Grooming

[Nikki]

I got a grooming lesson today!! tracy was nice enough to spend a few hours showing me how to groom. She did an amazing job!

It was the first time angel was on a grooming table and she didn't fuss too much she was being such a good girl.

I think she looks adorable but I am bit bias..

here's the before photos that I took like a week ago

these are from afterwards

[BetsyNoodle]

Wow! She looks great!! I think you did a really good job.

[BeeBladen]

Wow! I'm guessing you used clippers and shears? Looks like a Cairn! It gives me hope that I may be able to do it someday. Gretsch's coat has little to no wire with little hope of it coming in. : ) We love him anyway!

[Tracy A.]

Wow Angel's after photos look great! It was so hard to tell what she looked like with the wind blowing as hard as it was.

Hopefully I didn't traumatize Angel too much with her introduction to hand stripping. I must say she was such a little trooper! Way better than either of my dogs on the grooming table... and they can be little gremlins.

In about 4-6 weeks, start practicing on her and when the weather gets warmer in the spring we'll have another lesson.

I keep looking at photo#2, she has a great topline!!

[Hawkeye]

Great job...love Angel's coloring.

[Nena]

Good job on the grooming looks great!!!!!!! I have to get after mine and strip her before she gets to long. I like to keep her just like yours look now, easier to maintain. A little time each week is all she needs. I should be doing it right now but it is such a great day outside (sunshine for a change) and my DH has Nena for a walk.

I am sure she will come back dirty and happy.

[Nikki]

Angel was stripped using a prumce stone, stripping knife, mars king, and scissers were used in the senstive areas.

no i dont think angel is traumatized at all. She very much enjoyed that bully stick you gave her on the way home! Mett cracked me up by welcoming all who passed by with a bark...lol

tracy I started on scotty last night...his skin is MUCH worse than I originally thought. There were 3 or 4 spots that were scabby and bloody from him biting and scratching him self. I think I messed up a few times already...I dont think scottys coat is going to look as good as angel's.

[Tracy A.]

no i dont think angel is traumatized at all. She very much enjoyed that bully stick you gave her on the way home! Mett cracked me up by welcoming all who passed by with a bark...lol

tracy I started on scotty last night...his skin is MUCH worse than I originally thought. There were 3 or 4 spots that were scabby and bloody from him biting and scratching him self. I think I messed up a few times already...I dont think scottys coat is going to look as good as angel's.

Nicole, I would not worry about trying to make him look pretty, just try to get out as much dead coat as you can- Has your vet ever given you anything

topical to try on Scotty? Like a cortizone spray on the really bad areas? Remember their hair grows back! Thankfully!

If i've over stripped an area it takes around 6 weeks to 2 months for new hair to cover- so really it isn't that long.

On Scotty, don't for get to work on his under coat too, if you have something like a furminator (or the cheaper bamboo brand one that I got at walmart)

it's great at getting out undercoat-just use short strokes, long strokes will remove dead top coat and you can creat bald spots really quickly!

Hey Brad- How scary is it that i'm giving grooming advice and grooming lessons now :ninja: - LOL

Talk about being thankful that I didn't screw up someone elses dog!

[bradl]

Tracy, I'm always stoked when folks help demystify grooming. Great job and good on ya!

Speaking of demystifying grooming - anyone in the Northwest should make a point of joining our local club (Columbia River CTC) for an all-day grooming clinic in December. We'll have three very talented and experienced Cairn folks demystifying the heck out of it. These folks know full-on show grooming but more importantly have also groomed thousands of pets too (including their own of course).

Basic grooming is within the grasp of virtually every Cairn owner. There is nothing like seeing it done up close and personal, and more importantly, doing it yourself, to demystify the process. Pat and Ed and Bobbi will prove that you can do it, too.

[Sandi16]

She looks great! I wish I could find someone close to me that could show me what to do, or someone in St. Louis that could show me when I'm there. I try to strip Lou and I don't know when to start and stop. Like now, if I were to strip him, he'd end up in his underwear and I like him shaggy.

[Nikki]

hint hint

someone needs to make a dvd on how to groom a cairn terrier

and sell it on CTF for us that don't have any one to show us or cairn club nearby

I bet people would buy it!!

[msutherlin]

What a cute cairn! Is is ok to use the rake type stripping knife of them weekly. I have been brushing Charli weekly and she doesn't like the slicker brush but likes the rake type stripper. She doesn't seem to have too thin of hair anywhere from using it. The place I'm having trouble is on her face. The hair is always in her eyes! I should mention she is 6 months old too.

Melanie

[Hawkeye]

someone needs to make a dvd on how to groom a cairn terrier

and sell it on CTF for us that don't have any one to show us or cairn club nearby

I bet people would buy it!!

[Tracy A.]

The place I'm having trouble is on her face. The hair is always in her eyes! I should mention she is 6 months old too.

Melanie

I just use scissors and cut the hair around the eyes, and between the eyes.

and easy way is to give your Cairn bangs, just brush forward a strip of hair like bangs and

trim it.. then trim the eyebrows shorter so it helps hold up the bangs. I know easier to read than do

. I use my fingers as a buffer between the dog and the hair..that way if someone jerks the scissors aren't near the dogs eyes.

