Does he have to be stripped?

[Hillscreek]

Thanks so much everybody. I wouldn't have tried to strip him without all your help here and the info I found on earlier forums on the same subject.

Thinning shears is a good suggestion Brad. My groomer trims between his pads when she does the other stuff.

Hope she doesn't freak out when she see him like this! Next time we see her will be beginning of April. No need for a shampoo that's for sure. Clean up wipes underneath maybe and the usual trims.

I hope this little illustrated story will be useful for other people who are considering what to do to maintain their Cairn's coat.

I'll send more pictures when there's something to see regarding coat returning.

Meanwhile I'll get a few more of the hairs still sticking out and I'll have a chance to burnish his beautiful undercoat which lies so close to the skin and which glows in the sunlight. It's thicker than I thought when I was just poking through the top coat. It will be an excellent insulating protection for him in all weathers.

Definitely sold on stripping. There's always something new to learn. To think I didn't even know what stripping a dog meant when I got him.

I've brushed him every few days since he was little and I think that has helped. He likes the attention. He's a sociable little guy like most of them. I chat to him while I brush him especially when I'm doing his head and face which he's not too keen on.

[Venise84]

All I could do with my dear Sami was his ears, the rest won't pull out yet. I brush him very often and the top of his back (shoulder area) seams to come by it self. I just cant wait for his face to be ready to pull out because for now, his eyes hair falls down into his eyes and it bugs me at the point that a make a small ponytail even tho his a male. I guess that I can cut it but I really wish to do the hand striping and give him the proper care. When should I expect the hard coat to grow around his eyes, and meanwhile how do you keep them from falling into their eyes?

By the way, my Sami is 4 months now.

[bradl]

Coat on the head (and legs) is often a good bit softer than the jacket. Some dogs do have harsh head furnishings, but even the standard allows for softer coat there. In any event existing soft coat must be removed to give harsher coat an opportunity to replace it. (In other words, new coat may be harsh -- or not -- but soft existing coat never becomes harsh on its own.)

To keep the "fall" over the brow to a reasonable length I just comb it straight up and yank the longest few hairs across the top. Try a few and stop, comb it down and check it frequently so you can stop before you go too far.

You can also just scissor it (I'd use a thinning shear if you have one) a bit shorter if you like. While I'm a strong believer in the skin health benefits of a stripped coat, I feel like the jacket has the most skin surface area and keeping the jacket pulled is probably 'good enough.'

Welcome to the forum!

[Hillscreek]

http://i1242.photobu...readytoplay.jpg

Can't remember how to make the pic appear. Click on linkk to see it.

I fiddled with his head hair. Plucked some and left a few sticking up between his ears. Scissor trimmed round his eyes. Pulled some round the outer parts. Guess maybe I should leave the rest?

Re the tail. Can I trim the bit at the end with scissors? He has a long tail.

A rainbow head with red, black and wheaten!

Edited April 5, 2012 by Hillscreek

[Lynn in TN]

What a sweetheart. It is so amazing to me that they look so sweet and innocent.

He is a real beauty. Looks good to me,but I am new at this.

[Hillscreek]

Well it's been a month since I stripped Angus. His hair is growing back. Feels harsh and coarse like it should. Doesn't show up well in a photo yet.

I'm thinking I'll just have to learn to roll the coat as it gets longer because I hate him not having the outer jacket. Seems to me if I just waited and stripped the whole thing twice a year it might be easier but the months without a proper jacket will be hard for me to take.

I finally can see what's meant by spreading a few hairs between my fingers. The varied lengths show up well. So when the coat grows some more I'll try pulling a few long ones.

how long should that be 2 to 3 inches maybe?

[Dempsy's Mom]

Angus is so adorable - just love his colors. You did great at stripping. What do you do when you "roll" the coat?

[KShep]

I love the color too! Tortoise-shell!

[Hillscreek]

Dempsys'Mom

Do you strip Demps's,coat?

I've never rolled the coat yet but from the advice I've received from kind folks on this forum on a longer coat than Angus has at the moment you can pull a few of the long dead hairs out at a time instead of stripping the whole thing at once. This has to be an ongoing thing a few hairs every week in different areas. This keeps new coat coming in. The coat forms layers.

This is not too well described but there is loads of info in this forum. Do a search on stripping and rolling and I'm sure you'll find lots of help.

It is very fiddly and I don't know if I'll be able to keep it up!

I'll be posting more on my experience when Angus's jacket grows longer. His belly and legs I just going to trim I think.

[Dempsy's Mom]

I have stripped Demps, but this time his hairs are so spinly. The other day I took a thinning shears to it, but I don't think that was the answer. I will just have to take time and sit with him it wouldn't take long to pull out those dead hairs. For us new ones, stripping or grooming is a topic I can never get enough of.

[Hillscreek]

I know Dempsy's Mom. Me too. I'm finding that learning by doing is helping me. Poor Angus is my experimental dog. Thank goodness the hair will grow back.

In the end the big thing really, is for our dogs who are not going to show is just to have clean skin with clean hair without mats. We manage as best we can!

Cut or strip has to be what works for each cairn owner. The coat texture may be softer with cutting but time is saved and I'm sure our cairns don't care one way or another

Wonder what they did in the old days. Maybe the coat was stripped naturally as the dogs crawled in and out of the rocks and bushes. Does anyone know about this?

