I stripped Ellie's back these past 2 days but now...

[Carolinasmom]

I was super excited how much I got done and how easy it was, (mostly used the finger cots, thanks Brad! and a stripping knife a little bit, esp her lower back.) This is the first time I have stripped her, (my other Cairn I only clipped and once I found this board then I used the MCK and scissors a bit). Her back looks good and it's easy to see where I've stopped. Now however she has a skirt and on either side of her tail it's like wool! Also, the hair on her chest doesn't look like the rest, seems softer and doesn't really pull out. She is getting really snippy with me, won't let me pull anywhere else. What should I do now? I bought some thinning shears that worked well on either side of her face where she looks like a lion since she won't let me pull there either.

Help! Do I just keep working on it or does anyone find that their sides are too tender to pull?

What about her chest? All her other hair is definitely two-toned and the darker part pulled right out but her chest is lighter and softer and doesn't really pull.

Thanks!

[Lynn in TN]

The first time I stripped Kelly I didn't pull her belly fur because it was soft and I was afraid of hurting her. She didn't like me pulling her belly, tail or legs. the last 2 times I have pulled from these places regardless. I didn't give her a choice in the matter but I didn't do it all at once. The second time she didn't fight near as much and I have noticed a big difference in her belly fur, it is a lot more course. I think it is like anything else with these cute little smart Cairns if they pick up on our feelings( I was afraid when I started in these areas that it would hurt her) She picked up on it and used it against me. The last time I stripped her (I was more matter of fact about it) I am gonna do this whether you like it or not and it didn't seem to bother her near as bad as before. I also use some stewed chicken as treats when I got to these areas. ( haha)

good luck and have fun and don't let her see you sweat!

[bradl]

Make sure you're only pulling a *very* few hairs at a time in sensitive places. You can also make it easier by gently stretching the skin in that area first before pulling (for example, gently "pinch" a roll of skin and pre-stretch it, then pluck the hair). That seems to have the effect of displacing or reducing the sensation of the actual hairs being pulled.

I don't like to make it a battle either, although if one starts I don't quit until I win Then the next time I just keep the session shorter, move around quicker between easy and sensitive places, and try not to let it escalate in the first place.

If I have a real nipper I find it can help a lot if someone can hold their head to immobilize it. I can somewhat do it one-handed, but it's easier if someone can tend to it. To immobilize the head I sort of touch my thumbs together and then make a circle behind the head with pressure against the occiput (the lower back skull) and the lower mandible.

[Hillscreek]

Like Lynn I was somewhat afraid at first. The back and sides were easy. The rest I did in bits and pieces. This was Angus's first strip as a puppy at the end of March.

Now the new coat is coming in but it has taken me these last three months to get the rest of the puppy coat out of the sensitive areas. I play about with him a lot so he is used to me touching him all over and that has helped. I gave him special treats after. I took only a few hairs at a time like Brad suggested.

If it got hard for him I made him let me pull a couple of hairs then quit. You always have to be in charge like Bad and Lynn say. Also I was quite tentative at first. Easier when I got braver.

I have only ever used my hands with finger cots. Scared to use any of those knives - I'm afraid I'll cut his coat.

I say keep at it. It is worth it when the new coat comes in - which is MUCH slower than I expected in Angus's case. But it is beautifully coarse and it glitters in the sun from certain angles. It is looking pretty good and it is already a good protection for him.

You can read my whole saga in the thread called Does he have to be stripped? in the grooming section. I posted pictures as I went along and got lots of help. from Brad and others.

Good luck!

[Carolinasmom]

Thanks Brad, Lynn and Hillscreek! So this reminds me of "Nemo" "Just keep swimming, just keep swimming" or rather, "Just keep pulling, just keep pullling!"

Since she looks kind of goofy I feel like I need to have it all done NOW and Ellie is saying, "Enough, Mommy!" She also FREAKS when the scissors come near. She really needs some trimming on her face, near her eyes but it's just not safe at this point!

[Hillscreek]

Angus has looked goofy for at least three months!!

As per lots of advice I let his head alone and picked at it or 'weeded' I think was the word Brad used. It gradually came out and the last bits came out by themselves as i brushed him or ran about through long grass and brush on our walks.He sure looked pretty funny there for a while!

[Carolinasmom]

Hillscreek, your thread on Angus was helpful! I had read it before but since I hadn't started with Ellie it didn't make much sense to me then.

[Lynn in TN]

I pull the fur on her face and around her eyes. I only pull a couple at a time. I don't touch Kelly with the scissors as I am afraid of poking her eye out. The first time she didn't like, but she has gotten better every time I strip her. I have started rolling her coat about every two weeks I pull somewhere on her body,(just a little bit) Doing it that way is getting her more comfortable being messed with.

Good luck!

[KShep]

She has a lovely coat. I need to work on Ripley's next week! Time for some more rollin'!

[KShep]

She has a lovely coat. I need to work on Ripley's next week! Time for some more rollin'!

"They see me rollin'. They hatin'!"

[PLGD]

I find that if I strip/groom Max outside I am more successful and can work longer. He is distracted, in a trance almost and lets me do just about anything (except his tail of course!). I have been using a ZoomGroom in addition to a pin-brush, fine comb, and slicker (last used sparingly as it seems to irritate him). I am always amazed at just how effective the ZG is at removing the dead coat & he doesn't mind it in the 'sensitive' areas.

