Best Groomer Approved Brushes for Schnauzer

Last Updated/Info Checked on October 25, 2023 by Linda Michaels

Schnauzers do shed a lot. Their hair becomes matted around the neck, armpits, ears, chin, legs, and of course, the underbelly.

When training this breed, I’d look closely into their hair quality and the owner’s grooming frequency.

Most of the time, during seasonal changes when multiple-coated dogs change their coats, I’d see that they’d be agitated because of the massively tangled hair. 

To get over them, I used to take things in my hand (for extra cash, also) and use the following brushes on many occasions. If the mats were too strong, I’d first bathe the dog or use a detangler spray and then brush the hell out.

So, here is the best brush for Schnauzer list. Since I also own a labradoodle that has equally cumbersome hair, the list includes some of my personally used brushes. 

7 Brushes To Buy Your Best Brush For Schnauzer

Here goes the list!

1. Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush for Schnauzer

When it comes to self-cleaning brushes, everyone seems to talk about the Furminator. While I do love that brush in its own ways, the Hertzko takes over in comfort. 

Brushing Schnauzer may take some effort you weren’t ready for but that doesn’t mean that you should go all out and start using the brush as an excavator. That will hurt the dog. 

That’s exactly why I recommend Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush. It’s comfortable yet as effective as the Furminator.

The effectiveness may be because of the angled bristles. On first look and touch, you may feel that they may be too harsh. That takes me down the memory lane of using the brush for the first time on a husky. 

I owned two huskies and you know how they could turn you upside down with frequent grooming needs. A friend from my circle of trainers recommended it. I used it once and didn’t look back. It served as a better alternative to Furminator because the dogs didn’t like how hard it was.

Then, I had the opportunity to use it for poodles. They and Schnauzers tend to form mats. 

From huskies to poodles and then Schnauzers, the slicker hasn’t disappointed me at all. It’s versatile. That much I can guarantee. 

Other than comfort, I found the self-cleaning button to be improved on this one. It is so much like Le Salon with its gigantic button.

Here, it lays in a groove that may be a little hard to access. But it does work like you would want it to – at least when it’s new. A few years in use may harden it a bit. Your thumb may have to work harder to get it working. 

What won’t give away is its ability to remove loose hair. Schnauzers’ undercoat could prove a little cumbersome (literally), especially, when loose hair gets entangled into a stubborn mat. The brush collects all that hair before it could form. As I said, the angled bristles aid in that quite well.

However, do not over-push it into the dog’s hair because it may hurt it. 

Also, do not try to go haywire with the strokes. Be gentle and let the brushwork on its own. I’m sure your dog will pass out of all the fun it’s having.

Pros 

• Bigger and better
• Made for all types of dogs with all types of coats
• The handle fits well in the palm. 
• Takes only a few minutes before the dog’s hair has been untangled. 

Cons 

• You’ve to press the button before using the brush. Over time, that gets worn out and you may have to press it more than once to keep it in place. 

2. Furminator deShedding Tool For Miniature Schnauzer 

Oh, the good ol’ Furminator. How everyone talks about it and recommends it. I do, too, but for a miniature Schnauzer. That’s because the size works great for that type. I avoided using it for bigger dogs because of that. It took me more time to do deshedding as compared to miniature dogs.

You may say that they are small and so, they’ll naturally take less time. I agree, but the size of the tool you’re using matters, too. 

In my years as a dog trainer, I’ve done some serious grooming. I’m speaking from experience. 

So, the moment you see the rug building up next to the skin of your Schnauzer, take out a Furminator and do away with it. It’ll only take about 20 minutes. 

As you can see, I recommend the product for dogs that haven’t been groomed for quite a while. That could become a headache when there’s a seasonal change. When Schnauzers shed their winter coats for summer and vice versa, you’d see more of the tangles building up. 

Removing them is the only way to get rid of any future mats or Schnauzer bumps. 

I also like Furminator because it has been one of the favorites of many sensitive dogs. There was this 12 months Schnauzer who hated to be brushed with anything. He used to run away for his life the moment I’d pick any brush.

Later, I realized that because the owner didn’t brush him well enough, he had a matted undercoat. When the bristles would dip deeper, the mats would cause it to get stuck and upon being pulled, he’d get hurt. 

However, the same dog literally started rolling on its back when I’d pick Furminator. Of course, I had to first use some detangling shampoo and detangler sprays to soften the mats.

But that was only for once. It took me only a single brushing session to get all of the tangles, loose hair, and mats out. I had solved the problem before the dog knew and he obliged by allowing me to groom him every week because the shedding season was approaching. 

I’ll leave this review with one final piece of advice: Do not press too hard into the coat of your dog, especially when you see mats being formed. The Furminator could be harsh. Your dog may get hurt. I used light strokes with the matted schnauzer I talked about. That made him happy and receptive to future sessions. 

