Stripping or Clipping..

[GllntKnight]

A rough coat JRT. Neither comes out looking any good guess I'll just leave him with a long coat. I'm not spending any money for professional stripping $130. or even clipping which is not the proper thing to do a Jack should be stripped.

[emmabeth]

I am confused, are you asking us? If so, why if you wont consider either?

Stripping is far far better for the coat for most breeds, including those people wouldnt normally consider traditionally stripped breeds, as it thins out the coat reducing the density and removes the dead hair, leaving behind a tighter coat which is more waterproof and dirt proof and insulate the dog more efficiently against cold/heat.

I don't pay for stripping - I taught myself, which is totally free as long as you have fingers. Just do a little at a time and you can easily tidy up any dog, and even if you arent that good at it the results will be free, and a lot better than an amateur job with the clippers or scissors!

This is an example from a few year ago, the time it took to go from the before to the after was approx 20 minutes.

[Mattie]

I used to use a comb thing with a razor blade inside for Gracie, it stripped the long hairs out and didn't cut them. Gracie was a bundle of energy and wouldn't stand to be stripped so this was the easiest way.

[GllntKnight]

Looks good to me twenty minutes I wouldn't mind but even the professionals take three hours and I don't have that kind of patients let alone the money to pay someone. I suppose I'll try stripping again anyway I have to stripping combs Fine for the face etc thanks for you input how do you strip the face?

[emmabeth]

I do all my stripping using my hands, and sometimes just a plain normal dog comb.

First I start out with the dog well groomed so I know all the loose coat and loose undercoat is gone.

I prefer the dog not to be bathed recently as the dirty coat is easier to grip, and to be warm from having had a run around, as this means the coat is easier to strip out.

With my dog, from the top of his head, everything above his eyebrows backward comes off, so thats everything from above his eyebrows to the tip of his tail.

For the sides of his face, i just really gently roll the coat between finger and thumb to remove the sticky outty hairs - do be gentle with faces.

For the body I prefer the dog to be laying on his side (however that dog in particular prefers to be stood or sat, so we compromise, a little bit my way, a little bit his way), I use one hand to tension the skin and then the other hand brushes a section of hair back against the growth direction, grips it and pulls it out WITH the direction of growth. Never pull it out against the direction of growth as taht would be painful.

There is absolutely no need to do it in one go - as I say, the results in that picture took 20 minute sto achieve and is by no means a professional job, to get him looking really smart I would do a further 20 minutes, broken down into ten minute sessions - as long as you dont mind your dog looking half done or having bald patches for a day or two though, theres no reason why you cannot break down the entire job into five, ten, 15 minute sessions - whatever suits you and the dog in question.