Handstripping Heidi is principal of Absolutely Animals and London School of Pet Grooming, with over 30 years in the business, Heidi is a highly qualified and experienced industry expert as well as an award-winning groomer, former Groom Team England member and founder member of the British Isles Grooming Association (BIGA). This month Heidi shows us a basic guideline to handstripping dogs.
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andstripping is a term that is used in dog grooming. The term describes a technique that is used when pulling or plucking a dog hair from the root within the skin follicle. Hand stripping simulates the natural shedding process of the coat. This process helps the hair to be removed from the follicle; which promotes the natural regrowth, colour and texture of the coat. Hand stripping can be carried out on a variety of breeds and textures of coat. There are mainly two types of hair on a dog, a top coat hair (A Harsher Guard hair) and an undercoat hair (a softer secondary hair). Handstripping can be carried out by hand or by using the New electric KARHIA machine. Hand stripping can be carried out at any time as long as the hair is ready to be removed. From every week to once a year. The timing will depend on your breed and the desired look you wish to achieve.
How to hand strip Hand stripping must be carried out on a dog that is accepts it, and one where the coat is easily removed. The skin is usually kept taught behind the area being stripped; hair is removed by gripping the hair and pulling it out in the direction the coat grows; along the skin.Usually we strip from the top of the coat down but in thicker areas I find it easier to lift the coat and strip from underneath first. The tools 30 | Total Grooming Magazine
usually dictate the amount of hair being removed at one time, although removing less hair at a time, this helps the hair to be removed easily and without discomfort to the dog.
Terminology A ‘blown coat’ is one which has grown out to its maximum length. Usually seen with dogs groomed once or twice a year. A blown coat is a dead coat that has stopped growing and is essentially just dead hair left in the hair follicles. When you hand strip, you take out all the blown dead coat so that the new coat has room to come through, leaving just an undercoat such as in the case of most pet border terriers. Carding is a term commonly associated with hand stripping. Carding is carried out on wire coats and silky coats and is a technique of combing the undercoat out with a very fine stripping comb, carding tool or elasticated comb.
When you card the coat after stripping you will reduce the undercoat making it lay flatter and making room for the new top coat to grow through. A Rolled coat describes the various lengths of coat which make up the Jacket. A dog which comes in every 6 weeks would have at least 2 clear
