How to wash the beard of a schnauzer

Who does not know the schnauzer? This breed of dog is one of the most popular and you will surely remember it for wearing a most peculiar beard. In fact, it is one of the traits that most characterize these endearing dogs. The schnauzer can be found in different sizes: mini, medium and giant and its color can also vary between gray, white and black. In .com we had already explained how to take care of a schnauzer, however, this time we focused on finding out how to wash the beard of a schnauzer . Some people have asked you how to perform this procedure, especially after detecting that your schnauzer's whiskers are dirty and you want to find out how to clean them. Do not worry! It's simple and we can do it in a few minutes.

The Schnauzer's beard

We could not start this article in any other way than dedicating a point to this feature so characteristic of the schnauzer's appearance. The beard gives them a distinctive touch of other dogs, in addition to providing a distinctive elegance and beauty. .

So important is the mustache in this dog breed that the name schnauzer comes from two German words: schnauze, which means snout, and schnaubart and schnurrbart meaning mustache. However, the appearance of the schnauzer can pose a small problem in some occasions, because they drag all kinds of dirt. Let's see what we can do!

Why my schnauzer has a dirty beard

The schnauzer's beard is more exposed to accumulate dirt than other parts of his body. First, we must bear in mind that dogs constantly use their keen sense of smell to receive information about their environment. Therefore, if your furry friend drags his snout over the grass, dirt or other surfaces, it is very normal for some light objects and traces of dirt to adhere to his whiskers. In this way, if our dog is in contact with land where there is vegetation, the dirt can stain your beard more.

On the other hand, schnauzers can dirty their beard while eating . When his mouth is surrounded by the hairs of his mustache, it is normal that some remains of food are between his hairs and we see his dirty beard every time he finishes eating. This is something inevitable, and even more so if our dog eats wet food, as it will stain their beards more easily.

Some dogs may be more prone to watering. This can cause the hair around the eyes and whiskers to be dyed.

Is it a risk?

Dogs need proper hygiene. Although the accumulation of dirt or other substances in your beard does not have to be dangerous, in the long run, it can facilitate the accumulation of bacteria. By being in contact with his mouth, it is easy for the dirt of the beard to easily penetrate inside.

How to clean the beard of my schnauzer

If you are wondering how to clean the beard of your schnauzer, it is recommended that you have several tools at hand that will help you to remove the dirt successfully. What do you need?

  • Brush for dog.
  • Wipes.
  • Shampoo.
  • Sponge.

Brush

One of the easiest and easiest ways to wash the schnauzer's beard is to try to brush the mustache after each meal, and also try to comb the mustache after each ride. In this way, we will prevent dirt from accumulating between your hairs. It is advisable not to use a brush with very hard bristles, since being a delicate area it is easy to make some movement and we will hurt it.

Wipes

This method to clean your dog's whiskers is very simple. To avoid having to bathe your dog every time he messes up his beard, having a few wipes handy can be very useful. In this way, we will be able to remove the dirt by gently rubbing the wet wipes by tightening on strands of hair. If the wipes are alcohol-free better, since we will avoid that after can lick his mustache ingesting remains of the substance that may remain and, in addition, avoid possible contact with the eyes.

Sponge

Another option to remove dirt from our schnauzer's beard is to keep a sponge for him. With it we can clean your whiskers by applying a little water, and even a droplet of soft, non-irritating shampoo and gently rubbing your whiskers when we detect that your muzzle is stained. Remember that it is not recommended to bathe our dog very often, so try not to use the shampoo to wash your beard very often.

Tips to keep the beard clean

As you should know, all dogs require basic care that will allow them to enjoy good hygiene and, therefore, contribute to their proper health and well-being.

Bathe our dog

Washing our dog periodically is one of the points we must take into account. Dogs have hair all over their bodies and are more likely to accumulate dirt during their walks. However, it can be so negative to never bathe our furry friend as to bathe him excessively. Therefore, we recommend that you consult this article in which we explain how often to bathe your dog. When we give a shower to our schnauzer, we can take advantage of to clean well his beards, avoiding that water enters the eyes and ears.

haircut

We should take our schnauzer to the vet every so often to have his hair trimmed. Do not try to cut your dog's whiskers on your own if you do not have any experience, since you could damage it with the scissors if the dog makes any movement. Keep in mind that, most likely, your dog will try to run away if you take his head to try to cut his beard. Therefore, it is better not to risk and leave it in the hands of a professional. In case you are determined to do it, see our article on how to cut the hair of a schnauzer.

Frequent brushing

Some dogs need to be brushed more often. Although the schnauzer does not have a very long coat, its mustache has a longer length than the rest of its fur, so it is an area in which we should pass the brush more regularly.

Is it possible to whiten the schnauzer's beard?

If you have asked yourself how to whiten the beards of a schnauzer you should know that using certain products can be harmful to the health of your dog. First of all, you should keep in mind that we can not bleach our dog's natural color . Some pages sell products that whiten your dog's beard, but in many cases contain potentially dangerous substances, which can irritate the skin, damage the hair or harm the health of your dog if they are ingested.

In some occasions, the spots of the contour of the eyes and the mustache are consequence of an accumulation of iron and magnesium present in the tears. As a consequence, these components gradually oxidize the hair of said areas, dyeing them a dark color.

There are bleaching shampoos for dogs that have a white coat that can be effective to restore the hair's natural color. However, remember that a dog that has gray, black or a non-white hair can not change its color.