skirt on schnauzer

Question
I am trying to groom my schnauzer and unable to get the skirt even and the belly hair looking good (not choppy).  What is the technique to get this looking good and even?  I thank you in advance.

Answer
Hi Dawn,
Here are a few tips to help with choppy lines:

1) Make sure to use grooming shears instead of scissors for cutting paper. Here is an inexpensive shear that works very well:

http://www.petedge.com/product/Geib-Gator-Straight-Shears-7-12quot/43209.uts

2) Learn the correct finger placement and hand position while you scissor: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aO7CzMVMllI and

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6u9YF8j1rls&feature=related

3) Practice scissoring while seated (without your dog). Hold the shears about an inch above your leg and scissor air as if it were your dog's fur. Use your thumb to open up the shear and try not to move your other fingers. The thumb is used for opening and closing the shank. If you use your fingers to open/close the shank, your lines will be choppy. Practice opening up the shank wide with each 'cut' to build-up the muscles in your hand. Avoid scissoring with small 'snips' as it will double the time you groom. You will experience muscle fatigue in the beginning but it will dissipate over time.

4) Make sure your dog doesn't move when you scissor him. If you try to scissor a moving target, it will result in choppy fur. If you are committed to grooming him for the rest of his life, you may want to consider investing in a grooming table, which will help stabilize him while you learn.

5) Make sure your dog is freshly bathed and completely dry. Scissoring dirty fur will result in uneven lines.

Good luck Dawn