Pros

• Stainless steel makes it super durable 
• Small ergonomic handle relays appropriate force to the comb 
• Self-cleaning button makes a world of difference 
• Does not damage the upper or the undercoat if used well

Cons 

• It has the potential to trim your dog bald. So, be careful. 

3. Chris Christensen Big G Dog Slicker Brush

I discarded Furminator for large dogs because the problem with small brushes for bigger dogs is that brushing with them takes forever. The Chris Christensen Big G brush is quite the opposite. It’s bigger, better, and entirely suited for huge dogs–including the huge Schnauzer type. 

First off, I find there’s more real estate for the bristles. More real estate means it can cover more fur per stroke. Who doesn’t like that?

I don’t have any disregard for the brush when it comes to that. It’s like using a bigger hard brush for yourself. One stroke and you’re done. Same effort as you’d put in with a smaller brush, but receive more work done. 

Those kinds of hair brushes also do another wonder – they increase volume. The Standard and Big Schnauzers that I’ve worked with always need huge attention to detail.

Because their fur is curled up most of the time if you don’t brush it well, you need a tool that could not only help the dog with those but also make ‘em appear fluffy. 

I seriously cannot go beyond words to tell you that Big G does that well. 

The bristles are angled. When using it, I saw that this makes up a good case for pulling out all the mats and tangled hair here. Don’t worry about the dog, it won’t get hurt as long as you don’t hurt it by applying serious force. Just be gentle with it and let the brush work its way forward. 

If one of the tangles is too tight for the brush, do not pull it harder. Consider brushing your dog as brushing your hair. One wrong pull could hurt either of you beyond remorse. 

But I do want to commend the manufacturers for not making the bristles hard like that of the Furminator. If they were hard, the angle would hurt the dog as the brush would get stuck in the tangles. 

Therein lies the mechanism of cleaning hair from the bristles. You just spread your hand over them the way they are bent and you’ll see that the hair would come out.

Pros 

• Perfect for huge Schnauzers 
• Gentle bristles make the work less of a headache 
• Grippy wood handle 
• S-Shaped brush for ergonomic uses

Cons 

• Expensive 
• Issues with quality control 

4. Soft Bristle Pet Brush by Hertzko

Hertzko has something in their hearts for all the pets of the world. They make brushes that go easy on the animals because they are soft. But at the same time, the bristles are stiff enough to do the job of grooming and detangling. 

The Hertzko Self-Cleaning Slicker Brush you read about above did the same. This one–the Soft Bristle Pet Brush–by the same company seems to have that motto shaping all of its design and functionality. 

I have a labradoodle, as you might know, or have read from my bio. His hair gets tangled quite easily, courtesy of his poodle ancestry. Mats are common throughout if I don’t groom him for a few weeks and if he gets dirty. He loves dirt, by the way. 

This brush has been a huge relief in getting all the dander out. I’m a clean freak, so I cannot compromise if the dog’s looking like it’s just out of the trash can. Just as you might have thought that soft bristles may not do the job as well as hard ones, I did the same before ordering it for my Milo. 

Boy, was I wrong! It’s soft yet stiff. The round ends do make a difference in keeping the dog happy during the session. They don’t hurt your animal even if they somehow poke their eyes. I know that can happen a lot to the likes of Schnauzers because of their beards and eye hair. 

My success with the brush prompted me to use it for mini and standard Schnauzers throughout my grooming sessions with them. Since grooming is one of the things I use as a tool to bond with the animal before training, a soft and benign product such as this one has helped beyond my expectations. 

So, yeah, if you thought the brush wouldn’t remove tangles, mats, dirt, lint, or whatever from the rough undercoat of your Schnauzer, think again. You’ll feel less strain on your wrist during brushing sessions, and after it, you’ll reward yourself for the good job done. 

Pros 

• Puts less strain on your wrist 
• It’s soft yet stiff. 
• Round ends do not hurt the dog 
• Doubles as a massager 

Cons 

• The teeth may bend if not kept well. 
• There’s no self-cleaning mechanism.

5. Detangling Pet Comb for Schnauzer

Slicker brushes detangle hair quite well when used the right way. However, they could get a bit overkill for mini Schnauzers. I keep on separating the dog types and try to imagine their needs as different. This works for me and the dog that I’m grooming or training because we both get our hands on the right tools. 

The Detangling Pet Comb by Poodlie is one such product. I’ve used it for my own labradoodle. The metal comb works through the hair without getting stuck too much. I think the bigger teeth of the comb first clear the way for the smaller ones to do their job. 

However, I do want to warn you that mats too hard to get out in one go would result in skin pulling if you use this brush. There’s a hack to that. I use a conditioner with such a product. That makes the hair soft by taking away the dirt. Thus, it becomes easier to comb. 

Also, use this comb sideways when working your way through the mats. When you do so, look closely, it’s almost as if you’re using two combs at a time. The larger teeth get to go through the hair twice. 

