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4 Ways to Strip a Dog

4 Ways to Strip a Dog
By Kit Sadgrove

Hand stripping should be done prior to bathing the dog. There are various breeds that require stripping instead of clipping or scissoring. The majority of these dogs are the Terrier breeds, although some Setter breeds require hand stripping as well.

English Setters and Irish Setters are two breeds that should never be clipped. Clipping their hair causes it to turn into one curly mass and destroys their silky and sleek appearance.

The coats of Terriers can also be ruined by clipping. This is because clipping causes the undercoat, which is soft, to take over their coarse topcoat. These dogs should have their undercoats stripped twice a year to keep their natural and shapely appearance. They also become uncomfortable without being stripped as the undercoat causes them to overheat and become itchy.

Terrier breeds should be hand stripped about every six to eight weeks.

There are four ways you can strip a dog:

Hand-strip

Stripping knife

Rolling

Carding

Hand stripping

Hand stripping is achieved by lifting small sections of hair at a time and grasping the hair between your thumb and finger. The loose hair should pull out quickly.

Only pull out a few hairs at a time to avoid stressing the dog. Always follow the direction of the hair as well, as they will come out easier that way. It also helps if you place your hand on the skin near where you are working to keep the skin tight and to reduce pain.

Stripping knives

A stripping knife can be used to speed up the hand stripping process. These are not sharp knives, but blunt knives to prevent you from actually cutting the hair.

However, do keep in mind that they may still be able to cut you. When using a knife, pull it and the hair back. Don't flip your wrist up while using it.

Rolling

Rolling is a variation of hand stripping that involves rolling the dog's skin between your fingers with one hand and removing the loose hairs with the other.

Carding

Finally, there is carding. Carding is similar to hand stripping except that you essentially 'scrape' the coat to remove loose hairs. This procedure helps to keep the coat lying flat.

There are so many different breeds of dog, which all require certain techniques to be used on them. If you're interested in dog grooming and want to learn more, then the Learning Institute Dog Grooming Course could be right for you. Just click

http://www.inst.org/dog-grooming-courses/index.htm

You are welcome to use this article on your own website, or forum. If you do so you must include the article in its entirety, including the contact information

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Nine Non-Shedding Dogs

Nine Non-Shedding Dogs
By Neil Lemons

Bo Obama, the 6-month old Portuguese Water Dog recently adopted by the First Family, was selected in-part for his hypo-allergenic fur. Bo's adoption created new-found interest in a group of dogs known for their non-shedding fur. Following is a list of nine other non-shedding dogs and their basic characteristics.

1. Maltese - Maltese a dog in the toy group is a breed known for its long, white, fine fur. This coat is uncharacteristic of most non-shedding dogs that have course, curly hair. The Maltese coat requires regular grooming because of its tendency to matte.

2. Bedlington Terrier - Bedlington Terriers are bright, clownish characters that love their families and being the center of attention. Their coat is soft and requires little maintenance.

3. Irish Water Spaniel - The Irish Water Spaniel (IWS) is considered to be the clown of the spaniel family. Bred for accompanying bird hunters, the Irish water Spaniel has a dense, double coat. The inner coat consists of thick ringlets covered by the long and wavy outer coat. This coat requires brushing every 2-3 weeks and needs an all-over trim every few months.

4. Chinese Crested - The Chinese Crested comes in two varieties, the Powder Puff which has hair on its head, feet, and tail and the Hairless, which as the name suggests, has no hair. The Crested has soft, smooth skin that is more prone to irritation and sunburn. They are recommended by the American Kennel Club for people with dog allergies. They are alert and good with children.

5. Labradoodle - One of the most popular of the "designer breeds", the Labradoodle is a cross between a Labrador Retriever and a Poodle. The coat of these hybrid animals varies from animal to animal but generally those that most resemble Poodles are safe for allergy sufferers.

