Can you strip a westie that has always been clipped? Kerrie is 6 and and always been clipped. Would she look a mess for ages? Is it too late now?

I don't really mind how her coat is now but a little while ago I replied to a post and people were horrified that I didnt get her stripped. :rolleyes: So thought if it was possible might try and get her stripped from now on.

Thanks

Holly

from what i know of schnauzers, i think you will need to let the hair grow quite long and then hand strip it, probably in sections so it doesnt take so long, the new hair will grow back tidy but i think it will still be softer than if the dog was hand stripped before. im told you couldnt show a dog if its been clipped before but i never have understood it because if its pulled out by the roots it grows back as new??

You should'nt worry what other people say - most pet westies are clipped.  I made the decision when my westie was a puppy to have him handstripped so he was never clipped. But that was a personal decision (I like to be different!!) not because others said I should. I'm not sure if you can have yours stripped now, condition of coat is importent. There is a lady called Val, who gave me good advice, who might answer you if she reads this post.

It is possible to correct a clipped coat but it can take up to a year of patient handstripping whatever coat will come out every 8 weeks.  It doesn't all loosen together and stripping is about pulling out only the dead coat - which is why it doesn't hurt! :rolleyes:  The idea behind stripping isn't just for the look of the dog, it's for practical purposes, leaving the dog with its weatherproof coat that it was born with.

If a Westie is bred with an incorrect coat, ie, soft, thin, no undercoat etc, then it's still possible to make it look better than whacking clippers on it, but it's a skill that doesn't appear to be taught these days! :D  I hope that you can find someone with the experience to help you and your dog.

Also you may have problems handstripping if your dog has been neutered as this can cause the coat to go soft and woolly.
Becky

Becky,

"Also you may have problems handstripping if your dog has been neutered as this can cause the coat to go soft and woolly."

This is not true with Westies or my breed (their "kissin' cousins) Cairns.   Neutering or spaying has no effect on coat texture.

I hand strip and one of my dogs had her leg shaved to fix a broken leg.  I took over a year to get her coat back to normal.  Clipping does not change genetic structure, of course, so even if a dog has been clipped for years it will still have a hard coat just waiting to be found.

I did say may and can, however, having groomed many westies and cairns over the years I can say that dogs that have been neutered can end up with woolly coats as can other breeds. I used to breed terriers and their coats can change after neutering as well.
Becky

Thanks everyone.

Kerrie is spayed, but it doesnt seem 2 have affected her coat.

Will have a chat with my groomer and see what she thinks. As I said I don't really mind how her coat looks but might give it a go as she sheds at the mo.