Canine Culture
Call us: 315-280-0107
Grooming
Hand stripping available in Oneida by Lisa
Hand Stripping is a grooming technique that is used on rough or "hard coated" breeds like terriers, wire-haired Daschunds, rough-coated sighthounds like Wolfhounds, sporting dogs like German Wire Haired Pointers, and even mixed breeds like some rough-coated Labradoodles.
What is Hand Stripping?
Hand stripping involves pulling out the dead outer coat of wired-haired or “rough-coated” breeds by hand, rather than cutting the hair with clippers. This allows a new harsh (or commonly referred to as "hard") wire coat to grow in.
Doesn't pulling out the hair hurt?
No. It does not hurt the dog. Some dogs might not like it at first, like brushing, bathing, or any other grooming, but it is not painful when done properly. Wire hair is not attached like our own hair or breeds with other types of coats. When itt reaches a certain length it is ready to shed, and therefore can essentially be shed for them, by stripping, to make an organized or neater pattern rather than so scruffy. Many dogs even enjoy it. For pet dogs I do clip or scissor the tender spots so it isn’t uncomfortable for them.
My dog is just a pet; should she be hand stripped like show dogs?
Absolutely, if it important to you to maintain the proper breed look. It is very hard to imitate that look on many wire coated breeds if you clip them. Or maintain the rich color. However it will do no real harm for pets to be clipped if you do not care about that look.
Will hand stripping restore a coat's wire texture if my dog has been clipped?
Yes, but sometimes it can be difficult if a dog’s coat has been clipped many times. You often have to let them grow out several months and strip them several times to get the wire coat growing properly again. Sometimes after only one clipping it comes back fine but do not count on it. The longer amount of time the coat has been clipped, the more months it will take with diligent stripping to get the coat back to it’s original correct texture. But it can be done in most cases!
It is a way of maintaining a neat, shorter coat while mantaining the cute scruffy look we like, like the moustache, beard and eyebrows. It also cuts down on shedding when done regularly, and improves the color of hard coated dogs that often look washed out or faded, especially when trimmed.
Lisa Mawson is the one who will be offering the stripping style of grooming on a limited schedule one dog at a time. If you are interested in this type of grooming call Lisa at 315-280-0107.
A pet strip on a Border Terrier.
Scissors are typically used on sensitive areas.
(right) Chloe giving air-kisses to Lisa, her favorite groomer.
(left) Gage, a standard poodle is groomed by Lisa (his Mom)
Regular grooming is also occasionally done by Lisa for small breed dogs of clients only.
