Hi
I have a 2 year old cairn terrier. Last year I took him to be hand stripped at a grooming parlour she said she hadn't used clippers but he looked in places as if she had and he didn't look like cairn at all. More like an overgrown yorkie. His coat is much better now but untidy. I groom him regularly and I have had a go at hand stripping him myself but although he looks tidier afterwards I have not mastered the techniques. I have booked him into another grooming parlour that I use for my yorkie (she always does a good job) but I am worried because it seems that many groomers just make them look tidy and are not concerned with what the breed should look like. Is there anything I should be asking to make sure she knows how to hand strip (it seems to be a specialist thing) I think she will be using a stripping knife, would that be ok? I don't want to end up with his coat looking like last time and I would rather not send him if I can't be sure and persevere with it myself. What do you think?
Jane

Ask them to handstrip him for you and make it clear you do not want him clipped.  Also take a afew pictures in of groomed cairns for the groomer to look at as they do him.

It must be hard for groomers to know what every breed should look like (although I think they should take the time to find out) and cairns arn't that popular so supplying the pictures will make them know what they shoudl look like after :)

My friends who used to groom always had a grooming book, and tried to encourage the owners to have them done as they should be, sadly ,many just wnated short back and sides.

On the first occasion they always did them properly and asked the owners if they required the trim adapting.

Unless you are certain that this groomer knows both how to handstrip and what a Cairn should look like, then I would persevere yourself - you'll do a better job than an untrained groomer! ;)

I cancelled his appointment at the groomers I was too worried about what he would look like. His coat has only just started to look better since his first and probably last visit. I can just about manage most of his coat its his head and tail I have problems with, getting the right length and shape. I visited the MCTC on their cairn day but they were very busy. I have bought a video and that does help but as long as he isn't too bad I think I will have to persevere myself. I love him anyway even if he does look like a real scruff sometimes when he has been out in the garden!!!
Jane

If they clipped him when he last went it may take a while for his coat to return to normal,, so I think learning to do it yourself will be your best bet.  After all he won't mind you practicing, and if your not showing him then it won't matter if he isn't perfect yet.

Hi Jane,

That is the problem you can show anyone how to hand strip but they have to know what the breed looks like in their head or book and then understand how to create that look.

I think the cairn to be honest is quite an easy one to do even if you are not arty.. if you can strip then look at some pictures. Stick them on the wall about you and try to thinning scissor the edges till you see a style appear. :-)

hi jane i have a cocker spaniel puppy and i am having problems trying to find a grooming parlour in my area that does hand stripping they all seem to use clippers. i am a bit dubious about trying it myself i think he would look only fit to enter scruffs if i did it lol i am going to contact my breeder who shows her dogs to see if she knows of one perhaps you could do this

where abouts do you live?

west bromwich  west midlands