Does he have to be stripped?

[Hillscreek]

Angus is just six months and it looks like a fairly thick double coat is growing in and I think he may have the 'yak' look or highland cattle look by the time he gets a full coat.

This coat will protect him from heat and cold and precipitation of all sorts. It will protect him from the underbrush and bugs when we are out and about in the countryside.

I thought maybe soft slicker brush and bristle brush for his face would be enough.Thought I would forgo bathing unless he got into something really stinky since shampooing takes the protective waterproofing oils out of the hair.

But I see from many posts that most people thin the coats. Is this for looks? to conform to show standards? cleanliness?

Please advise.

[bradl]

Speaking for myself:

But I see from many posts that most people thin the coats. Is this for looks?

Yes.

to conform to show standards?

Yes.

cleanliness?

Yes.

Also for skin health. Also for glorious harsh texture.

[Hillscreek]

This how he looks now. Shall I start stripping?

[Sue G]

I don't strip. I have Ozzy scissor cut about 3 times a year to clean him up a bit. Most will advise against that, but so far it hasn't changed his coat and it's just plain easier for me. I guess my point is that unless you intend on showing you can do whatever you wish. Some strip, some clip, some do nothing. As long as your dog is clean (even that is kind of optional!) and you brush from time to time he should be fine. These are sturdy, healthy, adaptable little dogs!

[bradl]

Hillscreek, sure, why not? The coat is beginning to part so you can add some layers and begin to build some density by lightly pulling a tiny bit here and there.

Hard to know from a photo sometimes, but if you look on the neck, yank a hair or two from the part where it looks red on the tip but white at the base. My guess is if you look at the pulled hair you will find it thin and colorless at the follicle end. If you recycle 1% of those sorts of hairs every day (just as an example - most people would actually just spend 10 minutes once a week going lightly over the whole dog - maybe 10% of the coat) you will likely begin to get some nice layers going.

[Hillscreek]

Thank you for the encouragement.

I can see from this and other posts here and on the UK site I've also joined, that one can do what one likes with a pet coat and need to have a show coat a certain way. Seems coats are quite variable in texture and thickness.

I pulled a few hairs out Brad. They are a different color at the root but I can't tell if that means they are dead. Angus just lay on the table chewing his favorite small toy and let me do what I wanted, which was nice.

Not much came out and no undercoat.

I'm glad I started brushing him as soon as I got him. He likes to be groomed, though wriggly after a bit - well he's just a pup!

What are layers? Spine to belly? How to get them?Thus is naive I know and Brad you must have answered this many times - just direct me where to go.

It's all so new and exciting.

Basically with my retrievers I brushed once a week or if they got burrs etc in the coat. If muddy sent them for a swim.

I wondered if Cairns didn't just change coats naturally Spring and Fall. At that time I could just brush and brush and the hair came out.

I agree with you both that regular care to keep him clean is the most important thing.

I'll just play around with him over the next few months. I think I'd probably want to keep him natural looking. Especially I want to keep the rough protective outer coat.

Thanks again.

[bradl]

Here's a rendering of the life cycle of a hair, courtesy of Curt Whall:

Layers of coat are just sets of coat that are at different lengths and stages of growth. In simplistic terms it's nice to have one coat just coming in (like stage 2, but even shorter), one coat at ideal length (stage 2, around 1.5 - 2 inches) and one coat going out (stage 3) -- with nothing at stage 4 (dead) or 5 (falling out on its own). A "rolled" coat will actually have many layers, because at frequent intervals the stage 3s will be pulled, leaving a place (stage 1) for a new hair to grow, creating a new layer shorter than the others.

Another way to visualize it is if you slide your hand into the coat, and make a sort of "scissors" gesture with your index and middle fingers, like a hairdresser might do, and then look at the line of hair coming up out of your fingers -- in an ideal coat you'll see many different lengths; if you groom only at lengthy intervals, you might see one "row" of shorter hair and another "row" of longer hair.

