What is hand-stripping and how do I know if my dog should be hand-stripped or clipped?
Definition: to pluck/strip out dead hair Breeds suitable for Hand-stripping: West Highland Terrier, Cocker Spaniel, Border Terrier, Irish Terrier for example, along with lots of other breeds including most wire coated breeds. Hairs are found in bundles set in the skin. Each bundle may have between 7-15 hairs. One hair is usually longer and coarser than the rest and is known as the “guard” hair. This guard hair is surrounded by fine, soft secondary hairs. It is the combination of the two different hair types that accounts for the characteristic coat types of the different dog breeds. The guard hairs are the ones removed when hand stripping. If dogs are show-dogs their coat is normally hand-stripped. This is because it encourages the natural growth of the dogs fur and maintains the correct texture whereas clipping a coat makes the fur go fluffy and can lighten the colour of the fur over time.
