Hand Stripping
Hand stripping is a specialized kind of grooming service where instead of cutting the hair using clippers or scissors a groomer plucks the hair instead using special tools (knives and stones) or their fingers. Sometimes called “trimming by plucking”, this technique is only used on dogs with wire hair structure.
ABOUT THE SERVICE
Hand stripping is a dying art and there are few groomers who offer this service.
We choose to hand strip the whole dog, only skipping small areas a few dogs are sensitive about (belly, feet, rear). If we get the dog that was partially clipped before, we will try and restore the coat whenever possible.
It is a myth that hand stripping is painful. A groomer pulls the dead, dull looking coat (called blown) that is ready to be removed and a new hair follicle is waiting to grow in their place. The groomer also removes (cards & rakes) undercoat, further promoting new root growth.
There are so many benefits to hand stripping instead of clipping your wirehaired dog:
Promotes skin health – if a wirehaired dog is clipped instead of being stripped, the dead coat that begs to be removed stays in the skin, preventing new hair follicles from growing, causing sebum overproduction which shows itself as skin bumps, greasiness and general skin irritation.
Protection from elements and dirt – wiry coat doesn’t easily get wet and acts as a repellent against rain and snow.
Almost no maintenance needed in between your professional groomer’s visits – wiry hair very rarely gets matted even when not brushed for months, and if it does, it brushes out easily.
And finally it looks gorgeous – thick hair structure, laying flat, rich in color and looking shiny compared to thin, soft dawn like hairs with dull diluted color if it was clipped instead.
We perform hand stripping on all dogs with wire hair structure whenever possible, and that does not only include purebred dogs (see gallery). Some mixed breed dogs quite surprisingly have amazing, easy to pull wiry hair and we prefer to strip them instead of clipping to preserve the natural beauty, low maintanance and functionality of their coats.
Nail trimming and filing, ear clipping and sanitary trim are included. The groomer will also bathe your dog after the stripping is done with a gentle medicated shampoo. If you prefer we don’t bathe your dog, please let us know in advance.
Some of the breeds that have wiry coat structure are
Schnauzer
Wire haired dachshund
Brussels griffon
West highland terrier
Border terrier
Lakeland terrier
Wire fox terrier
Cairn terrier
Norwich terrier
Recommended maintenance schedule
There are really no rules when it comes to deciding how often you would like your dog to get hand stripped. It typically depends on your lifestyle and your liking. The minimum is two weeks and the maximum time between appointments (which we don’t recommend to exceed for the sake of your dog’s comfort) is 5-6 months.
If you are ready to make a hand stripping appointment, please remember not to bathe your dog for at least a few weeks before, as dirty coat will make a groomer’s job much easier.