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Q: My dog has a wire coat vs. soft coat. What is the difference if I have my dog
clipped with clippers vs. hand stripped?
A: With hand stripping the dead hair is pulled out
vs. cutting the hair with clippers. The
main difference is that with grooming clippers you tend to change the coat
texture, making it softer over time. With
hand stripping (only pulling out the dead coat) you allow the new wire coat to grow
back in, keeping the wire texture of the dogs natural coat. Hand stripping also helps keep the true rich
color of the dogs natural coat where using clipper tends to dull the coat color
over time. Hand stripping also encourages new growth and coats stay cleaner longer.
For those pet owners who want to keep to the breeds true coat, hand stripping is the way to go. However, because it is a specialized service in the grooming industry the cost is significantly higher. Therefore, for the family pet most clients prefer to have their pet clipper groomed. It comes down to personal preference.
Q: Doesn't pulling the hair out by hand hurt the dog?
A: If done correctly, it does not hurt the dog at all. Wire hair is not attached to the dog like our hair is or breeds with other coat types.
Q: I think that just a regular clip would be better for our family pet. Is there a better way to have my dog clipped with a wire coat?
A: With a wire coat breed, it helps to 'rake' out the dead coat and/or strip a little coat before and after using grooming clippers. It's not as good as hand stripping, but it does help to maintain a little of the texture.
For example: ask your professional groomer to use a long enough clipper blade so that it does not dig into the undercoat. For example, on a West Highland Terrier, use a #4 blade (5/8 inch) on their back. A #5 or a #7 blade goes much shorter and will cut into the dogs undercoat even more.
Q: I think that I would prefer to keep my dogs true coat so that it does not soften, how much more can I expect to pay beyond a regular clipping groom?
A: Because prices range depending upon your dogs breed, size and coat type, please call us directly for a quote. However, as a rule of thumb, the cost is the the base price of your specific breeds regular groom rate plus $1.00 per minute for hand stripping. For example, a West Highland Terrier regular grooming rate is $45.00 (using clippers). Depending upon your pets coat condition, it may take anywhere from 60 to 90 minutes to hand strip your pet, so add an addtional $60.00 to $90.00 to the base price of the groom and it would cost you approximately $105.00 - $135.00 to have your West Highland Terrier hand stripped. This is just an example. We would need to evaluate your dogs coat condition before we could give you a speific price. This is just an example.
Q: I've heard about all of these different terms about stipping, carding, rolling ... What do these terms mean?
A: There are several terms used within the profession and here are just a few of the common terms, along with what they mean:
- Stripping: Is the technique used of removing hair from a dogs coat by pulling it from the follicules rather than cutting it with grooming clippers.
- Carding: Is using tools to remove excess undercoat as well as shedding topcoat.
- Mucking: Method of removing large amounts of excess undercoat.
- Rolling:: Is removing small amounts of hair at regular intervals keeping the coat at its optimum for the longest possible period of time.
- Staging: Grooming method where complete layers of hair are removed at specific intervals to achieve optimum "show coat."
Call us directly for pricing information for Hand Stripping & Carding Services
770-486-8746
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