Hand Stripping
Hand stripping is the recommended grooming technique for many wire-haired breeds such as Schnauzers and Terriers. Silky-coated breeds, such as Cocker Spaniels and Irish Setters can also be hand stripped to maintain the texture and lustre of the coat.
It is the process of manually removing dead hairs from a dog's top coat to make room for new ones to regenerate and grow. As opposed to clipping, hand stripping maintains two separate layers of the coat - a shorter, softer undercoat and longer guard hairs, or top coat. This enables your dog to distribute natural oils more evenly through the coat, and to regulate its body temperature to keep it cool in Summer and warm in Winter.
A dog can either be hand stripped in one session; over a few sessions to set the pattern; or we can 'roll the coat' which maintains the coat throughout the year by short, regular sessions, such as 30mins - 1hour every 2-3 weeks (exact intervals depend on the dog's breed and coat).
Full hand strip grooms include:
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Pre-groom consultation
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Health check
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Clipping nails
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Trimming hair between the paw pads
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Ears cleaned
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Anal glands expressed (on request only)
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Full body-massaging shampoo and condition*
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Warm blow dry with specialist dryer
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Thorough brush out
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Either full coat hand strip or partial strip if rolling the coat.
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Hygiene areas trimmed
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Tidy up hair around eyes
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Lots of love and attention throughout
*Bathing beforehand is not always necessary, it depends on the breed, and on your needs.
Hand stripping is charged by the hour. Please get in touch to discuss your requirements, availability and cost.
Hand Stripping Enquiry
Please get in touch for information about availability