We live at Scarborough, Harry our border terrier needs grooming our local groomer clips, I would like Harry to be stripped etc a.s.a.p. Maureen

Why do you need him stripped? I worked as a groomer for seven years and always refused to strip. When people asked I used to say to them 'do you go to the hairdressers and say "no don't bother cutting it, just pull it out!"' I've seen some terrible damage inflicted on dogs by stripping and it can affect them psychologically. If he is a show dog and needs the correct texture coat, either learn to do it properly and safely yourself or ask his breeder to do it for you.

I suppose Maureen wants her dog stripped because it retains the correct coat texture, colour and water-proofing, and dogs look much nicer stripped than clipped!
:)

It's funny you should say that Husky.
I had a mini wire dachsie years ago, who i took to be stripped. The groomer did a terrible job on her and she came back red raw. Since then i have prefered to clip.
Jeangenie, i personally don't think the coat looks any different stripped or clipped, but yes you are right it does change the texture.
As for coour, i've never noticed any difference with all the wires i've had.

I've noticed that a stripped Wire-haired Fox Terrier remains brightly, clear-coloured b/w/t, whereas when they're clipped they get very faded to pale blue/sandy/white. And fluffy too. IMO they are ruined by clipping.
:)

Same with the Welsh, JG - they look like very bad Lakies when clipped.

It's not like having your hair pulled out because the hair that comes out is dead anyway. I used to handstrip our Welsh Terrier - if it had hurt in the slightest I wouldn't have any fingers left to type this now! It's extremely time consuming & hard work too!

If you want to keep a Border Terriers coat correct it has to be stripped!!!!!!

But I would suggest contacting a Breed Club Secretary who may be able to point you in the direction of BT people who would advise you on where to go.

Shame your too far away as my daughter is a groomer and handstrips without hurting any dog.  If the coat is ready to be stripped it will do no damage to the dog at all.

Husky, you worked as a groomer for 7 years and refused to strip, did you called yourself a groomer? A groomer worth their salt should not only do as the client asked but also know how to.

I guess you would not ask a hair dresser to pull you hair out as it aint supposed to be pulled out.   Very strange and not quite correct comparison.

Doesn't matter if the dog is shown or not I think , if you prefer your dog to be stripped as nature intended then find a good groomer who will do it. They may charge you a bit more as it is time consuming but there are some who will.

It may be better to contact the breed club and ask them if any of their members hand strip/groom as a business I know many dog lovers do.

Good luck.

Pamela

Well done Maureen for looking for a groomer to hand strip Harry.  Please be assured that if it's done by a trained and experienced groomer, it will not hurt him at all because it's only the dead coat that is removed.  Once you have found a knowledgable groomer, if you take him every 8 weeks or so, they will be able to roll the coat, taking our a little on a regular basis, and he will always look like a beautiful border terrier, rather than have him stripped or clipped bald, when he looks tatty one minute and bald the next.  Nothing looks worse than a clipped terrier! :rolleyes:
Whilst I disagree with the given example of comparing human hair with a terrier coat, the make up and growth being completely different, we don't go to our hairdressers and ask for our hair to be shaved so that we only have to go once a year!!

LOL Sorry Val I replied then noticed your reply.

I have spent nearly a year transforming a lovely little westie back into a westie. It has taken a good 6 grooming seasons but I am so pleased to have stuck it out. She had a beautiful harsh coat that had been clippered for years, no shape nothing.  I am no expert at it by no means but what a difference.

These are all things people should consider when buying dogs. If they are the type to be stripped then have them stripped even if it costs perhaps a bit more.

Pam

Hi
There is a groomer who strips dogs not too far from you at Crambe off the A64 at whitwell. Liz @ Super Dogs 01653 618736
Give her a ring, I'm sure she will help you out or at least advise you.
Anndee

I'm pleased Husky is no longer dog grooming, sounds like a clipper happy person, who cares nothing about the CORRECT texture of a dogs coat!
Dawn.

I wish I could find someone to strip my GWP Ned I would have loved to carry on showing him but still havent got the nack of handstripping yet others make it look so easy.