[JimS]

Is the stripping primarily a cosmetic thing?... as opposed to a health concerned process? I guess I'm unclear as to the goal.

[Tracy A.]

Is the stripping primarily a cosmetic thing?... as opposed to a health concerned process? I guess I'm unclear as to the goal.

HI Jim,

Actually handstriping promotes healthy skin. We are striping out dead hair. When a Cairn is shaved or clipped its just the top of the dead hair being cut away. this can cause skin issues which can lead to a lot of scratching and itching. Here is a link to a discussion about it Hair growth cycle

A lot of us use modified stripping for pets, where we use a mars coat king, striping knives, shears and good old fashioned hand stripping to groom our dogs. Dogs in confirmation shows are almost completely hand stripped to meet the breed standard. For pet owners our aim is healthy skin and a somewhat respectable looking dog in the end... but most of us screw the coats up somewhere.

So what do you gain? well if you make a modest investment in some grooming tools and perhaps a grooming table (I highly reccomend) So let's do the math, here in Cincinnati they charget 38-40 dollars for a bath, nail trim and clippering. You'll need to have your dog groomed about every 3 months X an average of 39 dollars = 156.00 for the year. For 156.00 if you shop around on the internet you can get a grooming table and some grooming tools + bottle of dog shampoo...

And if you ended up with two or more Cairns like the rest of us...well it's a real money saver!

[jimnconnie]

Is the stripping primarily a cosmetic thing?... as opposed to a health concerned process? I guess I'm unclear as to the goal.

Actually, Jim, I guess it's both a cosmetic & health issue. Cosmetic because hand stripping will insure that your Cairn's coat retains its' coarse texture & rough, kind of scruffy Cairn-look, and healthful because it removes the dead hair follicles from the skin pores, which insures a healthier skin, promotes new hair growth, and makes for a cleaner, good smelling dog. Clipping or shaving the coat will result in a softer coat, and eliminate the coarsness that provides protection & helps keep your dog clean. Hand stripping can seem like a daunting task, but the more you work at it the easier it becomes, and you don't have to be an expert to do a decent job. I've been working on Bailey for over 5 years, and am by no means good at it, but I can do well enough to maintain his coat between professional jobs by his breeder 2 or 3 times a year. This article: CAIRN TERRIER GROOMING contains a lot of good info on Cairn grooming & care.

Jim L

[bradl]

Also, there is a canned search here: Behavior and Health > Frequently Asked Questions > What is stripping all about?

[JimS]

Thanks... many thanks, to all you regulars as I know that you are going over much repeated information for this beginner. I do appreciate it.

I'm betting the picture now. I didn't know that there was old hair that needed to be stripped out (they don't shed so I got the impression reading other threads and web sites that the hair that would have been shed builds up and needs to be pulled/stripped out) so the term made no sense to me until I got busy and read the posts in this thread and in the links you kind folks contributed.

I wish there were a DVD showing the process to be used by a beginner. That would help a lot. I ordered two copies of the booklet offered by the CTCA.... one for me and one for my groomer (just in case she doesn't know about this stuff) and that will help.

I'll continue to google etc and try to expand my knowledge.

[JimS]

Is the stripping primarily a cosmetic thing?... as opposed to a health concerned process? I guess I'm unclear as to the goal.

Actually, Jim, I guess it's both a cosmetic & health issue. Cosmetic because hand stripping will insure that your Cairn's coat retains its' coarse texture & rough, kind of scruffy Cairn-look, and healthful because it removes the dead hair follicles from the skin pores, which insures a healthier skin, promotes new hair growth, and makes for a cleaner, good smelling dog. Clipping or shaving the coat will result in a softer coat, and eliminate the coarsness that provides protection & helps keep your dog clean. Hand stripping can seem like a daunting task, but the more you work at it the easier it becomes, and you don't have to be an expert to do a decent job. I've been working on Bailey for over 5 years, and am by no means good at it, but I can do well enough to maintain his coat between professional jobs by his breeder 2 or 3 times a year. This article: CAIRN TERRIER GROOMING contains a lot of good info on Cairn grooming & care.

Jim L

I needed to hear that! I was worried that stripping would be good for him but leave him looking less Cairn-like. I like his scruffy look a lot!!! He's my lil guy... emphasis on "guy"! I think hand stripping will be a good thing for me to do while he's laying next to me on the couch.. if that will work. Seems like it will be a bonding experience.

I've combed him 3 times in the 10 days he's been with me and have gotten what I think is quite a lot of hair out with each combing. It surprised me as I had thought that a non-shedding breed wouldn't leave a bunch of hair in the brush but now that I think about it the terrier mix that was with me for the last 12 years did not shed and I got a lot of hair in the wire brush every week. I'm using a comb with what I think are pretty widely spaced dull headed teeth. http://www.pet-dog-cat-supply-store.com/shop/index.php?page=shop-flypage-31093 .. like this (hope this isn't against the rules)

Maybe I should comb him every day until I start getting less hair in the comb?