While those are some things that I noted in the product, the number one reason that I want you to consider when buying this product is that it targets tangled hair behind the legs quite well. The size is appropriate for it. It’s just a single comb running from one end to another. 

I’ve found slicker brushes too big for those areas. Speaking from the experience of using this brush, I have found it more efficient in targeting specific areas. 

However, this isn’t for giant Schnauzers, mind you. They are bigger and so is their hair. You’d have a hard time detangling the brush itself from the mats. 

Pros 

• Great for mini Schnauzers 
• Steel teeth mark durability 
• Bigger and better handle
• A small head and larger handle make usage less strenuous 

Cons

• Not for bigger dogs 

6. GoPets Dematting Comb for Schnauzer

Some owners hate keeping more than one comb for their pets. I recommend the GoPets Dematting Comb because it’s a two-in-one double-sided dematting and deshedding comb. 

But does it really work? Yes, it does if you go easy on your pooch. This thing has sharpened teeth on both sides. Too harsh a stroke could end up in pulling the dog’s skin or baring him completely. Watch your strokes with mini dogs, especially. 

When used well, you could actually save the dog from being shaved by the groomer. Before I knew anything about grooming, I’d take my Milo, which is a lovely labradoodle, to a groomer. He’d straight go for shaving the mats off if they didn’t detangle by using a slicker brush of any sort. 

Come to think of it, my dog hated those brushes. He even does now. I have seen many of this breed and others that don’t like the types of Furminator. That’s too harsh for their small legs and thin hair. 

The GoPets Dematting Comb saved my dog from the embarrassment of being stripped to the skin. He’ll start licking his lips the moment I pick up the brush. To get his mats out, the smaller teeth would come in handy. The bigger ones are meant for deshedding, which they did quite well.

But again, if you’re not careful enough, you could become that groomer who shaves everything they can’t fix. 

That was all about my labradoodle. Your Schnauzer and he have fur in common. They both get matted quite easily due to harness, to be precise. The brush’s sharpened teeth will help you groom your dog to a professional degree. 

Speaking of which, the sharpness may wear off with time. I think this is one of the drawbacks of the product. They work even after many uses, but you’d experience a decline in their overall sharpness. 

But one thing is for sure, the way it works cuts grooming time in half. I used to be quite busy at the animal care center when I was working there. The brush would save me some hours and I didn’t even have to do it every day. 

Pros 

• A huge time saver
• The gel handle is comfortable. 
• Also works as a deshedding tool
• Does not hurt the dog when used well

Cons 

• Teeth get blunt with time

7. Glendan Dog Brush for Giant Schnauzers

I think I’ve mentioned quite a lot of products for mini Schnauzers. The giant ones are looking at me with their puppy-dog eyes. For them, I already talked about the Chris Christensen Big G Dog Slicker Brush. I’ve had good times with that brush. 

The reasons why I want you to consider the Glendan Dog Brush are its protected bristles and 360-degree rotation. I have used it on the mini types but found it ill-suited for their fur. The brush would get too soon to their skin, making them yank away from me in discomfort. 

The bigger types or breeds didn’t have a problem since their hair or fur was denser. That gave me more freedom to get to the mats behind the legs and on their bellies.

I’d start working out a few strands before I’d go all out on them. It was always detangling a few strands with my hands and then using the brush’s benign strokes to get the rest out. 

However, that was for the stubborn mats. You know the ones that would either require the pull of a tractor or some conditioner before using any sort of brush. I couldn’t do the former and neither can you for the sake of our dogs but the latter was easy. I even do it now. 

Coming towards the protected bristles, I must say that they made a huge difference in the overall grooming session. However, they could easily come off or bend if you use hard strokes.

So, be careful about that. If your pet is uncomfortable after being brushed with it, do check the bristles to see whether they’re still erect or bent out of their way.  

Mentioning grooming sessions have led me down memory lane. The owner of a Giant Schnauzer had called me to give me her review of the thing after I had recommended it to her. She said her dogs love it but another pet now shows a keen interest in being brushed with it – her Maine Coon. We laughed at that and the fact that she had to order a smaller one for Mr. Coon. 

Pros 

• 360-degree rotation makes it reachable to smaller parts
• Too many bristles for the job
• Round protections at the end of the bristles also make the brush a good massager
• The handle seems sturdy. 

Cons 

• Quality control issues
• Not made for hard brushing 

Best Brush For Schnauzer – Conclusion 

Schnauzers may look like they’ve already aged, thanks to their mustaches. But considering the time I’ve spent with them, they are energy packets. Their fur remains mostly on their skin and not on your sofa, but moving a lot, dashing into a random bush could get dirt in it.

Not to mention how cruel the harness could be on the hair of their legs and bellies. I’m not even talking about the ones that swim a lot. The results are mats, tangled hair, and whatnot.

You read all the brushes I think would work to remove them without hurting the dog. There’s greater variety, so be wise and pick your brush.