[KShep]

Wonder what they did in the old days. Maybe the coat was stripped naturally as the dogs crawled in and out of the rocks and bushes. Does anyone know about this?

I've heard this!

[Hez]

I stripped Gus not long after you did your little guy. I didn't take out everything, I found that there was still a lot of top coat that was the same length as his undercoat so didn't see the point in taking them. I imagine you would get a similar effect from rolling (I had been rolling, or so I thought, now I know it was not enough!)

I also got the insperation because we had taken Gus to the vet to get his nails clipped. when we did them he bucked and wiggled so bad we couldn't go near him. The vet said he resisted for the first then just sulked for the other 3. After that I just said bugger you! stripping was a bit of a battle of wills, he settled after about 30min and even let me strip around the bottom and the plumbing. But I decided not to subject him to this even though he was willing. I was over it by that point and just trimmed him.

So anyone who is having problems, don't give up!! Show your little one who is top dog.

Would love to know how your little guys coat grows back, is it a different colour?

Hez

[Macdaddy]

We have been told that our little Mac doesn't have a "hard coat" that he was born without it. He was a little "shaggier" than his brothers and sisters which were wheaton. He's more of a strawberry but I do feel some wiry hairs along his spine. Does this coat ever come in ? will it make a difference long term ? He's nice and soft

[Hillscreek]

Mac Daddy

From what I have been hearing soft coat does not become hard by itself. Possibly when your little guy gets old enough to strip the puppy coat out, then you can do that and a harsher coat may grow in but I don't think there's any guarantee.

There's other people with cairns with soft coats and they may have more to say.

If you want to show him a hard coat is a must. If not it doesn't matter. He's still a cairn no matter what! He's a good looking little guy and he'll give you lots of fun and be a great buddy not matter what kind of coat he has.

Hez

I was wondering if you had stripped Gus. Great that you are the boss now

So far Angus's coat is coming back harsh pretty much the same color it was. A lighter red than the undercoat with a few wheaten hairs scattered about.

I'll post pics when it gets a bit longer. You can't tell much right now.

I left the hair on his head but much of it has just rubbed off by itself as he has played about outside. New softer hair is growing in - a mix of colors like before.

Have you got current pics of Gus's coat?

[Hillscreek]

http://i1242.photobu...kslaterhead.jpg

Sorry still having trouble w. pics.

Here is his head after five weeks. Lots of the long hairs just seem to have rubbed off. New hair is coming in.

hair was trimmer w. scissors round eyes two weeks ago.

Edited April 29, 2012 by Hillscreek

[bradl]

[Hez]

Keep trying - but it doesn't like the photos keeps saying post to short - ideas?

[Hez]

okay - am gonna try again - am going to attach the files because it doesn't like the copy and paste

In before he actually had caught a mouse but I cropped it out This was while on holidays - boy I wanted to get home and start stripping!

After was taken on my ptr's camera phone - I got sick of it in the end (2 days over easter - about 2-3 hrs each time) and trimmed his legs (badly) his head and ears I have been doing slowly - will try and add legs to it, all these are really really soft and hard to pull - found if I pull the opposite direction to the growth it comes out easier - when I did the hard coat I was pulling with the hair - just a little note I guess.

I love his darker ridge down his back.

The ear is one since i've started on them - he really doesn't want me to finish them and is better behaved if I pop him on a table - but its so much nicer for me to do it sitting on the couch watching TV damn it! - The old hair is all silver grey but the underneath is really really red.

The last one I took just a few minutes ago - shows the back of his coat these days as it grows back.

When I was stripping him, other than doing close to his head I actually had his cone on him. (he had a problem licking his paw which was stopping it healing) When he had the cone on he didn't bother trying to mouth me or anything just sat there and moved around every now and then if he got sick of a spot. Twitchiest bit was his back legs (the drumsticks lol) I actually held him up so his back legs were on the table and his front ones over my arm then leant over and pulled with my spare hand, I was basically pulling blind but got the bulk of it out very quickly.

But I will never be letting it go this much again I can tell you!!!!

[Hillscreek]

Great pics Hez Thanks for posting the before and after. Just shows what can be done! You did a great job with the strip.

[Hez]

Its funny how it sneaks up on you. Looking at it now i wonder how the hell I let it get so bad!! Its funny though because its at that stage now that people pat him and think he feels really rough but compared to how he was - he is all smooth and sleek!

I finished his ears tonight, now I really need to do more on his head because they look so naked in comparison!!!

[Islander]

Thought this would be a good place to share Gus' semi-annual stripping today. His breeder does it for me. I really admire all of you who do it yourselves.

[KShep]

Thought this would be a good place to share Gus' semi-annual stripping today. His breeder does it for me. I really admire all of you who do it yourselves.

Aww...It's so great to look at pictures posted here. All the dogs are definitely Cairn, but they are also full of their own little personality. Sweet Gus!

[Hez]

Looks like we could start a threat - My Cairn Gus!

[Hillscreek]

Angus eight months old today. New coat growing in for eight weeks. Some long hairs on elbow and front legs that I couldn't pull. Figure they will come out later. Color seems to be similar to first coat though straighter. Feels coarse to touch.

Almost all long hairs on head have come out while he was running in long grass and brush.

Can't see too well on this photo but looks like he's growing a sort of ruff on lower part of neck. Is this usual? Should I be starting to roll this I wonder?

What does anyone think?

Edited May 8, 2012 by Hillscreek