To Strip or not to Strip

I sometimes get the question: "Do you hand strip?" My answer, shortly followed by a cringe...is "no." Hand stripping is a classic grooming technique often administered with show terriers. It is a process that aims to remove the fly-away longer strands of hair that extends longer than the shorter, more dense hairs of most terriers.
What is hand-stripping/carding?
Hand stripping involves the use of a tool called a "stripping knife" that looks like a cheese spreader or butter knife with sharp jagged teeth. It has also been referred to as "carding", the process of using the back side of a #10 finishing clipper blade. Essentially, these tools "pluck" thousands of hairs at a time out of the dog's coat, giving it the final finished look of being smooth.

stripping kife

In my opinion, unless your dog is a competitor in the prestine dog shows of the world, this is not a process worth your pet's endurance. If you can only imagine 30 to 45 minutes of constant plucking and pulling of thousands of strands of hair...it is a very torturous thing to put your pet through for no reason, except for that of cosmetic outward appearance. It's one of those things I refuse to do. In fact, I do not even own a stripping knife! There are two fantastic alternative methods to achieving a similar appearance that will leave your pet not only looking smooth and gorgeous, but feeling pampered and remaning comfortable during his/her grooming experience. When grooming, my number one goal is to make pets look their best while keeping them safe, comfortable, and stress-free. Grooming can be very difficult for some animals!
There are two ways to achieve the same smooth look of a hand-stripped terrier. One is to use a short blade size and shave off the wispy, wiry, flyaway strands of hair. The other is to blend them down to the length of the smoother, shorter hairs. I use my blending (thinning shears) to achieve this. Sure, it can be a tiresome process for the groomer, because it involves a lot of hand motion in having to blend the entire body. But, it's a far less painful experience to the animal and it looks wonderful afterwards!

A terrier mix with wispy strands of hair standing out everywhere.

see how the wisps start to blend off nicely, leaving behind the denser, desired portion of the coat.

Left: not scissored / Right: scissored

After Photo

Education is what's important for our pets! Isn't it nice to know what really goes on at the groomer's? I'm not one of those groomers who charge you extra add-on fees to put your dog through more torture. Although, sometimes, my methods or alternative options may leave an owner in a state of hesitation, my clients know that I always have their pet's best comfort and safety set as my top priority. Everything else is just in the details!

Posted by Stacey using Blogsy

Nail Dilemma: A "Kwik" Guide on Nail Cutting

People are always asking me about nail cutting. It can be one of the scariest things for nervous owners and even more...their nervous dogs! Most often, it's a former bad experience with toenail trimming that the pet has at one time experienced that causes him to fight and be fearful about having his toenails trimmed. I always recommend to owners and groomers that you don't try to get the nail as short as possible with these very fearful dogs. Instead, have them get their nails trimmed every couple of weeks (more often that the usual once per month) so that:

A. They will get used to the process and begin to trust the groomer. (It helps to have the same groomer every time for consistency and a pleasurable familiarity between dog and groomer.)

B. Take a little off each time, so as to not cut too low, into the painful kwik. The more you can avoid accidents, the more likely the dog will develop a trust for the process.

People usually complain about dark or black toenails, which are harder to judge. Face it, you can't see the kwik through the nail at all...so you have to get to know the dog's nails, have an idea of how long his/her kwiks grow within the nail, and just be very practiced at doing it. That's why, if you're unsure or uneasy about trimming your pet's nails yourself, have a professional groomer or veterinary technician do it instead. Clear nails are much easier to locate the kwik through, as it visible as a pink piece of flesh.

If you should happen to accidentally cut your pet's kwik, you'll want to clot the bleeding using baking flour or even better, a product we groomers use called "Kwik Stop". It's a styptic powder that not only clots the bleeding, but also takes the sting away from the pet's nail.

Just take a small pinch of flour or Kwik Stop, and pack the powder into the opening of the nail where it is bleeding from. If you've cut low into the kwik and it seems to bleed profusely, you will have to use more powder and even apply pressure for a little bit.

