Which Mars product for stripping?

[tomatosandwich]

Okay, I'm about to admit defeat in the stripping category. Then I thought I should at least try the Mars thing folks talk about on here. Yikes! There are a ton of choices. Which one do I want to start with?

A direct link would be greatly appreciated!

[bradl]

The one I have is 16T. Link.

What I mostly prefer: finger cots.

[kjwarnold]

I've got the same one that Brad listed. Work great for me, but I also just pull by hand periodically (although I'm not good at it!). I would also add a Furminator to your grooming kit if your dog has a thick undercoat like Packy. It's great for thinning it out as needed and he looks about 5 lbs. lighter after I use it! Hmmm...what else do I use a lot? Oh, I like my McClellan stripping knives for legs and face.

All of the above comes with the note that I'm not a good groomer, but people in my local area who aren't familiar with Cairns think they look great. But they stay clean, have healthy coats and I don't have to pay someone else to groom them! Good luck!

[Idaho Cairns]

I bought the ten toothed Mars which was sort of a compromise between my dogs, one of which is large and the other small. It works fine so long as I don't get too enthusiastic and take too much hair off. You can really go thru a lot of coat with one of these things so go slow.

[tomatosandwich]

Thank you, thank you, thank you all! I'm going to try with the coat-king and the finger thingy-ma-bobs. Thanks for the cautions, Idaho.

[KShep]

I have a master grooming tools stripper size 16. It's like the mars....i just happened to find it at a locally owned pet supply store. The only problem I've had is with the tail. Accidentally took too much off! Oops!

[tomatosandwich]

Thanks for that tip, KShep. I forgot to ask what folks use on the face to get the poofy, show Cairn face look?

[Idaho Cairns]

I use a fine comb and thinning shears and hope the dog sits still long enough to get that round puff.--again, go slow, if you get carried away you can run out of hair on one side or the other and have to wait til it grows out again!

[kjwarnold]

Show dogs are just like movie stars; their hair doesn't stay like that naturally all the time! From the shows I've been to, I've learned that they use grooming chalk and some other goo to make their hair stand up around their head. Now when I've groomed my dogs a bit and they shake their heads out, it will stand up like that for a while, but playing, swimming and their usual activities smoosh it down some. A little combing usually makes it pretty for a few minutes, but then they're back to chewing on each other and down it goes! Oh well, good thing I like the natural play-tousled look!

[sanford]

playing, swimming and their usual activities smoosh it down some. A little combing usually makes it pretty for a few minutes, but then they're back to chewing on each other and down it goes!

Thanks for this reality check! I kept blaming my inadequate grooming skills, so at least I can now let myself off the hook. I also like the natural tousled look. It was one of the primary reasons I got a cairn in the first place!

[lindasue]

I also use the mars - think mine has about 12 teeth. I use it on Pegi about every 2 weeks - or when I see that her coat is kind of looking fluffy. She isn't a big fan of it though! She goes to the groomer about every 12 weeks, where they trim her Andy Rooney looking eyebrows and her face a little. My daughters say she "looks like a boy" when she comes back. Course the most important trim is around the butt, a place she is NEVER going to allow the mars...

[tomatosandwich]

I love the show dog-movie star comparison! Yeah, I get that the poof won't stay. I guess what I meant was the right shape and length on the snout and head. I ordered my coat-king. I'll probably be too chicken to use it when it gets here, though!

[Idaho Cairns]

I'd advise anyone that uses the Mars blade to make a light run thru their own hair--I did and was a bit surprised with how much the combing stung--which is why I go slowly when I use it on my dogs--these things are indeed sharp but they still pull a lot of the hair they take out. Great tool for shaping tho.

[_whits_]

I haven't used my Mars on Addie yet, but a warning: they're sharp! When mine arrived in the mail, I lightly ran my fingers over the bladed area (I know, not my smartest idea) and the blood just started gushing out. It was like a million paper cuts at once.

[janis]

On the poofy face thing.... I asked my groomer about it (sometimes Kirby gets a professional do other times I just use the stuff above)..... he told me about the chalk and hairspray. He did Kirby up that way last time to show me (except Kirby has really soft hair mostly undercoat on the top of his head). Kirby looked so cute - for about 1 hour when he ran his face across the carpet and rolled all over the room! The real Kirby reappeared instantly!

[sanford]

I'd advise anyone that uses the Mars blade to make a light run thru their own hair--

Idaho Cairns, this is one time when I'll have to disregard your good advice... I have no hair to run the MKC through! I've previously seen your photo on this forum & I envy your full head of hair... but before I get too far off-topic here, I'll just say, "nope, nope and nope."

[oscar's mom]

Oscar had a really thin coat when he was younger, you could see his skin. Not until o found a proper stripping groomer did his hair start growing in full. I wish i could find a good groomer in MA. I have gone to three so far and the last one let sores all over his body. I had no idea when i picked him up. Noticed it when he was wet from the ocean a week later.

I felt so bad, he will probably never want to go to a groomer again.

For the Mars comb i think i have the 16 blade. Does anyone have the 26 blade to do the face? The 16 just doesn't do it for me.

[sanford]

Oscar's mom — I hope you let that groomer know what she did to Oscar! I'd be mad as if someone did that to Ruffy! Like Oscar, Ruffy has a thin coat. It's not nearly as coarse & harsh like Carrington's coat was. His coarse coat made it easy to grip and gently tug out the hairs with my fingers. Ditto with the Mars comb, which worked very well, but Ruffy's coat is a different story. His hair is fine and doesn't seem to release as easily. If I go to pull just a few, I can see the skin lifting, so I stop. Your groomer apparently didn't stop! I'm definitely no authority, but my limited experience with 2 cairns with very different coats tells me that soft, fine coats don't seem to easily lend themselves to hand stripping, except perhaps by an expert who won't harm or hurt the dog. My 16 blade Mars comb used to pull out great quantities of Carrington's heavy coat. It's useless on Ruffy & just slides right through his coat, (except along the top of his back). I even went up to a 24 blade with better results, but not much.

I'm worried about Oscar's sores becoming inflamed. Is there a dog-safe antiseptic you can apply?

[Tracy A.]

Oscar had a really thin coat when he was younger, you could see his skin. Not until o found a proper stripping groomer did his I have gone to three so far and the last one let sores all over his body. I had no idea when i picked him up. Noticed it when he was wet from the ocean a week later.

I felt so bad, he will probably never want to go to a groomer again.

My whole reason for home grooming... or if i take a grooming lesson, I work on my dog... or hold my dog while over-seeing what ever is being done. I will not leave my dogs with someone and leave..... i'll help out, i'll hold them...etc. Of course my groomer is my grooming teacher.... and I really dont' see her very often, as i've gotten pretty good on my own : )

[kieiras mom]

i have a Mars 10 and a 12. Like bothe very much. Keira has a soft coat on the head, am trying to strip her and maybe it will improve the texture. Have not had amy problems with them. Shes does not object to them.Good luck.

[Dirtdogs]

Yeah! I was looking for info on the mars coat king, great info. I hand strip Toby without issue. Roxy, however, is like wrestling a wild animal. There is nothing she hates more than being stripped. I plan to try the coat king hopefully that will go a little better!

Kristi