# Hand Stripping Fox Terrier (rant)



## slimeysnail (Jan 29, 2009)

Is it true that under no circumstance a Wire Haired Fox Terrier can be hand stripped after being ''clippered'' or ''shaved'' the one time ?

I have a fox terrier, and admittedly over the past year, I have neglected his coat- in that I didnt get him stripped . So he turned fluffy... 

So, I booked him in at the groomers- to be stripped (as I thought he could still be done).. after arriving to the groomers, and waiting for the groomer to turn up (late), she got out of her car and said quite rudely ''I am not stripping THAT''- obviously talking about my dog. Bearing in mind this was the first time I had met the groomer, I at least thought she would be trying to make an effort to make her customer at ease- leaving my dog with her for the first time.

Anyway, after being a little shocked that she wouldnt strip him, she said she would shave him, and would leave some fur on his legs, beard etc. and that he would be ready in a couple of hours.

I went back to pick him up, and she was on the phone, and when I walked in, allthe dogs started barking, and she ushered me out the door with a very angry expression on her face. Anyway, once off the phone, she came over and then started hitting the dog cages to shut the poor dogs up. She came over, and said Archie was well behaved after a FIRM hand !! ?? Did she really mean she hit him or something along those lines.. I believe this is what she meant.

She said she had been off for a few days ill and she was back to ''THIS'' - the stress of all the dogs barking etc etc. She was so angry and grumpy with the dogs- I honestly couldnt believe her attitude. 

I took one look at him and my jaw dropped to the floor..she had totally scalped him all over- and not even left one whisker on him. Honestly, he looks absolutely shocking. I have clippered my other dog (tibetan) and scissored her before, and she looked 100 times better than what Archie does. I am so annoyed with myself for leaving him once she said she wouldnt hand strip him.. 

She charged me the same as what she quoted me for stripping him - £40, and she seemed so angry and annoyed with the dogs in the salon when I left. I now feel so bad that I let her shave him, and she said quite clearly that he would never be able to be stripped again after this shaving..

Is this true? She is obviously a groomer with qualifications (possibly), is it really true ?

I really dislike how my poor dog looks just now, and I would love to see him hand stripped again, but she blatently said he wont be able to be stripped now...

I know, I know, it was my own fault for leaving him initially, and to be honest, I didnt really have the confidence to say take him away with me in the morning instead of '''agreeing'' to him being clippered. 

If she can happily take £40 of peoples money for doing what she did to my dog, I think I may just become a groomer overnight. I could have done a much better job and left no bald patches and long bits and grrrr its just so untidy!! 

Sorry, just needed a rant.


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## Shell195 (May 31, 2007)

I wouldnt have thought so, I found this TLC Grooming

It sounds like this dog groomer needs to find a new job:bash:


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## Rosiemum (Jan 14, 2010)

I think Shell is right. I used to have my own grooming business, and as long as your dog has only been clipped the once, a groomer who knows her stuff ought to be able to encourage the coat back to its former glory. It might take some time, but I'm sure it can be done.

But do change your groomer. It sounds as though she's in the wrong job - being kind and gentle with the dogs you're working with is really important if they're not going to develop fear and aggression at the grooming parlour. Firmness is fine, but she sounds out of order.

And I don't really understand why she said he couldn't be stripped. Even if his coat had grown out so that he looked like a dandelion clock, it should still have been strippable; the worst that might have happened, as all the coat would probably have grown to the same mature stage, is that he would have stripped back "down to the canvas" and looked a little soft and threadbare for a while until his new topcoat started to grow in.

Ask around, and if you see a well-groomed dog, don't be afraid to grab its owner and ask them where they take it!


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## EquineArcher (Feb 13, 2010)

I have border terriers which also require hand stripping, and on occasions I have clipped one or two of them instead of stripping them. They can still be stripped just fine when the coat grows back again. 

I did used to work in a dog grooming salon for a bit though.


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## caffers1982 (Jan 17, 2010)

SexyBear77 said:


> I have border terriers which also require hand stripping, and on occasions I have clipped one or two of them instead of stripping them. They can still be stripped just fine when the coat grows back again.
> 
> I did used to work in a dog grooming salon for a bit though.


Is coat stripping a bit like mane pulling mate?

I've never heard of it before

If so, then I'm guessing coat clipping would potentially have a similar affect to the way a mane grows back after being hogged?


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## EquineArcher (Feb 13, 2010)

caffers1982 said:


> Is coat stripping a bit like mane pulling mate?
> 
> I've never heard of it before
> 
> If so, then I'm guessing coat clipping would potentially have a similar affect to the way a mane grows back after being hogged?


Pretty much the basics are the same, yeah. The old hair is pulled out in tufts, exposing the shorter undercoat. It will then grow back.

Of course, when pulling a horses mane you aren't removing old hair, just the long hair. 

When I clip my borders I put a grade comb on and just clip away. Leave it to grow back and it strips just fine. : victory:


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## slimeysnail (Jan 29, 2009)

Thankyou all ever so much for the replies. 

I will certainly allow his coat to grow and will book him in at my normal groomers (who I am 101% happy with) to get his coat back to his former glory.

 My own fault for slipping behind with the stripping. I have learnt my lesson- and my poor little Archie has suffered as a result.:whip:

I keep looking at him, and he looks so so different- so naked lol. 

Will post pics up later :blush:


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## Kare (Mar 9, 2010)

from the site Shell linked said:


> If you must clip, hand strip a little before and use a pumice stone afterwards weekly to 'brush' them, this takes out some of the cut dead coat to try to stimulate some new hairs to grow.


Just incase you missed it the site did offer some advice to help get it stripable again, obviously too late to do the little hand stripping, but the pumice stone could help


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