Should i hand strip my dog

Wiry coated dogs have a specific growth cycle where the hair becomes thicker and darker as it grows. Dog breeds have coat types, and certain breeds come with the coats that can be stripped.

These coats have two types of hair—a soft and dense undercoat and a long and dense top coat. Start by placing your dog on a stable surface like a counter or grooming table. When talking about hand stripping, pet owners tend to have a lot of questions at the beginning, especially if they are new to this type of grooming and they are hoping to do it themselves rather than simply going to a groomer to get the job done.

We get it. This can all seem a little intimidating. Hand stripping needs to be handled with care to work effectively. Having questions and concerns is important. It all depends on the dog and his coat. Essentially you want to give the coat enough time to renew itself, and you want to let the layers grow in so that they are uniform.

Other people ask about bathing their dogs prior to hand stripping the coat. Plus, it will be uncomfortable for your poor dog. You want there hair to be as dry and brittle as possible before hand stripping.

This will bother make the process easier for you and less uncomfortable for you dog. After you have hand stripped your dog, if you want his coat to be on the shorter side, you can scissor or clip the fur down further.

In that case, clip away. Just do so with caution. Generally, you can divide the hand stripping into three different sections. Finally, the third section would be the legs, eyebrows, and beard. It is much better if the dog is hand stripped every six to eight weeks. This way, there is less hair loss and the dog remains smart.

How to Hand Strip 1. Lift a small section at a time, grasp a small amount of hair between the thumb and finger, and extract the loose hairs from each part with a quick, jerking movement. Be sure only to take a few hairs out at a time, as pulling large clumps will cause pain and distress. Always follow the direction in which the hair grows. Keep the skin taut as the hair is stripped out. To make it easier, many people find using a stripping knife, rather than the finger and thumb a better option.

The knife used is a blunt one rather than a blade that could cut the coat. It is advisable to use a serrated-edged knife. These special grooming tools help unmatt the fur. When using the comb be gentle and focus on the end of the hairs first, working your way down and closer to the skin. Matted hair can hurt a dog when pulled so take your time to cause as little stress as possible. For this we recommend a slicker brush. They help dematt the fur and remove any debris or dead hairs that may be resting on the skin.

For wiry breed dogs we recommend using a slicker brush with fine bristles.