Grooming the Hairless Dog

My son, Albert (Chinese Crested)

I often joke with my clients about the fact that I'm a professional groomer who owns only hairless dogs...INTENTIONALLY! People mostly believe that hairless dogs require less maintenance than hairy dogs, but truth be told, great care DOES go into caring for the hairless dog from a grooming sense. Hairless dogs are very prone to acne and blackheads, suffer from dry skin because it is exposed to many of nature's harsh elements all day, and need need NEED clothing and sunscreen to protect against the sun's harmful rays. Most commonly, middle-aged to senior hairless dogs will be splotched with liver spots from years of being exposed to the sun. These dogs often require more bathing and moisturizing than most dogs, just as you would take care of a baby's precious skin. I have found some great human products that are safe enough to use on my hairless boys and aid in the daily maintenance of their skin.

Bathing Frequency

I recommend you bathe the hairless dog every night or every few nights. I ONLY recommend such frequent bathing for these breeds, followed with a creme rinse conditioner and ALWAYS moisturize after bath! Remember, dogs only sweat through the pads of their feet, and therefore can suffer from extremely dry skin as their natural oils are stripped away, often, by too frequent bathing.  I have found that one of the ways around this is to condition, condition, condition! We need to put that moisture BACK into the skin after cleansing! Frequent baths for the hairless dog aids in keeping pores cleansed and free of blemishes while the moisturizers protect skin from the harsh elements it is exposed to on any given day (i.e. sun, dirt, wind..etc).

Great Cleansers

I love to use baby wash or just about any organic oatmeal-based shampoo for dogs. The great thing about baby wash is that it's tear free and hypoallergenic, so it's gentle enough for these dogs! Mane and Tail is a shampoo/conditioner formulated for horses, cats and dogs, and I usually have it readily available in my shower for my own use! (It really DOES help your hair grow faster!!) My Albert always feels so smooth and soft after using Mane and Tail.

My Xolo Dog, Buddy, is more prone to dry skin and blackheads, so once per week, we do an exfoliating treatment using St. Ive's Apricot Scrub formula.  What a special treat for him! He loves having it rubbed all over his body during his bath!

Awesome Conditioners

ALWAYS use a creme rinse, even if it makes no sense that the dog has no hair! I leave this on as a conditioning mask treatment for a few minutes before rinsing it off. I've already mentioned the Main and Tail conditioner, but I have many favorites! Among them are: Earthbath Creme Rinse, Organic Oscar Conditioner, and even Pantene conditioner!
 

Amazing Moisturizers

This is my favorite part...I mean...who doesn't love moisturizers? This is also the happiest time of my dogs' baths because they get to be rubbed and slathered by mommy, which feels soooo good! I prefer to use Burt's Bees Baby Bee lotion directly after bath time, but on days where my guys are extra dry, we opt for an oil treatment such as raw coconut oil or jojoba oil. Jojoba oil is known to deep cleanse while moisturizing skin, aiding in the healing and prevention of acne and blackheads. I use it every day on my own face as a moisturizer! No need for expensive anti-aging creams here. This stuff is a best-kept secret!! A small bottle cost $6.99 at Trader Joe's. For a deeper moisturzing treatment, my favorite thing to use on my boys is coconut oil! My guys tend to be lickers...constantly licking their exposed skin after bath time/moisturization, so this is one product that I don't have to worry about them digesting. Coconut Oil is used in food, and in fact, IS a food product that needs no refrigeration, and melts easily into the skin, absorbing surprisingly well! It doesn't leave a very greasy residue at all. (I even give my guys an extra special little treat by letting them lick some off of my fingers - it actually makes for a great supplement for skin and coat on dogs! My veterinarian even recommends it!

 

 So take care of those hairless babies! It's such a pleasure to feel their soft, smooth skin when kept in the right condition. Guaranteed...all of the extra attention will surely make them love you even more!