Understanding wire hair growth
For dogs with wiry coats, the growth process works in four phases:
- Anagen Phase – Hair follicles begin to transition into the growth phase.
- Catagen Phase – Hair stops growing and enters the transition phase. The outer root sheath attaches to the base of the hair.
- Telogen Phase – Hair stops growing altogether but doesn’t begin to shed.
- Exogen Phase – Hair begins to fall out, allowing space for new ones to grow.
Although it’s sometimes hard to know what phase your dog’s hair growth is in, an experienced dog groomer will be able to tell you right away. All hand stripping is done in the third phase, or telogen phase, as this is when excess hairs can be stripped from the undercoat without causing any discomfort for your dog.
We recommend that your dog is brought in for hand stripping every 6 weeks after their first hand stripping appointment. Not only is this easier on the dog themselves, but also we do what’s called rolling the coat. This means we are only pulling out about a third of the coat each time after the initial session, so the hair has a chance to grow anew to replace the old hair each time. It’s easy on both the dog and our groomers’ arms!
Why hand strip?
If your dog has a wiry coat, hand stripping is the best way to keep its coat as healthy as possible. Wiry-coated breeds are at their healthiest when the majority of the wiry hairs are removed, leaving just the softer undercoat to grow back in. Simply trimming your wiry breed’s coat with clippers and scissors doesn’t create space for new, healthier hairs to grow in, since you’re just clipping existing hairs back.
For people looking into hand-stripping for the first time, one of the most common questions is if it’s painful for the dog. After all, it would be a little painful to get hair pulled out of us, so how is it for your furry friend? We’re pleased to say that it’s actually not painful whatsoever! It’s a fast process and most of the dogs we’ve hand stripped have enjoyed their experience.
Hire our trusted groomers for hand stripping
As you can see, there’s a lot that goes into something as seemingly simple as grooming dogs with wiry coats. Hand stripping is a long, delicate process that takes a thorough approach and experience in working with different breeds to be successful. It can easily take six times longer to hand strip a dog than it would to simply trim them with clippers and scissors. And that’s why it’s so important to find a dog groomer that’s skilled in this type of care.
Here at Dog World Beauty & Health Spa, we’ve been hand stripping dogs for over forty years, so you could say we know a thing or two! We have trained eyes, so we can easily tell dog owners whether or not hand stripping is the right choice for their pet. And once we get started, we’re continually committed to making your dog as comfortable as possible throughout the whole process.
If you’re looking into having your dog hand stripped, it’s vital that you choose a groomer that won’t rush the process under any circumstances. We work at whatever pace is necessary to keep your dog feeling at ease for the duration of their appointment, and we’re never afraid to take breaks to allow them to rest for a few minutes. Ultimately, your dog needs to feel comfortable coming back, so we keep their comfort and needs at the highest priority at all times.
We recognize that there’s no shortage of choices for dog groomers in the Saanich area, so we set ourselves apart by the care and time we put into each and every pup we see. No task is too difficult for our expert team of groomers and hand strippers—and we’d love to be the ones to help get your dog looking and feeling their best!
