Hand stripping for wire coats

Hand stripping removes the dead outer coat of a wire-haired dog by pulling it out in the direction of growth, with finger and thumb or a blunt stripping knife, rather than cutting it. A wire hair stops growing once it is mature and then loosens in the follicle; pulled at that stage it comes out easily, and the new coat grows back harsh, weatherproof and the right colour. Clipping instead cuts the dead hair off and leaves the root in place, and after a few clips the coat turns soft, woolly and paler.

The breeds most often stripped are border, cairn, Norfolk, Norwich, wire fox and Lakeland terriers, Airedales, schnauzers, wire-haired dachshunds and West Highland terriers, and the jacket of a show cocker spaniel is also stripped. Groomers price it by breed or by the hour, because a coat kept rolling with a maintenance strip every 8 to 12 weeks takes far less time than one left for six months or clipped before. The Border Terrier Club says a Border needs hand stripping about twice a year, and several groomers separate that full strip from a cheaper maintenance strip for dogs that return within the window. The middle half of 9 published border terrier prices is £65 to £69; Airedale prices are too few to give a range.

Not every groomer strips. It is slow, physically hard work, and many salons offer it only on request or after seeing the dog. Ask whether they strip by hand or use a carding tool or a knife that cuts, how long they need for your dog, and when the bath is: some bath the same day, others book it a week or two later to spare the skin. Expect the coat to look short and patchy straight after a full strip; it grows through in a few weeks.