In Search Of a good Groomer in Ohio

[Guest posting as: derecskey]

Ok, so I've read all the warnings, the how-to articles, and even seen diagrams of red blue green etc showing you what to strip when... but I don't know how to hand-strip. I don't understand the "tools", and even without tools, just using my hands, I don't know how to pull the hair... I mean, do I just grab and pull as hard as I can? Nobody seems to teach the first, most basic step, they just skip right over that.

So... with that said, anybody know of a good groomer in Northeast Ohio that does hand-stripping? How much can I expect to pay?

Sincerely,

A Frustrated and Confused Cairn Owner

[MetroCairn]

Hi!

We found ourselves in the same situation until about a year ago. We were not satisfied with the results of a stripping from a professional groomer, so we decided to groom our rescue Cairn. While researching online, we located an article that suggested an easy and inexpensive alternative to hand stripping. It utilizes a standard pumice stone from the drugstore. Because our Cairn had a soft coat, she had wisps of hair everywhere. After brushing her with the pumice stone every week for about two months, we noticed that her coat was becoming coarser and thicker. It was extremely easy and she didn't fuss in the least.

If you decide to try it, we hope you're as happy with the results as we are. Good luck!

[bradl]

Excellent idea - easy to do and effective. (Welcome to Cairn Talk, MetroCairn.)

[maggie]

Is there a breeder in your area that might be able to show you? When we got our 2nd Cairn we made it a point of asking our breeder if she could show us how, watching her made a lot more sense than reading about it!

[Nikki]

I live in Ohio too and am also looking for a groomer. I live inbetween dayton and cincy I'm just afraid if I try to strip I will do more harm than good. so does any one know where I could go? how much it would be around

[bradl]

Suggestion: check the AKC event search for dog shows in your area. You can meet Cairn exhibitors who might groom on the side, or be willing to give you some hands-on tips. Also, ask around in the grooming area for referrals to any terrier groomer. The stripping process is similar for any of the double-coated breeds and even though a Westie or Norfolk/Norwich person isn't going to have all the finer points of Cairn grooming down, they understand the desire to have a dog that looks like the breed it is, and could probably do an excellent job.

How much probably depends on the state of the dog and how much time is needed. I think a dollar a minute is not unreasonable as a ball-park estimate, but I'm not a groomer.

[Tracy A.]

Nicole-

I take hand-stripping lessons from a confirmation breeder/groomer in Franklin Ohio. She charges 25.00 an hour to hand strip or to teach you how to hand strip. I had the boys there 2 weeks ago, and we ended up clippering them because of blown coats. I was a bad mom and wasn't stripping as often as I should-

I'll PM you her info.

[Duncan's Mom]

Could you explain how to use the pumice stone? Do you rub in the direction of the hair? How hard? Sounds like it wouldn't be too time consuming - thanks!

[MetroCairn]

We use the pumice stone as part of our regular grooming of our Cairns. On a weekly basis, we lightly wet the pumice stone and use it just like a bristle brush. For us, brushing their coats in the direction of the hair growth without undue pressure works best. Although they attempt to play with the pumice stone, they don't seem to mind it. You'll need to remove all the hair from the pumice stone as you use it. Likewise, keeping it slighty wet works best. That's it! It's fast, easy, simple and best of all, it's inexpensive! Of course it can't compete with an experienced groomer's results, but if you don't plan to show your Cairn, the results are visible in a few weeks. We hope this helps. Good luck!