10 blade on your clippers. Trim the fur to the desired length on the feet.

Grooming the tail and anal area. Carefully shave the anal area with the #10 blade on the clippers. The dog stays cleaner with less fur around the private area. Trim the tail with grooming scissors to the desired length.

Groom the face. Use grooming scissors specially designed for trimming the ears to trim around the ears and eye area. Regular grooming scissors can be used to cut the beard and trim the fur on top of the head. Scissors make it easier to shape the face fur. The schnoodle's wavy fur often looks best left a little longer at the top and shorter everywhere else on the face.

Cut the nails. Use dog clippers to trim the nails. Most schnoodles have black nails, making it hard to find the quick. Be very careful not to trim too much.

Brush the schnoodle with a soft bristle brush. Chris Christensen Baby G Coral Slicker Brush is a dog groomer-recommended option that has miniature slickers designed to comb through fur that is prone to matting or tangling. and give him a dog treat. Another excellent slicker brush is Paw Brothers Universal Type Slicker, which has hard pins that can penetrate thick wiry or curly coats and remove loose hairs without causing damage. After brushing, give your dog is now freshly groomed and ready to play.

Continue to brush your dog daily. The fine fur on schnoodle puppies and dogs easily accumulates fairy knots. Brushing will keep this problem under control. Use a leave-in conditioner designed for dogs on your dog's fur whenever it feels dry or to eliminate tangles.

​Read More​: The Best Dog Brushes for Each Fur Coat Type – According to 3 Dog Groomers

One of the most important aspects of keeping a schnoodle's coat healthy is the food that they eat everyday. The American Kennel Club says that omega-3 fatty acids are an essential "good" type of fat that helps your dog's skin, coat, and brain. Although omega-3s are essential, human and dog bodies can't make it on their own, so it must come from the diet. According to the AKC, omega-6s are very common because they are found in corn and many other grains that are commonly used in foods. Dogs need to supplement with omega-3s so that they have the optimum ratio of the two.

Choose a food or a supplement that provides this important nutrient. Royal Canin makes a food specifically designed for medium-sized dogs like the schnoodle that also contains EPA and DHA for coat health.

If your dog is already happy with their dog food and you don't want to change that but you want to supplement with more fatty acids, provide it in the form of a treat such as Pet Naturals Skin + Coat dog chews. These treats provide essential fatty acids from salmon oil that keeps coats shiny and healthy. Made for dogs of all sizes, the amount your dog can receive is based on weight.