[Hawkeye]

I was fortunate to find a cairn breeder who offer to give me a grooming lesson on Bailey. She spent a couple of hours with me and even had me try my hand at it. You may want to look into a breeder or a groomer that would give you a lesson. I am no expert, but I get by and Bailey doesn't mind when I make mistakes.

[JimS]

I goggled the Detroit Cairn Club and then emailed them and got an answer back very quickly (on the holiday!!).

I'll be sending them a check for $30 for the stripping DVD. I haven't been able to get a clear picture in my mind from reading about stripping so the DVD will be extremely useful to me. I don't know of anyone around here that does stripping... of course I haven't check yet either (heck.. I just heard the word for the first time two days ago.. in this context that is.. ) I could call around but my groomer and I have become good friends over the 12 years she took care, extremely good care I might add, of Ring2 so I want to continue with her. I'll share the CTCA booklet and the Detroit DVD with her.

[Tracy A.]

I goggled the Detroit Cairn Club and then emailed them and got an answer back very quickly (on the holiday!!).

I'll be sending them a check for $30 for the stripping DVD. I haven't been able to get a clear picture in my mind from reading about stripping so the DVD will be extremely useful to me. I don't know of anyone around here that does stripping... of course I haven't check yet either (heck.. I just heard the word for the first time two days ago.. in this context that is.. ) I could call around but my groomer and I have become good friends over the 12 years she took care, extremely good care I might add, of Ring2 so I want to continue with her. I'll share the CTCA booklet and the Detroit DVD with her.

Hi Jim,

There are a whole world of grooming tools you can use... from Furminators to Mars coat kings. Oh, and you can buy a cheaper version of a Furminator at Walmart... it's called a 'bamboo shedding blade' but don't over use it... you can put holes in the fur if you over do it.

Just a word of warning when it comes to using a groomer, when you say the word 'strip' the take that to mean 'shave the dog down to nearly naked'...

Many of us have issues finding a groomer who will hand strip...or at least do it at a reasonable rate, so we do it at home.

Since you drive up to the chicago-land area, they do have a Cairn Terrier club up there... Chicago Cairn Club

Email then and ask when they are going to have their next grooming clinic...that you have a rescued cairn and you want to groom him correctly. Pretty much from what I understand that once you have several cairn/owners together someone breaks out a grooming table...LOL so i'd send an email... you might be able to time a normal visit to see the grand kids with some hands on grooming.

Beware, once you start on the road of buying grooming tools, it becomes an addiction...

[JimS]

I goggled the Detroit Cairn Club and then emailed them and got an answer back very quickly (on the holiday!!).

I'll be sending them a check for $30 for the stripping DVD. I haven't been able to get a clear picture in my mind from reading about stripping so the DVD will be extremely useful to me. I don't know of anyone around here that does stripping... of course I haven't check yet either (heck.. I just heard the word for the first time two days ago.. in this context that is.. ) I could call around but my groomer and I have become good friends over the 12 years she took care, extremely good care I might add, of Ring2 so I want to continue with her. I'll share the CTCA booklet and the Detroit DVD with her.

Hi Jim,

There are a whole world of grooming tools you can use... from Furminators to Mars coat kings. Oh, and you can buy a cheaper version of a Furminator at Walmart... it's called a 'bamboo shedding blade' but don't over use it... you can put holes in the fur if you over do it.

Just a word of warning when it comes to using a groomer, when you say the word 'strip' the take that to mean 'shave the dog down to nearly naked'...

Many of us have issues finding a groomer who will hand strip...or at least do it at a reasonable rate, so we do it at home.

Since you drive up to the chicago-land area, they do have a Cairn Terrier club up there... Chicago Cairn Club

Email then and ask when they are going to have their next grooming clinic...that you have a rescued cairn and you want to groom him correctly. Pretty much from what I understand that once you have several cairn/owners together someone breaks out a grooming table...LOL so i'd send an email... you might be able to time a normal visit to see the grand kids with some hands on grooming.

Beware, once you start on the road of buying grooming tools, it becomes an addiction...

I emailed them at the link you provided.. THANKS!

I am a sucker for purpose made tools and gadgets so I can see me now with two or there grooming tables and a suitcase full of asst. brushes/comb/strippers and what have you's.

I'll broach the topic of stripping by asking "what is this stripping stuff" and I'll know whether to move ahead. But.. I really want to do hand stripping myself so I'm looking forward to the DVD from the Detroit gang. It'll bring me and and my lil buddy closer. I love being naive.

[Hawkeye]

I also purchased the DVD and found it helpful. You can get carried away buying all the gadgets for these guys, I did too. The best purchase would be a grooming table. It really trains them to stay put and they are safe on it. I have ended up stripping Bailey with my fingers more than when I first started out. They do protest thou as you get closer to the sides and stomachs so there I just use the trimming shears. I highly recommend picking up a pair of trimming shears to trim around the face and tummy. Now poor Bailey will be laying with me at nights and I can't help myself...I start picking at him. My DH says I'm addicted