Hand strip or clip?

[James+Carly]

Oscar has been hand stripped twice (he is ten months old). The groomers have used a coat King, and he comes out looking lovely! My one concern is: it costs us £50 every month and it's a half hour drive there and back, and when it takes good couple hours I come home and then have to drive back.

There is a lady around the corner from my house, so I can walk him, also hand strips, but she doesn't use a coat King and does it by hand. She mentioned to me this is the traditional way and to do so she has to rub him in chalk, is that correct?? She said I could then take him back the following week for a bath, equating to £60 for both.

The lady around the corner also offers. Clip for £35 and she said I would probably need to bring him in every 8 weeks.

i have read that once you clip a cocker, his hair potentially could go coarse and curly. Currently Oscar is silky soft and his hair is pretty straight.

With all the above i guess I'm after a bit of adivce, I love the look after he has been groomed with the coat King, but not a fan of the journey. Do I get him clipped because it's cheaper and more convenient to get to?

Any adivce would be great

[bizzylizzy]

After a couple of disappointing results with a local groomer, I've finally decided to make  the 160 km round trip on Tuesday to go to a lady who only grooms cockers. I know she handstrips and "approves" of using  the coat king for the legs but she's adamant it should not be used on the back. She also preaches that clipping ruins the coat! I haven't actually spoken to her yet but am hoping to pick her brains as she appears to know her stuff and I keep reading so many different things, I really don't know what to believe. I'll post back next week and report on what she says.
(My only dilema at the moment is whether to keep the top knot or have a classic cocker look!!  )

[6thSense]

I am surpised a groomer is charging you for a handstrip when infact they are using a coat king. This is closer to handstripping than clipping, but it's not the same thing. Clipping can effect the coat yes making it go fluffy and curly. Chalk can be used when proper handstripping yes as this can enable a better grip to strip the coat out and would deffo need bathing out. I'm unsure why she can't bath him in the same session,  but it may be a time issue or just her way of doing things. Everyone is different. If you like the look of his coat now and you have someone round the corner from you that will do a proper handstrip for only slightly more than you were paying for a coat king treatment I say go for it, but of course it is completely up to you. Hope this helps.

[James+Carly]

Thanks both for your replies, I think deep down I will kick myself for having him clipped for the sake of £15/£20 as he looks so lovely!

Bizzy Lizzy, yes if you could update once you've had Humphrey down that would be great

[James+Carly]

I am surpised a groomer is charging you for a handstrip when infact they are using a coat king. This is closer to handstripping than clipping, but it's not the same thing. Clipping can effect the coat yes making it go fluffy and curly. Chalk can be used when proper handstripping yes as this can enable a better grip to strip the coat out and would deffo need bathing out. I'm unsure why she can't bath him in the same session,  but it may be a time issue or just her way of doing things. Everyone is different. If you like the look of his coat now and you have someone round the corner from you that will do a proper handstrip for only slightly more than you were paying for a coat king treatment I say go for it, but of course it is completely up to you. Hope this helps.

the groomer said to me something about his pores being open after hand stripping and that's why she said he shouldn't be bathed right away.

I took Oscar to a pets a home type thing to get him trimmed in the mean time whilst I decided and they have cut off all his lovely long eye lashes on just ONE of his eyes!! I only noticed the day after!! I couldn't believe it, although I'm sure Oscar has no idea, or cares 

[Londongirl]

As I never intended to hand strip Henry, I have been having him scissor trimmed with a bit of Coat King stripping. However, he really suffers in the heat, to the point he got close to heat stroke earlier in the summer. I reluctantly had him clipped all over. He was so much happier I know it was the best thing for him, but I did mourn his lovely coat. It has grown back now and is still straight and silky along his back and flanks and stomach. His feathers are curly, but they always have been! I have pictures taken just before he was clipped and it has grown back exactly the same.

I know there are people here with much more experience than me, but the cynic in me does think it's in the interests of groomers who hand strip to tell horror stories about clipping! It's just a hair cut. Why would the texture of the hair grow back different? The ends will be slightly more blunt than natural, but otherwise I can't see what would make the texture change.

Of course, if you want the hand stripped look, clipping is out.

[Jane S]

I know there are people here with much more experience than me, but the cynic in me does think it's in the interests of groomers who hand strip to tell horror stories about clipping! It's just a hair cut. Why would the texture of the hair grow back different? The ends will be slightly more blunt than natural, but otherwise I can't see what would make the texture change.

