grooming

[janis]

Question - probably been asked before of you good folks - but, is a Furminator and the Mars Coat King the same thing? Close? Could I use one to keep Kirby less Yakish in the winter instead of stripping him naked at the groomers? Thanks in advance!

[Dempsy's Mom]

Hmmm. Isn't a furminator that little short teethed brush that removes the undercoat? I use those on my lab. And the Mars I use on Dempsy. I like the longer teeth for the longer hair, but I am curious to read what the others have to say. I do not strip in the winter .... brrrr.... and I think they are cute a little Yakish.

[kintra]

Using a Furminator or Mars Coat King and stripping the outer coat is not the same thing. I personally refuse to use a Mars Coat King on a Cairn because I think people tend to use it in place of stripping and if not skilled, end up cutting the dog's outer coat. I do use a Furminator very rarely when a dog's undercoat starts to bulk up.

[janis]

I'm just looking for an alternative to stripping him over the winter - I have had him at the groomers three times now. At about $75 each time....it's okay, they are nice to him and he spends the day etc., but he comes home really stripped down. When he isn't sent to the groomer - his hair really get long and hard to brush etc., I am just not that familiar with either tool. I wasn't sure if you just brush through with the furminator and it takes out what needs to come out or what? What to you guys do in between "real trips to the real groomer."

[kjwarnold]

I don't show my dogs and don't feel they need to have show quality coats, but I do like them to have a good Cairn coat that stays clean and is healthy. I groom them myself and use both the Furminator and the Mars Coat King. The Furminator pulls undercoat out when it gets too thick. Packy has so much undercoat that it practically chokes out his outer coat, so it's a useful tool for him. Kirby has very little undercoat so I don't use it on him. I use the Mars Coat King to strip the outer coat on both dogs. I use it in addition to hand stripping because I don't think I'm a good hand stripper and because I just get lazy! I know that you have to be careful using the MCK because it can cut the coat.

If you want an option for use in between a good hand stripping, I'd say one or both might be something you could consider.

[Tracy A.]

Well, I am the groomer :ninja: in our house, and both of my dogs have very different coats.

Brattwurst has a much desired Cairn Hard coat with the perfect amount of undercoat... I hand strip him and use the MCK too. I avoid using a Furminator on him as it's overkill and puts holes in his fur.

Mettwurst has a soft double coat, and dense double undercoat... he is my little furball.

I use everything on Mettwurst... Furminator, MCK, strippign knives... the whole nine yards before I hand strip him!

He is having a bad hair month right now and I need to groom him again... it's been about 6 weeks.

[kintra]

When he's taken to the groomer, is he stripped or clipped?

When I have pet grooming clients, I usually meet with them approximately once every 3 months and completely strip down the dog.

That's my thing - a Mars Coat King is not meant to strip the outer coat and therefore is not comparable to handstripping. People often call it stripping a coat but it's meant to take out undercoat and "finish" areas of the coats on some breeds.

[Hawkeye]

Well, I am the groomer :ninja: in our house, and both of my dogs have very different coats.

Brattwurst has a much desired Cairn Hard coat with the perfect amount of undercoat... I hand strip him and use the MCK too. I avoid using a Furminator on him as it's overkill and puts holes in his fur.

Mettwurst has a soft double coat, and dense double undercoat... he is my little furball.

I use everything on Mettwurst... Furminator, MCK, strippign knives... the whole nine yards before I hand strip him!

He is having a bad hair month right now and I need to groom him again... it's been about 6 weeks.

Tracy, Radar is 8 months now and I'm having a devil of time with his coat. He looks like a furball as well. I'm having a hard time pulling his coat because it's so soft. When I first got him, his outer coat was a little coarse down the middle of his back but now that's gone and it's soft and has a fly-away appearance. I've tried pulling and a stripping knife on two different occasions, still not much luck. Any suggestions? I have a hard time telling undercoat from outer.

[Tracy A.]

[Tracy, Radar is 8 months now and I'm having a devil of time with his coat. He looks like a furball as well. I'm having a hard time pulling his coat because it's so soft. When I first got him, his outer coat was a little coarse down the middle of his back but now that's gone and it's soft and has a fly-away appearance. I've tried pulling and a stripping knife on two different occasions, still not much luck. Any suggestions? I have a hard time telling undercoat from outer.

This is an old post of mine with photos, see if this helps you any.

CairnTalkPost Home hand stripping

[Hawkeye]

Thank you Tracy for bringing this post back -- I do remember it. The coffee cans are such a great idea.

[jimnconnie]

a Mars Coat King is not meant to strip the outer coat and therefore is not comparable to handstripping. People often call it stripping a coat but it's meant to take out undercoat and "finish" areas of the coats on some breeds.

I agree with Kintra about the MCK. It is O.K. to use occasionally if you don't have a lot of time & want to "tidy-up" your dog, but I wouldn't rely on it for a full time grooming tool. It does cut the hair as well as pulling it. I made the mistake of using the MCK to frequently on Bailey a few years ago and his coat became much lighter in color & much softer. After being chastised by our breeder, I stopped using it and it took several months and about 3 hand-stripping sessions for his coat to return to its' proper condition. I learned the hard way!

Jim

[janis]

Thanks everyone - thoughtful answers as always. Kirby is just weird. His color changed again - after stripping his shoulders look kind of brown, with a definate red abound his lower back (sorry, I do people parts) his legs and face are very light. His face, and legs is very silky hair and stuff gets tangled up in it. His outer coat is very coarse and gets kind of curley when it grows out very far! But HE's Just So Cute! He will be 1 year old on the 15th and he' still sometimes a mystery!

[wallEsmama]

I wish I could see pictures and be able to tell the difference. WallE's hair is short and has not grown long at all since he got (sadly)clipped by the groomer. I know that its going to take time to grow. I don't have a MCK so Ive only been using a furminator and I give him a good brushing about once a week. If I don't it looks matted, stringy and greasy. I'm starting to wonder now if I should stop. Is he going to be cold in the winter? I have found a hand-stripper here in TO and I contacted her and since his hair is so short still, I decided to wait till it gets longer to start the process to get his coat back on track.

His black has almost 60% been replaced by silvers and tan.