Phase 3 in Handstripping

This blog entry will be about Phase 3 in Handstripping.

Handstripping is a technique used for grooming hard-coated breeds, like the Airedale Terrier, Wire Fox Terrier, Westie, Irish, Welsh, and so on... Most pet terriers don't need to be stripped since they aren't being shown in the ring, but ALL terriers being shown must be handstripped.
It is the correct method for grooming terriers, but it is time consuming, expensive, and labor intensive. As such, most owners only clip (shave) their pets.

Terriers that need to be shown, must also be trained to endure Handstripping. From a young age, they must be willing to stand, or sit, or lay on top of the grooming table for HOURS for the handstripping process. For the groomer, handstripping is not for the faint of heart. It takes strength, technique, patience and an eye for lines and detail.

The main advantages of handstripping versus pet clipping:

1. Maintains wiry coat, harsh texture [Correct] - clipping causes woolly soft texture [fault]
2. Maintains rich deep colors - black and tan [Correct] - clipping changes coat color to beige [fault]
3. Maintains "water/dirt-resistance" quality - clipping causes soft coats to trap water and dirt easily

Clipping and scissoring a pet takes 2-3 hours, $70 max, but handstripping the same dog takes 12-15 hours and about $500.

There are a few variations to handstripping. Some groomers prefer "Rolling" which is to fold the skin and pull out only the longest hairs, over the entire body. Rolling needs to be done everyday, consistently and hence, very time consuming. The "Reverse Strip" technique which I use, only requires a day or 2 a week, spread out over 6 weeks to attain the desired outcome at the end. It is called the "Reverse Strip" technique because the phases are determined by the length of hair on a particular body part. The longest parts are pulled first, leaving the shortest to the end. The purpose is to create the various lengths required on the show dog to accentuate muscles and other desired qualities, such as a deep chest, square body line and straight back, etc.

The phases are as follows:

1. Saddle (black section)
2. Back of Neck, Tail, Thighs, Butt
   
3. Shoulders, Head, Ears, Sides of Neck, Chest
4. Cheeks, Throat, Chin
   

The last phase is "Finishing" whereby all the furnishings are blended into the body and lines are made to disappear. The leg hair is plucked to make the legs appear like straight poles. The Head is made to look like a rectangular block of brick.

I know Kimi looks like a VERY strange dog at this phase.

There is a seam at the sides of the dog's neck, and another seam on his chest, and the last seam is on his butt. The butt seams look like little spirals, similar to human hair spirals on the head. Seams need extra care in handstripping because the hairs grow in all sorts of directions. Stripping should be done only in the direction of hair growth. Only a little bit of hair should be pulled with one stroke of the hand. Too much hair at a go will cause pain and discomfort for the dog.
Kimi can fall asleep while being stripped, the rhythm lulls him to sleep, and he naps with his head on my lap sometimes. He has been handstripped ever since he was 6 months old.

This is a closer picture showing him and the depicted 4 phases. You will notice that by now, there is a distinct color difference between Phase 1 (saddle), Phase 2 and 3. Phase 1 seems darker, and phase 2 is lighter while phase 3 seems lightest (almost bald). A newly stripped area is practically bald. Only a light coating of undercoat fuzz is left. The apparent change in color is actually the coat growing out at different time lapses, hence different lengths as required for show. I have not groomed him in Phase 4, that is why his face and neck is utterly a curly mess of fur. Phase 4 will be done next week.
Kimi is not shown in the ring, but I take great pride in his beauty and structure, and as a professional groomer, I also take great pride in my grooming abilities. I like Kimi maintained in show dog standards, so I keep him looking his best.

For those of you who enjoy handstripping, I hope you like this little entry on Handstripping.

Kimi's Mum,
Sheila