Hand Stripping

A Grooming Technique for Hard Coated Dogs

The Benefits of Hand Stripping a Dog's Coat

Stripping encourages a dog's natural coat texture and color. Once a dog's coat is cut with an electric clipper or scissor, the coat begins to soften and often the color will lighten to the point where it no longer resembles the dog's true genetic color.

A stripped coat is harder, is dirt- and water-repellent, and does not mat as easily as a clippered coat.

A properly cared for stripped coat will lie flatter, and so can be left to grow longer, than a clippered coat, which will get fluffy, and often curly, if left to grow too long.

What I recommend

One to two hours each month to maintain the look of the coat.

What I do

I roll the coat. This means I pluck the longest hairs, leaving a shorter coat. In between grooming, new hairs grow in where the long hairs were plucked. In this way, there is always good looking shorter hair and new hair growing in - with color on the tip.

To show off the dogs musculature I rake or card the undercoat so that the coat lies flat to the body.

I do not hand strip the coat down to baldness, as one might do to a "show dog", unless that is you want.

If the coat is dull in color, soft, or fluffy it may take up to 6 months to restore it to it's hard coat state.

Bath or No Bath

Many believe a bath is not necessary. Usually a hard coated dog can be kept clean by brushing the dog's coat. If you'd like your dog bathed, it would be bathed AFTER the hand stripping is done.

If you want to bathe your dog before hand stripping, it must be bathed at least 3 days before, so the natural oils are replenished before the dog's coat is hand stripped.