The reason a rolled coat is so nice on a show dog is because all the shorter hairs help hold the slightly longer hairs up and out - giving the coat a thick, lush texture. Your hand just disappears into a coat like that, feeling like it's enveloped in a nice bristly glove. Whereas on my dogs it feels more like I'm just lifting a scraggly hairball out of the shower drain The layers are especially helpful and noticeable on the head, where the short hairs help prop up the longer hairs, giving that full, strong head appearance. The hair on the head is often softer than the jacket, so the extra help is needed unless the dog is lucky to have nice harsh head furnishings. Our Dundee seems to be that way naturally, while the other dogs need a bit of propping up - they look good on show day but a couple days later they have "bed head."

[Hillscreek]

Oh so that's what's meant by layers! So I guess only dead hairs are coming out when I pull. I daresay I could work up to rolling the coat. I have the time now I'm retired - but knowing me maybe not the will!

It is interesting to see the different colors he has. On the spine and slightly down he is quite a bright red all the way to the skin. On the lower flanks and head there are dark hairs growing in. On the neck the new hair is wheaten! Do they ever look patchy I wonder.

No matter what color the hair that's fine with me. I know they often change over the years.

I need to go study some more

[cairnsby3]

Rolling the coat isn't bad, I do mine once a week, not all parts every week. It gives me a good chance to really go over the dog, seeing any bumps, scabs, bugs, etc. It doesn't take that long, when it isn't out of hand.

[Hillscreek]

Well, I've read books and posts and googled and I thank you all for such generous patience with a Newbie.

I will try rolling the coat and see if I can get several layers going. Right now as you mentioned Brad there are long hairs and short hairs and the undercoat (not much of that though). I will have continue to trim round his eyes. Not sure we are up to pulling that yet and I love to see those dark intelligent sparkly eyes looking at me and saying 'OK what's next?'

I'm guessing I'll probably end up like several people have mentioned elsewhere with a combination pull on the easier areas and trim the belly. I do like being able to examine his skin closely while I lift up the hair.

Will keep up the regular brushing. Good bonding and cleaning time. He loves it. When I say 'Shall I make you a pretty boy?' he runs to the shelf where I keep a basket with brushes etc in and looks up expectantly.

[Hillscreek]

Got brave this afternoon. It's like you said Brad in another post a long while back. Once you do it (ride the bike or whatever) you're on your way.

This what I learned

1 Don't fiddle about like I was doing which kind of irritated Angus. Get hold and pull. Amazingly the hair comes out. The dog doesn't care.

2 I was wondering about patchy coloring. Now that his hair is longer looking closely I see he is mainly a red brindle.

Fascinating.

[Lynn in TN]

It is fascinating! Kelly is lighter when her fur is longer. I am stripping Kelly a little right now and I have found some black hairs on her chest. She hasn't had black on her since I stripped her puppy layer, and it is odd to find it in the lightest fur on her body. Good luck and pictures would be great when your finished.

[Hez]

Hi!

After experiencing not stripping, I would highly recomend it if you don't want to invest in a better vaccum. No matter what you read about Cairns not shedding - this is really only the case when they have been stripped.

Just yesterday I was sitting on the floor next to Gus and must have had my hand on the edge of his coat, because when he jumped up I heard this all might rip sound and a very large amount of hair was still on the ground - Gus didn't notice a thing.

Also keeping his coat long seems to attract prickles and I'm generally checking him over after every walk and finding several (once more than 20 ) all over him. He has become quite good at getting them out himself, but he can not reach all of them. I don't actually know if a shorter coat would help, but they are generally in the long hairs hanging off his legs - Which I think look adorable and so do the prickles!

(incase you are wondering - we invested in a better vaccum - we also have a cat - I love my Dyson!)

Your so lucky he likes to be brushed. Gus has never liked it - even after persisting most days with a quick brush or comb. enjoy the time together!

Heather

[Hillscreek]

We also have burrs and prickles that cling to Angus's coat. He's learning to to get them off himself with his big new beautiful teeth. But I still have to go over him. I think he will always get them somewhat no matter what length his hair is. So hopefully a shorter coat will be easier to take care of.

Since I'm pulling a few hairs whenever I get the chance I use my vacuum quite a bit more Hopefully I'll get to the stage when I can do more in one place!