[Carolinasmom]

That's where we've been working, outside. She was quite entertained with watching the kids play which helped. I tell you though, she will NOT let me pull on her sides. She looks the same as in the photos above. She's done with it! After hearing about the ZG on here, I did buy one but am not sure how to use it. Directions say to go in a circular motion? Is that what you do with Max?

[PLGD]

No, circular seems to snarl/tangle with the hair and thus irritate Max (7+months). I just use it like a brush - long strokes in the direction of hair growth - after a pin brush and comb through. The hair just comes out. It kinda piles up at the end of the stroke for easy removal. Max seems to enjoy the 'massage' from the rubber tips. It doesn't get all the dead hair (I can still finger strip some) but I use it every week and it seems to take care of most of them (when I hand stripped his puppy hair it took 3 -4 wks before anything came out with it). Some of the undercoat also comes out with it but I find a fine comb or slicker working seem to work well for it right now. I usually finish up with the pin brush or comb around the face as that seems sufficient to keep it looking nice (ears I do by hand and make sure to remove any curly down inside). The flat side (held against the palm) is good for removing his hair from me when I'm done, too.

Hope this helps.

[PLGD]

OHhhhh...on his sides I still stroke front to back - shoulder to bum. So I guess that is perpendicular to the growth pattern. Likewise, on the bum.

[Carolinasmom]

Thanks PLGD! I'll give it a try!

[PLGD]

Carolinasmom, I took a few pics yesterday of Max's coat so you can see how long/layered it is. His legs are a bit longer than ideal but we like it. We've only completely stripped him once and have tried to maintain to avoid doing so. It is part of the daily routine now to 'tidy up' with a brushing/combing. So far so good.

Ellie is going to look so spiffy she'll wonder what she was fussing with you about!

[Hillscreek]

Max looks just great PLGD!

That's how I'm hoping Angus will be. I just posted a closeup of his coat at three months on the way back and a week or two rolling. You can see the layers already. On my does he have to be stripped thread with comments from Brad

Keep at it Carolinasmom.

Ellie will look just supper I'm sure. And have a better and healthier coat also.

[PLGD]

Thanks, Hillscreek, your grooming thread was my guide! Yours and an 2 original grooming posts from Brad have been my go-to for how-to . I figured a bit each day/wk is easier than 2xyr. When we were gone for 2wks, my elder daughter did the bare minimum but he was getting shaggy by our return. After a complete groom routine, he looked so much better that it convinced me to maintain. It does become a bit of an obsession though if not careful......Max will be focused on something & I'll see long strays, pluck them and he just looks over his shoulder as if to say, "Lady, do you mind? I'm trying to concentrate!!"

[Hillscreek]

PLGD That's how it s with Angus right now. We sit outside on the deck in the evening when it is cooler and he often sits on my lap for a while. So naturally I can't help swirling his coat about and seeing a long hair here and there and compulsively plucking it out. Mostly he doesn't care but if I'm nearing a sensitive spot he gives me a look.

Glad you found the thread useful. I thought it would be a cool idea to try and follow the whole process through keeping a record. Of course cairn's coats are all a bit different but the general process is roughly the same. Hopefully I can keep it up till he has a full coat by Sept.

[Carolinasmom]

Ellie's hard coat is coming in very nicely on her back. I never could pull her sides or rear so ended up clipping it. So now that her hard coat is coming in I can see just where I had pulled it and where it is clipped b/c there is a definite line with hard coat vs. soft coat. Oops! Guess I need to keep trying! sigh...

[DemiSheep]

Ellie's hard coat is coming in very nicely on her back.

Forgive me for being such a newbie but is this Ellie's first time having her hard coat come in? That is correct right? It can only happen once unless the dog gets shaved right?

Well the reason I ask is I know Ellie is now a year old and my wife and I were just talking yesterday and wondering when Tessa's hard coat was going to come in. I think hers might be starting, but she is such a soft cotton ball. Tessa is 8 months old now. Attila's hard coat came in what seemed like right away when he was very young, but I just may not remember correctly.

[bradl]

Many variables. Some dogs do have soft coats - Stella's coat is tragically soft, always was and probably always will be. It's not correct and breeders tell me it's easier to breed back in a decent coat compared to fixing other more stubborn and complicated faults, like poor fronts and rears.

If Tessa's puppy fluff was never stripped, a proper coat will have a hard time coming in until the soft fluff has been pulled or eventually comes out on its own.

Other dogs start life with a soft coat but if rolled constantly, it will develop into a better coat. One of Echo's sisters was like that - we liked her conformation but were terrified of the coat (being lazy and all). Her co-breeder in Colorado took her on and darned if she didn't develop a nice coat after some (OK, a lot) of work.

Shaving a coat is more likely to ensure it stays soft. Shaving does nothing to renew coat and leaves the dead coat in the skin, just shorter. Some will brush out eventually, over time, and a hard hair or three might replace it, but it's definitely not the way to get a hard coat.

Just like some dogs have a genetically soft coat, some dogs seem to have practically a boar bristle coat. It's possible those coats can't be killed with a thermonuclear device and might survive clipping. Such a coat would be rare.

[DemiSheep]

Thanks Bradl for the informative response. That helped a lot.