Ears:

It is very important to regularly clean your dogs ears of hair and wax build up. This routine should begin as soon as you get your puppy home. Do this weekly until your puppy becomes accustomed to the practice. Remember, he/she will object loudly but it is for the best. Once your puppy becomes comfortable with this, inspections can occur monthly

Equipment:

• Forceps to grip hair
• Cotton balls to wipe away any wax and to clean the visible part of the ear.
• Q tips/cotton buds to get into small crevices which may have wax build up. Please note…do not put cotton buds into the ear canal. The tips of the buds can come off and get lodged in the dogs ear which will need immediate attention. These should only be used on the outer, visible part of the ear.
• R7 Ear Powder (or similar) to dry up the ear when you have completed the cleaning process. This also eliminates odours and can also be used to help grip excess hair from the ear with the use of fingertips.
• R7 Ear Powder may be difficult to find in Australia and you may have to purchase it from the USA.

Eyes:

Always ensure your puppy's / Dogs eyes are clear of discharge. Check his/her eyes every morning and remove discharge with a damp clean cloth. You may also trim the hair on the inside of the eye which will help to keep the eye clear of discharge.

Mouth:

Check inside the mouth for excess tartar build up which can be scraped away with the correct instrument. Purchase special doggy toothpaste and a finger toothbrush to assist you to keep tartar at bay. Try to make this exercise fun and reward your puppy with praise for behaving. If scraping and brushing is difficult at first, you may need your vet to assist or show you how to do it correctly.

Don't forget that bones will assist in keeping your dogs teeth clean and clear or tartar.

Feet and Nails:

The hair underneath and between the toes and the pads of your dog's feet should be trimmed regularly, starting weekly until your puppy becomes accustomed to the practice and then monthly after that. Hair can sometimes grow very fast and for a show dog you will have to check weekly and trim accordingly. Toenails should also be trimmed monthly with dog nail clippers. Your vet can advise you on this practice. Tackling this exercise early on is the best remedy as most dogs detest the sensation of nail clipping even so it is extremely necessary.

Coat:

The Giant Schnauzer coat is quite unique. The body coat is often quite harsh with leg furnishings much softer. This can vary slightly between each individual dog.

For general coat maintenance, you should spend 10 minutes daily with your puppy brushing or combing coat and checking eyes and feet etc.

Clipping is recommended for the pet Giant whereas more specialized methods are required for the show Giant. Either way, both require ears, throat and rear end to be regularly clipped short with either a #15 or #10 blade. The remainder of the body hair on a pet should be clipped with a #10 blade and blended into the leg furnishings if these are to be left longer otherwise the entire body can be clipped down with a #10.

Show prospects will require raking and stripping weekly to maintain show coat. Even a 3 month old Giant who just starting out in the show ring requires special coat attention. The correct tools are essential to get the desired effect.

If your dog is groomed regularly he will maintain a cleaner coat for a longer period of time. A grooming table will make grooming your Giant a lot easier.