Schnauzer beard stained

Question
QUESTION: Hi.  I have a year old min schnauzer salt and pepper colour.  Up till now we have managed to keep his beard white but he has been rummaging in the back yard amongst the flower beds which have a cedar mulching around them.  Our delightful little (bunch of joy) now has an orange/brown moustache and beard.  What can I do to get it back to white again.  I have tried the whitening shampoos and lemon juice all to no avail.  Hope you can help.  Thanks Lesley B.C.  Canada.

ANSWER: I have not heard of wood chips staining beards before; do be careful that he is not eating them! Some dogs do the dumbest things... no matter how smart they are. I would put some fencing up to keep him out of the flower beds.

The beard staining may actually be due to dirty teeth; that is the most common reason for beard staining. Lift up his lips and take a look at the molars in the back of his mouth. If you see plaque, that is more probably the cause of his beard staining as it changes the pH of his saliva. Keeping those teeth clean is one of the best things you can do for your dog.

As to the staining, some things stain so badly that the hair just has to grow back out (once the source of the staining is eliminated). There are many things people try (and claim to work) to eliminate staining. Some things can be very hard on the hair. Here are a few things you could try:

http://lowchensaustralia.com/grooming/grooming4.htm
http://www.eyeenvy.org/dogindex.html
http://www.angelseyesonline.com/

---------- FOLLOW-UP ----------

QUESTION: Karen:  Thanks for your reply.  I only wish he had (dirty teeth)!!  It would have been easier to correct.  But!  he has "pearly whites" all around his mouth.  Quoting your reply ("As to the staining, some things stain so badly that the hair just has to grow back out (once the source of staining is eliminated")  Karen could you pls explain what you mean when you say "grow back".  Do you mean:-  I should cut out the brown or pluck?  I would think plucking would be very painful.
If you could please explain I would be most grateful.  The brown beard makes him look so old.  I don't like that idea!
Everybody who saw him said he was a cute "standard schnauzer puppy".  He's big for his class of Miniature!  but we don't care he is "our little boy" that I would prefer to have a "white beard"  !.  Lol

Answer
Sorry, I didn't mean grow back, I meant grow out... as in one usually has to wait for the white/silver hair to grow back out and eventually the discolored hair can then be cut off. If the cedar chips are indeed the reason for the discoloration, you *MUST* keep him out of them or he will continue to stain his beard. Try some of the various remedies on those links I gave you; something in there just might work.