Grooming / Stripping

[JRocken2]

I will be getting my Cairn puppy this Spring. I have never heard of stripping a dog before but have just finished reading a grooming book on Cairn's.

It sounds like a lot of work. How often does this have to be done? I also read that bathing a Cairn is not good for the under coat. Do they smell after awhile? Is it ok to bath them?

Please send info on how you take care of your Cairn as far a bathing, brushing, combing and stripping goes.

Need to figure all this out soon.

Thanks for any help

[oscar's mom]

When I first got my cairn pup, I washed him nearly everyday. Now that he is older, and doesn't have as many mistakes, I brush him daily. It takes away the stink, believe it or not.

Grooming is a very labor intensive job for these little guys. I still don't have it down, so good luck with that.

[bradl]

On my way out of the house, so just a quickie: Google: stripping site:cairnterrier.org (or put stripping into the google search box at the bottom of any page - it's much better and faster than the forum built-in search). Lots of information in similar previous topics. Cheers!

[Cairnmania]

Holy cow I checked the link Brad and we sure do talk a lot about stripping!

[kjwarnold]

Oh, it's not really so bad. Just brush weekly or more often if you want, then strip periodically. I probably do Packy every 3 months or so, or when he's looking like a yak. Unless you want a show quality coat, your best bet is the Mars Coat King. You can find it on the Col. Potter Cairn Rescue site. It's easy to use (just like brushing) and does an acceptable job for pets vs. show dogs. I also have a couple of stripping knives that I use on his legs and head, as well as thinning shears. Just try various things and you'll find what works best for you. Remember, it always grows back!

Oh, and as for bathing, Packy usually only has a couple of baths a year and most often before we go to stay with my folks. Sometimes I just rinse him down without shampoo and he does just fine.

[Cairnmania]

I will be getting my Cairn puppy this Spring. I have never heard of stripping a dog before but have just finished reading a grooming book on Cairn's.

It sounds like a lot of work. How often does this have to be done? I also read that bathing a Cairn is not good for the under coat. Do they smell after awhile? Is it ok to bath them?

Please send info on how you take care of your Cairn as far a bathing, brushing, combing and stripping goes.

Need to figure all this out soon.

Thanks for any help

Bathing a dog of any breed is not supposed to be done very often because it can dry the skin. Essentially, you should bath a dog only when they acquire an odor that cannot be removed by regular grooming or they get dirty enough that soap and water is a necessity.

If you strip rather than clip dogs will smell less "doggy" simply because you are removing the oldest (and I presume smelliest) coat. It is a lot of work if you want to show your Cairn, because then it becomes a weekly task to keep the little beast groomed to perfection. Lots of us compromise and do a combination of both a bit of clipping or scissoring and some hand pulling of the outer coat. If your Cairn will be a pet than the amount of time you spend in grooming is really up to you. A Cairn does not need to be stripped more than twice a year, more than that it's really your personal taste in terms of how you want your Cairn to look. On a per Cairn basis, I spend a bit more time stripping than I would need to chauffeur the dog to a groomer every couple of months. On a cost basis - I'm a heck of a lot cheaper! LOL.

However, if you do not want to strip you can clip a Cairn's coat. It just means the coat will be soft rather than harsh and if that's okay with you your Cairn will not complain.

I tell you what though - having had other breeds of dogs that shed their coats - if I factored the additional time I had to spend vacuuming rugs, furniture and picking hairs off clothing year round - plus going into overdrive brushing and vacuuming the 2x a year they "blew" their coats - I am sure that on balance stripping a nonshedding breed like Cairns takes a lot less time.

[Jessica H]

I do not groom mine nearly as much as everyone else does and they always look great. I recently got the Mars Coat King and I LOVE it! It works great and its easy.

I bathe them everyone month or so and I brush them once a week (maybe), I use the coat king every 3 weeks. Its not as much work as it sounds. It depends on their coat. Sadie is always a mess and has a much thicker coat, she tends to be more stinky than Scooter so she get bathed and brushed alot more...

Here is Scooter not being groomed professionally for 5 months, brushed maybe once a week and probably one or 2 baths, depending on how dirty he gets hiking...

[Puddlesmama]

Hand stripping isnt that hard...I started "practicing" on Puddles when she was 10 weeks old..Now she lays down iin the sun and lets me do it...She doesnt like her ears or butt done, But well figure it out.. it is great to learn yourself because it really helps with the bonding. I brush Puddles once a week and sshe does get a good bath about once a month. She is a working Cairn and tends to get realll dirty sometimes. Other than that..If she is muddy we get a good rinse before coming inside. I notice one thing about a Cairn..Puddles could be out digging in the mud, and be covered from head to paws..If I put her on her Doggy porch for an hour or so, Its virtually all gone! Its like she sheds her armor of mud and looks as pristine as she did in the morning! She still gets a rinse though because well, Ya know.

As for shampoo...I use Microtek...Its a great shampoo without a bunch of harsh chemicals.

[bradl]

Holy cow I checked the link Brad and we sure do talk a lot about stripping!

We surely do, but I can definitely see why it comes up as a bit of mystery for new owners. I'm always thrilled when anyone wants to take the best possible care of their dog's coat, or try to keep a Cairn look going. A thick, harsh coat is truly a thing of practical, natural beauty and it's not just for show dogs. I also agree that there's a continuum of possible care and that everyone should find their own (and their dog's) comfort zone along that continuum. Still, I most definitely encourage everyone to at least give hand-stripping a try, if just for the experience. It's just hair - it grows back!

[Aurora5000]

Mars King Coat is the way to go. We use the #12.

http://www.groomersmall.com/coat_kings.htm or other online places.

[Toby23]

Congratulations on your soon to be "parenthood" of getting a Cairn puppy ! You have found this board which is such a great extended family of Cairn parents. I pluck the long loose hairs off Toby probably every few days, while he is relaxing in my lap. I normally comb him a few times a week, but not on a set basis. I bathe him on a as needed basis, maybe once a month. Toby loves jumping in the bath tub with my granddaughter, the only thing is I have to make sure that any soap, shampoo or conditioner is rinsed off him before he bails out.

Enjoy your new love of your life !

[Maggie15]

After the first puppy months were over we bathe maggie maybe once a year, we have a harsh coat shampoo... we strip her every few months (not fully to undercoat only, more of a "roll") i think if you strip the dog they are alot less likely to smell, and will generally have healthier hair/skin... we hand strip and use a dr. scholls foot scrub, thinning shears for legs/belly, and scissors for the paws... she'll only smell bad if she rolls in something, other than that she's au naturelle...fresh cairn scent!

here's an older pic i took...