6. Schnauzer (Miniature, Standard, and Giant) - Schnauzers are energetic, intelligent dogs of the Terrier group. Although the three size varieties are unique and separate breeds, all are double-coated with a wiry topcoat and a soft undercoat. The topcoat can be maintained with regular clipper-trims or by a method called hand-stripping which helps to preserve the wiry-nature of the fur.

7. Poodle (Toy, Miniature, Standard) - Similar to Schnauzers, Poodles come in three size varieties. The dense, curly coat of all three sizes requires regular professional grooming. Poodles were originally bred to accompany hunters and still maintain that high activity level. As such, they need rigorous, daily exercise and intellectual stimulation.

8. Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier - The Soft Coated Wheaton Terrier is prized for its soft, wavy, wheat-colored, non-allergenic coat. The Wheaton coat requires minimal but regular maintenance. Wheaton's are less headstrong than most terrier breeds but they require daily exercise to maintain their role as an endearing family pet.

9. Bichon Frise - The Bichon Frise is a cheerful, sturdy little dog. It has a thick double coat that consists of a curly outer coat and a silky inner coat. The Bichons hair grows continually and he does not shed so he requires frequent brushing to prevent it from matting. While no dog is 100 percent hypoallergenic, all of the breeds listed above have non-shedding coats, which produce less skin dander, the cause of most allergies symptoms.

Neil Lemons is a pet lover and Online Journalist. He has had the privilege of owning several cats and dogs over the years, some living into their 90s (in dog years). For information on where you can buy gourmet all natural dog treats, check out http://www.N-Bone.com, world authority on healthy animal treats for your dog, cat, or ferret.

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Top Tips For Drying Dogs

Top Tips For Drying Dogs
By Kit Sadgrove

After bathing an animal you'll need to begin the drying process. A lot of water can and should be removed by towel drying the dog or cat before moving them out of the bath. If you're bathing a dog, this should keep them from getting you too wet when they decide to shake - which they are almost guaranteed to do. If you see a dog is about to shake, cover them with towels to prevent as much water from flying as possible. There are three types of dryers that are commonly used by groomers. These include:

High velocity dryers

Hand blow dryers

Cage dryersDogs that have a heavy coat will need to be dried with a high-velocity dryer. This dryer will blast a lot of the water out of the coat. Do this by placing the dog on a grooming table and holding a towel up behind the dog. With the blower, blow up and away from the body. This will blow the water off and up out of the hair. If you blow directly at the dog, the water will go deeper into the coat and towards the skin. This method works for dogs that have thick and heavy coats, like your St. Bernard or Spitz breeds. This is not a drying strategy you would use on a Poodle. High-velocity drying a Poodle would cause the hair to dry too quickly and crinkle. Some breeds, like the Poodle, need to be blow dried with a hand blow dryer. You need to blow dry each section using a hair brush to separate sections of the hair. When hand blow drying, it's important to be careful that you don't use high heat and that you blow away from the skin to prevent the air from making the dog too hot.For breeds that require a flat look, such as a Golden Retriever, you have a couple of options. Some groomers will cage dry the dog until the majority of the coat is dry and then hand blow dry the coat in a downward manner instead of lifting the coat. This reduces the amount of hand drying and you can finish off the flat look with the hand blow dryer and a brush. Dogs that have very short hair can simply be placed in a kennel and put under a cage dryer. You can also towel dry them and leave them in a warm room to dry on their own. Either way, they will not need much drying attention due to their short and slick coats.There are a handful of breeds that should never be left to dry on their own. These dogs require constant brushing while being dried and include:

Afghans

Poodles

Old English Sheepdogs

Bearded ColliesLonghaired cats should be blow dried on a low setting and brushed as you go. Do not blow the cat in the face with the dryer. Shorthaired cats can be placed in a kennel with a cage dryer or you can allow them to dry naturally.

You are welcome to use this article on your own website, or forum. If you do so you must include the article in its entirety, including contact information.

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