Stripping Cairn Terriers

Stripping and grooming Cairn Terriers is probably the single biggest question I receive, and the hardest question to answer. Most pet owners don't need to follow the stripping zone method which is used in show grooming. Zones on the body are stripped at week intervals, so the end coat has some zones a bit longer than the rest. The primary necessity for pet owners is to keep the Cairn healthy, clean, and appearance kept up. My methods of stripping & grooming are only based on my experience with my dogs. Several of my Cairns need a variance in method, due to the way their hair happens to grow out.

The first strip can be completed when the puppy is about 12-14wks of age. The long scraggly puppy hair is being replaced with a new coat underneath that is harder. These long hairs that were once the fluffy puppy coat can be pulled out. Pull ALL of it out.

After a dog is about 1 - 1 1/2yrs, they'll start to have a long coat that is being replaced with their next new coat. Some dogs will have long hairs that you pull out, while the new coat is growing in underneath. My Libby will grow a complete new coat underneath and it will be about 3/4" long when the longest hairs are pulled out, leaving a fresh new coat behind after stripping. The hair that needs to come out, pulls easily. I just take small locks and go slowly, and she acts like she enjoys it. Some of it even seems a little itchy and it's a relief to get it out.

Some of my other dogs will start blowing their coat, which means losing their hair and it comes out easily all over their body. They may have very little hair left and they require a complete strip. This means all the top coat is pulled out. They look a bit funny for a month or 2 while the new coat grows in. But the new coat is new, healthy, and goes through the process all over again. They need stripped annually.

Others will have some shorter hairs, some longer hairs, and the longer hairs are pulled on a continuous basis. This is rolling the coat and it's something that can be kept up on continuously. Not all coats can be rolled.

For a photo example of grooming, you can visit my grooming page. As I groomed Chloe, I took photos to show how I did it and what the before & after looks like.