arthur
ALPHA
Apr 21, 2004, 7:48 AM
Post #7 of 49
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Hi all,
I am very interested in owing a MS but I was wondering if MS requires a lot of maintenance on their coat? I m not showing so if i leave the coat as is and just give it some brushing, will that will alrite? Also, smaller breeds generally bark a lot. Are MS yappy because i m afraid neighbours might complain. Does any one have any major problems with MS?
Hi JunkGirl,
Good of you to do some research on the breed of your choice before jumping in. The helpful forum members have responded to your query. I would like to add my comments:
1. MS is one of the most visually striking breeds around (to my biased view of course !) However, to maintain this look does require some grooming needs. Since you are not going to show the dog, then a pet grooming style would be perfect. It is much easier on the dog as it only involves clippering the coat. Under the hands of a good schnauzer groomer, the pet look will retain much of the beauty of the show dog look with their hand plucked coats.
2. Having said that, a pet MS style can last between 4-6 weeks depending on how fast the coat grows. Some can stretch up to 8 weeks before turning into a teddy bear look!  Market rate for a MS pet grooming can vary between RM60-90. You must choose a good groomer for your Schnauzer as I have seen many mistakes that turn a MS into a Cocker Spainel side fringe with panda eyes!
3. In between grooming visits, a daily brushing with a slicker brush, especially for the leg furnishings and beard is ideal. Or else, you can do the brushing every alternate day. However, a wipe of their beards after meals is highly recommended to keep it clean and stain free.
4. MS are great in the sense that they normally do not have that strong doggy odour nor do they shed a lot. In fact, poodles and MS are among the handfull of breeds that don't shed their coat a lot. Great for people who like tidy houses and furniture!
5. MS are great alarm dogs. Meaning, they will bark when they sense strangers at the door or other animals (eg. other dogs or cats, squirrels etc) However, you can train them to pipedown once you are alerted to the intruders. Unless they are bored or suffering from separation anxiety, most MS are pretty well behaved lot. However, do expect a few minutes of excited barking everytime you come back to the house. They are very social creatures and will welcome you back like crazy upon your return!
6. Major problem with MS is to control their diet. They are greedy doggies and are always hungry! Just make sure they don't put on weight from over eating! However, this trait also makes it easy to train them for tricks or obedience training. Coupled with their natural intellgience, they make excellent students for obedience training. Come over to the Padang Merbuk every Sun evening from 4-6pm to see the MS in action!
Waah..so long winded. Anyway, hope this would help to answer your queries.
Rdgs Arthur
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...i used to groom mine MS myself too
the amt i cut ah.. i feel so bad la.. cos he looks like he is starving all the time like tat... he's on canidae at the moment...thinking of starting barf.... 
, or what some people call that red beard. Do you have idea why and how to clean it in this case ?? 
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