Shame you are so far away Mattie.  I would have taken him on.  I must admit I only handstrip if the owner wants it done.  Borders done correctly look so smart and workmanlike,  when they are clipped they look completely different, the coat looks dull.  I agree it takes more time to handstrip but I feel it is time well spent.  In fact I find it very therapeutic (spelling?).

I have no idea why some people on this thread are having a go at Husky.
At the end of the day, EVERYONE is entitled to their own opinion, and Husky was just having theirs.
As someone pointed out, you need to go to an experienced/ qualified dog groomer. I did just that. This person was recommended to me by A BREEDER. I've never seen such a mess made of stripping.
Since then, I HAVE hand stripped myself. It's fairly easy when you know how. Yet, i PREFER to clip, as it's more comfortable for the dog. All three wire's i've had, have been both stripped and clipped. NONE have ever changed colour, apart from going grey with old age. Yes the coat texture changes, but, hey, so what. It doesn't have a negative effect on the dog. In fact i personally think they are far more comfortable being clipped and it's not as time consuming, nor does the dog have to sit for ages.
I can understand when people show, that then there is a need to be stripped, but when a dog is a pet, what is the big deal?
Guest, i suggest you try to get a hold of a good stripping video, and have a go yourself. Your dog will be much more comfortable, with YOU doing it. Stripping knives are also a handy tool to have.
Blue, you have no right to say people who buy wire haired dogs SHOULD have them stripped. At the end of the day it's up to the individual.
And Dawn, i think you're out of order implying that husky is an unfit groomer.

>>I have no idea why some people on this thread are having a go at Husky.<<
Because Husky has said that they were a groomer for 8 years!! :( time to learn to strip I would have thought especially if you wish to call yourself a groomer.

Stripping is not the be all and end all, sorry.

No, it isn't the be-all and end-all. But it is an essential skill if you are going to call yourself a groomer. After all, would you trust someone who called themselves a hairdresser, but wouldn't cut your hair?

I think the Guest was actually asking for advice on finding a groomer in her area who would strip her dog, not opinions on stripping V clipping.

Guest, If I were you - I'd try & find a good book or a video (as suggested by snoopy) & have a go at doing him yourself. Having owned several borders, it can be time consuming, but it is quite easy once you get the hang of it & you can't really go wrong. We always did ours in the lounge on a big sheet whilst watching TV & they actually enjoy it. If the coat is ready to come out, it will quite easily & it won't hurt the dog at all.

snoopy1 -  :)

Husky's post does actually say that she "refused to strip" as oppsed to can't strip. My guess is that she can hand strip but chose not to as it is so time consuming.??

Your right Snoopy1. The guest was asking for advice on stripping.
It's just people on this forum sometimes come on and are horrified that you could possibly clip. At the end of the day, it REALLY doesn't matter.
I will never trust another groomer again, JG, after what happened to my dog. And i personally think, if you want to do something like this, best to learn to do it yourself.
Who cares whether Husky strips or not. It doesn't neccessarily make her a bad groomer. Would you rather she said she did, and be useless at it? I'd rather she just say, sorry, i don't strip.
Whats the big deal?

If your clients were happy with that then fair enough, guess if you spoke to me like that I would know what to do, go else where. The poster was asking for help to find someone to strip her dog you gave a reply that sounded like she had no right to ask a 'groomer' to strip her dog and lets face it she is not one of your clients.

"At the end of the day, it REALLY doesn't matter
Of course it matters!!  If you are going to take peoples' money, and call yourself a groomer, then it's importrant that you work in a professional way and do a professional job!! 
The correct way to handle a terrier's coat is to hand strip it - and that doen't mean use a stripping knife!!  If a well bred coat is handled correctly, it is beneficial to the dog and the owner.  The coat will stay course, so that when the dog has been out on the common and comes home looking like a compost heap, the rubbish will brush out with the minimum of effort for the owner and the dog, and bathing to keep clean is unnecessary.
The knowledgable poster asked "Where can I find someone to strip my dog?" not "Should I have him clipped instead?" thank heavens!!  The support for the original poster's request was needed so that if other terrier owners read the misinformation about clipping, they would see that opinion was in the minority and be able to make their own judgment.

