You should use a small soft slicker brush and a comb with 1/2 an inch bristles on your dog. Make sure you brush under the arms, on the belly, and between his toes to ensure all the mats or knots are combed out. If your has already dog has been trimmed or groomed before, he will not likely have a lot of mats. If he hasn’t, this step is extremely necessary to ensure his cut looks as good as possible. [2] X Research source
This also gives you time to brush his teeth. [3] X Research source
Brush the leg hair up, starting at the top of the leg and working your way down. Also dry the back fur as well as that on the head. Don’t blow the dryer in his face to avoid discomfort. You can use a grooming table for this and all remaining processes if you want to avoid back strain. If you don’t have a grooming table, you can use any tall, flat surface. [4] X Research source
If it is wintertime and you want your dog to have a little more fur, you can use a #7F clipper blade to allow him to keep more of his fur. You should periodically check the heat on the clipper blade with your wrist. You want to make sure it doesn’t get too hot and burn your dog’s skin. You should also clean out any fur that gets trapped in the blades as well. For a better idea of what the pattern of fur clipping should be, you can download a guide from the American Miniature Schnauzer Club or other reputable groomer. [5] X Research source
You can use clippers on the underbelly, but you have to be extra careful not to hurt his tender underbelly or genital region. [7] X Research source
The fur of the legs is all the fur from where you stopped using the clippers on his body to the bottom of his feet. It’s also typically a different color. [8] X Research source
To cut the hair over his eyes, brush it straight down. Using scissors, point the scissors down towards his nose and cut the fur in a diagonal line over his eye. Do the same to the other eye. To trim the beard, you need to brush it out and trim some off the bottom. His whole face should look long and rectangular. [10] X Research source
Be very careful. The ears are sensitive and you can easily hurt them. [11] X Research source
You can also use scissors to do this, but be really careful. If cut, the ear can bleed profusely. [12] X Research source
You can buy dog ear wash at your local pet store. Never use a q-tip to clean your dog’s ears. It can damage his ear canal and lead to injury. [13] X Research source
Make sure you are careful not to cut too close to the skin. You don’t want to accidentally cut his paw. Repeat on every paw. [14] X Research source
The quick of your dog’s nail is the living portion of the nail that contain blood vessels and nerves. Cutting the nails too far will cause them to bleed and will hurt immensely. It may also cause infection if not taken care of properly. Once you cut each of his nails, use a file to smooth out any jagged edges. Make sure you use dog clippers. Human clippers are not nearly strong enough to cut dog nails. [15] X Research source
This is also a good way of leaving your dog with a good impression of the whole experience. This way, he will start to look forward to the activity and not stress too much about the clippers or grinder while you are working on his nails. [16] X Research source
