Hand Stripping.

WHAT IS HAND STRIPPING? Hand stripping is a grooming process that involves removing dead hairs from the coat by hand instead of clipping to keep the coat tidy, coat colour and healthy. It speeds up the natural process of growth and shedding.

True hand stripping is precisely that – the groomer plucks the outer guard hairs whilst keeping the skin tight, from the coat entirely by hand in the direction of the coat growth when the coat is blown. It is common practise to use tools such as stripping knives and stones to help with the process, or a finger and thumb method can be used,

Sometimes a coat can not be stripped as sometimes factors such as health, the dog being neutered, old age (hand stripping is a long process), the coat has been clipped before or simply the dog does not enjoy the process.

WHAT DOG BREEDS CAN BE HAND STRIPPED? Dogs with wiry coats tend to need hand stripping to groom to breed standard. This includes most of the Terrier group. Other breeds that require hand stripping include:

Schnauzers Cocker Spaniels Irish Wolf Hounds Wire Fox Terrier Wire-haired Pointers Wire-haired Dachshunds Border Terriers.