Hope to post pics later.

[Hillscreek]

I've started. I stripped some along the spine and sides. Red undercoat shows there. Old coat still on rear. Fairly easy but I've left lots of single hairs here and there. Guess I'll have to go back for them? I'll work on stripping the rest of the coat first.

If it's a mess it will grow back over the summer (I hope).

Comment?

[bradl]

Yep, you're part way done with Spring Cleaning We usually leave some "face" so they don't feel naked if they look in a mirror head-on

No need to worry about a few missed hairs as you'll get them in some future pass (unless they bug you, in which case yank way). Once the new coat starts coming in, you can begin to roll it.

The problem for me is that I get so lazy waiting for a fresh coat to start that by the time it's arrived I've lost the habit or will to groom. Hence the coat sprouts, flowers, then looks fabulous for a month or two, then withers ... and the cycle repeats, with a fresh total strip to start over. Oh well!

[Hillscreek]

Hey Brad you are so kind and supportive! Thanks

Of course I have all the enthusiasm of beginning a new venture. I went back to yanking - I mean pulling carefully - after sending the picture. Once I found how to do it I couldn't stop. And he doesn't mind. I found this hard to believe before I started but it is true - for all you folks that are hesitant to try.

I just laid Angus on a towel on the table on my deck. It's twenty degrees warmer than usual here for this time of year. I gave him a chewy stick to work on. He chewed, I pulled. I got the rest of the back done and quite far down the sides before he finished his chew and it was time for us both to quit. A little breeze blew the mound of hair away. I'll see it in a robin's nest soon I bet.

This stripping business is time consuming for sure. Glad it was a nice day and nothing else on the agenda. Got to learn as no-one round here does it and some don't know what it is.

Maybe I can start a business as the local (dog) stripper heh heh heh

[Lynn in TN]

Kelly just lays there too except for belly, butt and legs. She doesn't like it in those places. Her fur is softer and not as easy to pull in those areas. I hope in the future it gets easier in those areas. I am not great at this but their isn't anyone in my area that strips, and most people don't even know what a Cairn Terrier is for that matter.

You are doing a great job and I am glad you both are enjoying it. Good luck!

[Hillscreek]

I need a break!

What' s great is really seeing the undercoat.

Got to sensitive places like you Lynn. Belly and legs. Legs are fluffy and I'm not sure I can pull them.

Just trim maybe. He's so patient - don't want to spoil this.

How much off the head?

Edited March 20, 2012 by Hillscreek

[Hez]

wow - makes me want to get home and really go at Gus's coat. he is red in some parts underneath and others are grey and white. I can't wait to see it!

[Hillscreek]

Help

I'm worried about the head. Looks like bald strips!! Should there be undercoat there.

Head as it looks today.

[cairnsby3]

I would only take a tiny bit off the head, cause the head takes longer to grow back. It has taken me years to get hard head hair on my female, just cause I never wanted her to look bald.

[KShep]

Wow! Great job. I wonder if Ripley will allow me to do this. Doubt it. She usually gets angry

[Hillscreek]

He looks like a totally different dog. It's a bit scary. 8 weeks to wait for coat to come back seems a long time.

However he's the same Angus inside. Curious, mischievous, energetic, eager to learn something new, ready to play.

Cairnsby Thank you. I have decided not to mess with his head any more right now. His hair nice and coarse there and I want to keep it that way. Maybe I'll be able to figure out a way to deal with a few hairs here and there later.

KShep. The secret for me was to keep him busy chewing his treat while I pulled. I don't have a grooming table or even a grooming arm. Maybe I'll have to get an arm for later. He wasn't so keen when I tried to work on his belly and legs. Guess I might have his groomer trim them when she trims his private areas and does his nails which are things I find hard to do.

Big thing for me is to try and keep the hard protective (and attractive) outer coat on most of his body.

[bradl]

I don't shy away from using a thinning shear along the "rudder" or underbelly if need be. I also use scissors to trim around the feet and the plumbing. Like Cairnsby I pretty much only thin or "weed" the head.