They're not telling you horror stories for the sake of it, believe me ;)I have groomed more Cockers than I care to think about over a 30 year period and clipping does affect the coat (as does use of a Coat King) BUT how much it affects the coat depends on the type of coat to begin with. A flat, silky coat (the typical old fashioned coat) is less severely affected, especially if clipping has only been carried out once or twice but repeated clipping of a thicker coat does often produce a coarse, thick (and sometimes wavy or curly) regrowth. Neutering also alters coat texture and of course many pet dogs are neutered so have to be clipped. I clip all our current dogs (except for any we intend showing) because I am no longer able to hand strip multiple dogs due to arthritis - they all look smart and are comfortable & tidy. Their coats do not look like they did in their show days but I can live with that and so can they they

[Londongirl]

Henry's coat has always been flat and silky (apart from his ears and feathers) so maybe that's why his hasn't been badly affected by clipping. It doesn't seem to have been changed by neutering either, although I know there is still time for that to happen.

I'd love to know HOW clipping makes hair grow back in a different texture. It certainly doesn't do that to humans, as my OH and son can testify after their holiday buzz cuts!

[twiceover2]

We used to have our clocker stripped but since she was spayed and to enable her to cope better with the hot weather since moving to France, she is now clipped.  Her coat was lovely when it was stripped and now it does grow back incredibly thick and very wavy, so she has to be clipped every few weeks to stay looking tidy and avoid knots. 

Clipping basically damages the coat.  We have a fauve de Bretagne who has always been stripped and will always be as they have a double layer wiry coat.  If they are clipped it becomes soft and matted, like felt and changes colour from orangey-red to beige!

[its.sme]

Bea is clipped and always has been, she still has her feathers and is still shinny and silky, her front legs grow so thick that it is often difficult to brush.

I agree that clipping changes a coat, when Bea was shaved for her spay a patch grew back at a different angle to the rest, it sticks out when I allow it to get long,as it didn't do this before being shaved I can only assume it was for this reason.

[Jane S]

I'd love to know HOW clipping makes hair grow back in a different texture. It certainly doesn't do that to humans, as my OH and son can testify after their holiday buzz cuts!

Human hair is very different to dog hair though

[lescef]

Personally,  I would have him hand stripped for as long as you can. My heart would have liked my girls not to be spayed so they could keep their coat, but my head says spaying is better for their health (although I think that is being questioned now)
Maddie is now clipped as her hair is thick and coarse. I don't think I could do anything else with it.
Bramble has much thinner hair with more white. It is very soft and fluffy and tangles very easily.  At the moment she gets a combination of coat king, scissors and the elastic band method but eventually she will probably have to be clipped.
But as said, it's all personal choice and keeping the dog cool and easy to groom inbetween sessions

[lilliegez]

im trying to hold off clipping but groomers says cant be stripped as coat doesn't come out.

[Blueberry]

Even as a young pup, Blue already has a very wavy coat.  He's booked in for his first 'puppy groom' on Wednesday, but I doubt they'll take much off him; it's more an opportunity to get him properly bathed, paws trimmed, and used to the idea of going to the groomers. 
I don't know what to do about future grooming though.  He's really struggled in the hot weather with the thick wavy coat he has, but it's so beautiful, I'd hate to ruin it. 

[6thSense]

I am surpised a groomer is charging you for a handstrip when infact they are using a coat king. This is closer to handstripping than clipping, but it's not the same thing. Clipping can effect the coat yes making it go fluffy and curly. Chalk can be used when proper handstripping yes as this can enable a better grip to strip the coat out and would deffo need bathing out. I'm unsure why she can't bath him in the same session,  but it may be a time issue or just her way of doing things. Everyone is different. If you like the look of his coat now and you have someone round the corner from you that will do a proper handstrip for only slightly more than you were paying for a coat king treatment I say go for it, but of course it is completely up to you. Hope this helps.

the groomer said to me something about his pores being open after hand stripping and that's why she said he shouldn't be bathed right away.

I took Oscar to a pets a home type thing to get him trimmed in the mean time whilst I decided and they have cut off all his lovely long eye lashes on just ONE of his eyes!! I only noticed the day after!! I couldn't believe it, although I'm sure Oscar has no idea, or cares 

Ah right that makes sense. I usually think of that more for stripped back breeds like border terriers, but it  does make sense.