I know some breeders will throw their hands up in horror but has anyone had their Border Terrier clipped instead if hand stripped. I'd be interested as my 1yr old doesn't like the stripping at all. It's not the person doing it (she's a friend of mine) and I've always been present. It doesn't last five minutes before my girl looks as tho she needs doing again.

It sounds as if you aren't stripping at the right time, or maybe not stripping correctly? ;)  when 'blown' the coat should come out easily and will then look good for quite some time ;)   Is your friend using a stripping knife?  These can cut the coat rather than strip it ;)   I use finger cots or rubber surgical gloves for hand stripping - it's a much better finish and easier on the dog (in my experience)  ;)

However, not all terriers have a good strippable coat and I've found that using a Coat King gives good results on these, you must work in the same direction as the lie of the coat though ;) I've found it far better then clipping as it keeps the outer hairs long and the undercoat from building up.  Clipping will result in ALL the hairs being the same length, losing the weather-proofing and resulting in an exploded cushion effect in a very short time ;)

Excellent stripping page for Borders Here

And how to tell when the coat is ready to strip here

I've done it once, not my choice but it was a new client, a 9 year old Border who had always been clipped, so no hope of retrieving the coat and no point at that age. Looked ok but like others have said it comes out soft and fluffy rather than properly tight, harsh and waterproof. I think I will have the same thing tomorrow with a new Westie, been clipped for 4 years and the owner now wants it stripped, I said I doubt it will be possible but will look when I see the dog. Hasn't been done since May so possibly some hope of salvage?

I started stripping my mother's Cairn after she'd been clipped for 4 years.  A Bad case of clipper burn - on her BACK!  and I managed to persuade them.  It was about 6 months before I could work on the coat as I wanted it to really blow and she'd been clipped 'to the bone'   Once the coat was really falling out it was easy enough and she started looking good quite quickly.  I did it over a couple of days as she wasn't used to it, but she was fine after :)   It was lovely to see her looking as she shoud and with a weather-proof coat :-D

Thanks for replies. All noted and I don't think I'll be going down the clipping route then. My friend used to be a groomer but I persuaded her to do my girl at 8mths old, I think at the wrong time coz  she looked such a ragamufin. She did use a stripping knife. I'd like to br able to do it myself but I've got really bad arthritis in my hands and wouldn't be able to finish the job. I've had a look at the Coat King. Do you think it would do the job ok (nearest to hand stripping)

That's interesting Dill, I shall see what this boy's coat feels like then I guess. If it's not possible to strip, I can give them the option of a wash and brush and tidying the legs and face, and leaving the back for another 3 months, or give up and continue to clip if they can't stand the shagginess. In a Westie at least it doesn't look any different if you clip and lose the harsh coat, because it's still white, but I admit it does blend from back to skirt so much more nicely when stripped.

The key is to either get a very good groomer to strip her for you OR get a very good groomer to clip her. I can strip and clip and make both methods look lovely..

 
If the coat is good enough you shouldn't really need it to blow. I roll my terrier coats every couple weeks or we could never show them. As you can't show the short after a full strip so you need it coming in all the time.

I'd prefer to be doing it little and often, it keeps the coat looking good and you don't need to be working on the dog for more than a few minutes at a time.  Easier on your hands if you have arthritis ;)   At 1 year old it may be that the coat is changing to the adult coat, with the puppy stuff ready to come away it would seem that the coat is growing rapidly ;)  or it may just be that she grows her coat quickly.  Either way the little and often method would work ;)   It's the way many exhibitors work as they usually keep their dogs looking top-notch all the time :) 

The Coat Kings will work, but they need to be used carefully along the lie of the coat ;) 

Blue, the only reason I suggested waiting for the coat to 'blow' was that for a novice, it's easier to tell what needs to come out at that stage ;) 

Yip agree with you Dill..

Depending on where the OP is it may be worth paying someone to teach you properly. It may cost say £50 but would be worth it..

When I first started stripping my goodness was I doing it all wrong till I was shown :-D

> I roll my terrier coats every couple weeks or we could never show them. As you can't show the short after a full strip so you need it coming in all the time.

Just interest, and excuse my ignorance but what do you mean by rolling the coat Blue?

It basically means taking a little from all over the coat regularly so that the coat is different lengths and never too long nor too short.    In the show ring you can spot the ones who have been stripping every couple months or just had a good strip out over the rolling coats where they are a good length and thickness all over.

I have a freind who wrote a good grooming article it applies to a different terrier breed but the technique of stripping and rolling is the same.

See if it helps:

http://www.thewesthighlandwhiteterrierclubofengland.co.uk/grooming.html

That is really interesting Blue - thanks

Brilliant article Blue, have saved it to my bookmarks :-D 

I've never had to try rolling thank goodness, as a groomer I just get them in every 4-6 months for a complete strip. Not right for showing of course, but I do like getting a really good blown coat and stripping it all off!

Thanks Dill. My girl was done in May and already has the parting on her back which I thought indicated the coat was ready but in no way does it come away easily. Perhaps my best bet is to wait and get her fully done at the right time, then keep it short with the little and often method. Mind you she does look quite cute with a shaggy look.
Thanks again

Ps. If a Border was left, would the coat moult out naturally?