How to Bathe a Schnauzer

Organizing the Bathing Area

Place towels around the bathing area. The towels will prevent you and your schnauzer from slipping on a wet floor. Try to place the towels on the areas where your schnauzer will be getting in and out of the tub. Also, place a towel where you will be standing, kneeling, or sitting to bathe your schnauzer. If you decide to bathe your schnauzer at a self-serve dog bathing station, you can still bring your own towels to place around the bathing area.

Stock your station. Make sure the shampoo, combs, towels, and treats are readily available. You can place the materials in a basket in the corner of the tub, or down by your side. This way, you can reduce the possibility of having to leave your wet schnauzer unattended in the tub. Have dog treats readily available so you can reward your dog for good behavior throughout the bathing process. It is also helpful to have a trashcan nearby so you can throw away any excess hair that collects in the tub while bathing it.

Place a mat or towel on the bottom of the tub. If your schnauzer is not able to stand in the tub, it will panic. Prevent your dog from slipping and panicking by either placing a rubber mat or a towel on the bottom of the tub.

Fill the tub with warm water. Fill the bathtub with 3 to 4 inches of warm water. Make sure the water is not too hot or too cold. If your schnauzer is smaller, make sure the water will not go above its knees. Run the water a little warmer from the start so that the water will be warm by the time you place your schnauzer in the tub.

Place a steel wool in the tub’s drain. To avoid clogging your bathtub’s drain, place a steel wool in the drain. The steel wool will catch your schnauzer’s hair. Throughout the bathing process, clear the steel wool of any excess hair if it becomes clogged.

Preparing Your Schnauzer for the Bath

Bring your schnauzer to the bathing area. On a leash, lead your schnauzer to the bathing area. Have your schnauzer sit on the towels surrounding the tub. Once inside the bathing area, close the door behind you. Give your schnauzer a treat for good behavior.

Carefully brush your schnauzer’s body and face. Use a soft slicker brush to comb your schnauzer’s hair. A slicker brush is great for removing tangles and combing out matted hair. Use a liquid detangler or baby oil to work through tough knots. If you encounter a stubborn knot or matted hair, it is best to cut it out instead of trying to work through it. If you try to work through it, the pulling can irritate your schnauzer’s skin. Because the hair is longer, pay close attention to the hair on your schnauzer’s legs and “armpits.” Make sure to brush out or remove any tangled or matted hair in these areas. There may be food stuck in your schnauzer’s beard. Instead of brushing or cutting out the food from the beard, wait until your schnauzer is in the bath to wet and rinse any dried food from its beard.

Use a bristle brush to finish the brushing. After you have detangled and cut out matted hair, run a bristle brush through your schnauzer’s coat. Make sure to brush your schnauzer from head to tail, i.e., head, ears, beard, back, chest, tummy, front and hind legs, hindquarters, and tail.

Place your schnauzer in the tub. By placing a forearm underneath your schnauzer’s front and hind legs, lift the dog up and into the tub. If you schnauzer is bigger, you will need to teach your schnauzer how to get into the tub with your help.

Bathing and Drying Your Schnauzer

Use a pitcher or a cup to wet your schnauzer’s back, legs, and head. Fill a pitcher with water and slowly pour the water over your schnauzer’s back and down its legs. Repeat this until your schnauzer’s back and legs are completely wet. Wet your schnauzer’s head by tilting its head upwards, i.e., nose pointing up. You want to tilt the head back to avoid getting any water in its eyes, ears, and nose. Slowly pour the water down the back of your schnauzer’s head.

Wet your schnauzer’s beard and face with a wet washcloth without soap. Rub the wet washcloth (without soap) between your schnauzer’s eyes and down the sides of its face, and over its beard. Make sure the schnauzer’s beard is good and wet.

Apply a line of dog shampoo down your schnauzer’s back. Massage the shampoo into your schnauzer’s coat with a sponge, washcloth, or your hands. Make sure to rub the shampoo down through the hair to the schnauzer’s skin. Use a soft bristle brush to work the shampoo down through the hair to the skin. Also use the brush to comb through and clean the longer hair on its legs and paws.

Shampoo your schnauzer’s beard. Wet a washcloth with shampoo and water. Gently rub the washcloth over your schnauzer’s beard to distribute the shampoo and water. Be careful not to get any water or soap in its nose. Loosen and remove any food particles from its beard with your hand or a bristle brush. Be careful not to pull too hard. Rinse the shampoo immediately from the beard with a wet washcloth or your hands. Make sure to remove all soap. To remove any foul odors from the beard, mix a half teaspoon of baking soda with one cup of warm water. Apply the solution to the dog’s beard, and rinse.

Rinse your schnauzer thoroughly with warm water. Fill a pitcher with fresh, warm water and slowly pour it over your schnauzer’s body. Repeat this until all the soap is removed. To make sure the soap is removed, run your hands through its coat and squeeze to see if any soap comes up. If soap emerges, then keep rinsing until all the soap is removed. Rinse your schnauzer’s head by tilting the head upwards again. Slowly run the water down the back of its head until all the soap is removed. Be aware of the water level as you rinse your schnauzer. If the water level begins to rise above your schnauzer’s knees, drain some of the water.

Drape a dry towel over your schnauzer. Once the cleaning is done, begin to drain the water from the tub. As the water is draining, drape a towel over your schnauzer so that it does not shake out water everywhere. Lift your schnauzer out of the tub, and place it on the towels. Rub down the schnauzer with the towel. You can finish drying your schnauzer by blow-drying it. Set the blow dryer on the lowest setting. Gently blow-dry your schnauzer’s hair. Be careful that the air does not get too hot while blow-drying your schnauzer. After you have finished drying your schnauzer, comb through its coat with the bristle brush one more time.