So does it actually affect the dogs happiness then Val?
I don't actually care what my dog LOOKS LIKE. I care that they are happy and healthy.
And if you read my posts i wasn't telling the initial poster to clip. I was giving my opinion on stripping and clipping after Husky posted, and my experiences of it.
Husky stated she refuses to strip, so SHE'S not taking other peoples money and i'm not a groomer, so i don't know who that is aimed at.
It might be the CORRECT way to handle a terriers coat, as you say, but it DOES NOT affect the dogs health, and at the end of the day, unless you show, it DOES NOT matter.
I have had wire haired hounds for years, so it's not as if i don't know what i'm talking about.
How is a well bred coat, if handled correctly, beneficial to an owner?
My dogs, although clipped, get bathed once in a blue moon, and they certainly never look like a compost heap.
I gave the initial poster some positive feedback about buying a GOOD stripping video, and having a go them selves.
And i don't know why you think that stripping is just aimed at terrier owners. Can no one else possibvly know about it?

For Snoopy
So does it actually affect the dogs happiness then Val?
Yes it does because a course coat doesn't matt like a soft coat.  No dog likes having matts pulled out!  It's very easy for the owner to keep a harsh coated dog in a clean and tidy condition on a daily basis.  And the dog doesn't have to be bathed regularly, which is what owners of soft coated terriers do.

Husky stated she refuses to strip, so SHE'S not taking other peoples money
She taking people's money to clip a coat that should be stripped!!  A trained groomer would have the knowledge to explain to the owner, who may well not know, the difference between stripping and clipping. 

And i don't know why you think that stripping is just aimed at terrier owners
I don't.  But that's what the post is about!!

Val, how come it hasn;t ever affected any of my dogs happiness then? My dog is kept in a clean tidy condition, without having to be bathed regurlarly.
If the owners don't want their dogs clipped, then they DON'T need to go to Husky do they?
Stripping is the same for any rough breed is it not?

>So does it actually affect the dogs happiness then Val? I don't actually care what my dog LOOKS LIKE. I care that they are happy and >healthy.

Yes if that wirehaired dog has to go into thick cover.  The coat is there to protect against cover and the elements. 

I think it was the way Husky replied to the OP.  She made it sound like stripping a dogs coat was a cruel thing to do which it isn't.  If the OP only reads the board once and listens to that reply, what is she going to think?

Helen

Snoopy,

I laugh when people like yourself give others a telling off for comments almost like a referee that IN YOUR opinion were personal When they INDEED WERE NOT..

Your comments are very personal. Go back a re read them pretend someone else wrote them..   I have a right to my opinion like everyone else. What right do you have to say I don't have a right.    I am not trying to fight with you but turning your post around for you to look at it. 

I think nobody was directly being personal to Husky just that comparing Human hair to a terrier is like comparing a push bike to a motorcar ..

You have just done a similar thing by saying you went to a experienced proffesional groomer and they made a mess, they could not have been professional or experienced. Do you see my point?

I am going to have to also disagree when you say that Clippering is better for a dog and more gentle. sorry but although I have only been hand stripping for 3-4  years I know by my own eyes that clippering can do far more harm if done incorrectly.

Clippered can cause skin trouble in terriers because the coat doesn't grow properly you can have 3 lengths coming in at the same time. The hair pores get blocked etc  A lot of groomers clipper far to close, more so on westies and it shows burning sometimes. I have seen this with my own eyes.

I hand strip approx 6 dogs just now regular 3 that I show 3 pets, everyone of them love the attention. they lie down quite happily.  Yes it takes a bit of time to do but hey that'd life. Practice gets you quicker.

BFN Pam

Blue, i haven't told anyone to strip OR clip. I've always maintained it's a personal decision.
I HAVE done both. My dogs are far happier being clipped.
You stated 'If they are the type to be stripped then have them stripped even if it costs perhaps a bit more.'
That to me, is you TELLING people that they should strip. Is it not?
I NEVER actually stated anything about Husky's comment on human hair. And if no one was being personal then why was Husky told that any groomer worth their salt would do as the client asked? I don't know Husky from Adam, but i think some of the posts to her were extremely unfair.
As for the groomer i went to, they were qualified and were recommended to me by a breeder. I have been to others who have done a good job, but after that last time, never again. I would rather do it myself.
Clipping is better for MY dogs, (i never stated that it was better for ALL dogs, maybe my post was ambiguous, if it was i apologise), but there will also be other people out there who also find clipping better for theirs.
Apart from the comment to yourself, Blue, and JG, the others were just replies to people posting at me. It is a personal decision. Not one person is right, and thats all i have been trying to say.
I also laugh when people like you come on and TELL others what to do.

