Hand stripping at home

[Leo0106]

Hi all,
Ive recently started hand stripping leo at home with a hand stripping tool.

Leo has been clipped twice before and i know that sometimes means they cant be handstripped however when im using the stripping tool ALOT of hair is coming out and im hopeful by doing it little and often i can recover his coat.

Id like to make sure im using the right sorts of tools etc and wanted to see if anyone had any useful tips or techniques they have when they hand strip.

Any suggestions for a begginner?

[bizzylizzy]

What tool are you using? I‘ve been using a coat king for Humphrey but I‘m not really sure if I‘m doing it properly, Humphrey‘s coat is very wavy and it doesn‘t seem to strip it evenly. Will be following this thread with interest....   

[Finvarra]

I used to hamdstrip my Scotties, as I showed them, very hard work, so I used to clip them in later life. I clipped my spaniels too, but decided to use a coat king in Dylan. I find this works really well when he has his bath and is soapy, it just glides through the coat and gets out buckets of hair (he is very hairy). He doesn't like it much if I do it dry, but when wet he's fine.

Lesley and Dylan

[Leo0106]

Hi bizzy lizzy,
Im using a 'groomers coat controller' looks very similar design to the coat king.

Do you only groom in the direction of the fur? Or do you back brush aswell? Ive found that i can get a fair amount by going in the same direction but a lot more with a very gentle back brush.

Ive done it for a week now.. half hour max a day and he still looks fluffy but i think it is starting to make a difference.

Lesley i might try doing it wet, i didnt think of doing it wet but leo may prefer it as it does take a super good meaty bone for him to allow me to do it when hes dry..

Im finding it very theraputic haha but it does take a lot of time!
Have either of you tried a furminator? They are expensive but supposedly very good?

[Londongirl]

I’ll use that tip to try the coat king in the bath - I’ve found it hard to get other combs and brushes through his fur when he’s wet, even with conditioner on.

Just remember that the coat king is like thinning scissors - it cuts hair to remove it, rather than picking up lots of dead hair. So you have to go easy with it.

[Barry H]

For me, one of the most glorious sights in the whole canine kingdom is the look of a properly handstripped Cocker.  Jack has never been clipped and I've stripped him myself since he was about 1 yo (now 3) - no 'give' before that. 

Don't groom against the lie of the coat.  I've always been wary of using something with a blade that cuts or strips out the undercoat, so I don't use any tools other than a spaniel comb - strictly fingers only. I wear one of those purple DIY gloves (I bought a ginormous box of them from ebay). Thinning scissors on throat/hocks and very occasionally on tops of ears if looking a bit too heavy.  Straight scissors for feet, tidying up the tail and across the pads.  And yes, it's hard work with a big learning curve, but absolutely worth the time and effort.

He gets a good going over once a day, with a little stripping if needed (maybe 3 times a week) to keep on top of it.  I like to limit sessions to no more than about 20-30 mins otherwise he gets fed up.  Little and often is better for both of us than a marathon session.  Once a week I have him 'play dead' between my outstretched legs and tease out any matts in his pits and round his goolies (got to be done and it sends him to sleep).

Can recommend Wahl detangler/conditioner for keeping the coat looking great and (mostly) tangle free.  Ancol 'Old Spike' is another must have, as smells great but I use it sparingly - I even give Jack a squirt of it... 

[Finvarra]

I've heard mixed things about furminatorss, how they can ruin the coat. Proper hand stripping is pulling out the hair with your finger and thumb, and it does indeed give the best results. You can't use anything else if you show dogs. However it is Very Hard Work, and I had five dogs to do! I did hand strip Milo at first, but didn’t,t show him, so used clippers. But I like a natural look, so the coat king does it for me. I can't hand strip now because of arthritis in the fingers, so the coat king gives me a look I can live with 

Always go with the flow of the coat, never against. Thinning scissors for the legs and other bits, and clippers for the head and chest. Dylan is so hairy his face looks like a scotties if left, perhaps he is one of my old ones reincarnated  . I just lightly neaten his tail, I like a flowing wavy tail, but,some people like it clipped short, personal preference.

Lesley and Dylan

[Londongirl]

I’m really enjoying the picture Barry H paints of Jack dozing contentedly while having his goolies tickled!

[bizzylizzy]

I don‘t think the coat king is supposed to be used too often, I only do it about every 6 -8 weeks, but Humphrey doesn’t have masses of hair, it just gets long and sticks out in all directions. I use the spratt comb with the elastic band wound through it inbetween times, it gets any loose undercoat out and I‘ve also got a little flexible slicker brush. We haven‘t been to a groomer for about 12 months now, its been a bit of a learning curve doing it myself but its gradually getting better, I would love to hand strip but my hands can’t do it anymore, (oh the joys of growing old! ) My main problem is getting him to stand up, he just wants to lie and snooze!

[Leo0106]

Thanks for all your comments. Its given me lots to look into.
At the minute i havnt even attempted anything such as trimmimg paws and ears etc as im not very confident but hpping by building up little by little and keeping on top of things i will end up being able to do it all at home.
Barry thanks for your really helpful comment.. do you have a link for the gloves you use atall?
I have started doing more by hand too but his tolerence for this is less than a brush for some reason.

Im looking up plenty of bits and bobs online and fear for my bank account... so will start small.. before you know it ill have a whole groomong room no doubt 

[Leo0106]

In addition, to those of you who clip your dogs. Does this still keep their soft coat? And is it just a case of doing it more often than you would woth hand stripping?

I was told that since he had been clipped already twice then hand stripping may never get the results.. so if i was to clip wpuld this still be ok?!

[aljeana]

Hi

Have you got a picture of Leo ? What area of his coat is the worst ?

I think you will possibly end having a compromise finding that the coat king is very good at keeping the fluufy hair at bay on their backs but you may find the legs, neck & shoulders tend to require work with thinners.

Coat king & slicker brush work really well when you use  them when the coat is wet and has conditioner in the coat using water to help glide the brush or coat king through I normally use the shower head.

If using on a dry coat but plan to bath afterwards I have found grooming chalk rubbed into the coat helps with the coat king or fine comb, I also use fine gloves like the ones health workers use find them better than thimbles with hand stripping shoulders

[Leo0106]

Hi, this is a photo of him right now, the worst area is the sides of his back.. he has (what i call) a strip of grown ups hair down the centre of his back.



As you can see the left and right side of his back are super fluffy. The feathering on his legs and tail are beautiful. Theu dont get matted atall but its the back where he is super fluffy.

[Leo0106]

Oh... also excuse my partner in the background  i thought i photo had cropped him out 

[bizzylizzy]

Thanks for all your comments. Its given me lots to look into.
At the minute i havnt even attempted anything such as trimmimg paws and ears etc as im not very confident but hpping by building up little by little and keeping on top of things i will end up being able to do it all at home.
Barry thanks for your really helpful comment.. do you have a link for the gloves you use atall?
I have started doing more by hand too but his tolerence for this is less than a brush for some reason.

Im looking up plenty of bits and bobs online and fear for my bank account... so will start small.. before you know it ill have a whole groomong room no doubt 

When you work out what you‘d pay at the groomer, investing in some good equipment will pay for itself ten times over. I was paying €60 here, its was a 160 km round trip and we were going on average 4 times a year. I didn‘t buy everything at once incase I found I couldn‘t manage it myself but as my confidence has grown I‘ve bought some really good scissors and a few bits and bobs and I‘m already making good!