Having re-read the whole thread, it still seems to me that the only person who was telling someone what to do was Husky, querying the OP's desire to have her dog correctly (and traditionally) groomed.
:)

No sorry JG, but Blue was too, with her comment on buying a breed that needs stripping.

Not meant as an attack on anyone, just a thought, but I suppose it's the same with any breed. The coat is as much a part of the breed as the colour, size etc. You don't get an OES if you want a smooth-coated easy-to-groom dog! Equally, if you get a wire-haired dog you don't want the coat to go soft. Or you'd get a soft-coated breed.

Just my thoughts, which people may or may not agree with. At the end of the day people will do what they think best.
:)

I agree JG.
We had always had Bullmastiffs & a rotti before we had our borders & as everyone knows a quick whizz over with a brush & a wipe of the slobber chops & your all done with those breeds. Hubby had always wanted a border, but the coat care was a big consideration that we thought about before having one (which led to 2 then 3 & so on) as we knew they'd require a lot of grooming & coat care.
I think when getting a dog, coat is of just as much importance as size & all other requirements.
I love some of the longer coated breeds & I think OES are beautiful, but I'd never have one as I wouldn't want the commitment of the coat care.

You are both soooooooo right, you really do have to take into consideration your dogs coat.
For years i've had a soft spot for afghans, but no way could i keep up with the grooming they need.

Snoopy,

These were my comments to the original post

>>>>I guess you would not ask a hair dresser to pull you hair out as it aint supposed to be pulled out.   Very strange and not quite correct comparison.

Doesn't matter if the dog is shown or not I think , if you prefer your dog to be stripped as nature intended then find a good groomer who will do it. They may charge you a bit more as it is time consuming but there are some who will.

It may be better to contact the breed club and ask them if any of their members hand strip/groom as a business I know many dog lovers do.

Good luck.

Pamela  <<<

They were not bossy or telling someone to do something. They were honest and fair and I pointed out that the comparison was not a good one by Husky and then commented that if a person wishes to have the dog strip they should

I then added that the dogs should be stripped in a second post when you brushed off stripping and commented on peoples posts but you are right I shouldn't have added that.... ;-) but I do know for a fact that most people that clipper terriers do it mostly due to the time , I have never heard anyone clippered as it is better for the dog.

I must learn not to bite , I must learn not to bite. :-))

At the end of the day, Blue, we obviously both have very differing opinions, which makes for an interesting read.
You strip, i clip, it really doesn't matter. All i want is for people who come on here, asking questions to be aware of all the different sides. And then go and make THEIR choice.
Yes i can see what everyone is saying about Husky, but some of the comments to her were really unfair.

"Unfit" who said that?  I sai I am pleased she/he is no longer a groomer!!!  If you are not prepared to do the job properly, don't do it at all!!
Dawn.

Isn't it your kennels that refuses to take male German Shepherds?

and what has that got to do with the price of fish??????

Thought this was a discussion about grooming not kennelling.

I think Lara is getting at the fact that Dawn's kennels don't take german shepherds, yet she's saying that Husky shouldn't be a groomer cos she doesn't strip!

Ah - I digress :)

whats the conection?

;)

Well i'm not explaining it AGAIN!

But you didn't explain, what does the dogs you are prepared to kennel have anything to do with normal grooming practice. Nothing at all as far as I can see, so why bring it up?

Jackie,

I think the comment relates to a post saying that a groomer is not a groomer if they don't strip.  That's the connection to the kennel who chose not to take certain dogs.  Doesn't make them a bad kennel - they've just made choices - like the groomer who choses not to strip.  I think.  But it's all getting a bit too much for me

Can't see the connection myself, a groomer either offers a grooming service or they don't a kennel will accept only the dogs they can house and handle. Add to that the fact that this thread is about grooming and whether it is correct to tell a client that they should not have a dog hand striped or not. No problem if the groomer declines a particular dog only that the person it told in some way they are wrong to request such a service.

Never mind Jackie - I wasn't asking you after all :)
Lara x