Stripping, plucking and carding may not be terms you associate with grooming dogs, but maintaining the desired texture of hard-coated breeds will require at least one or more of those grooming techniques. Most harsh coated breeds posses a double coat consisting of a wiry topcoat and a soft, dense undercoat. Topcoats grow to a certain length, die and fall out to make way for a new crop of coarsely textured, richly colored topcoat. To maintain the desirable coarse texture of the topcoat it is necessary to aid the shedding cycle by striping or plucking the individual wiry hair shaft from its follicle. This process is best done when the dog is in its natural “coat blowing” cycle and the topcoat is ready to let go.

Repeated cutting or clipping of a hard coat interferes with its natural shedding and re-growth cycle. Eventually the dog will be covered in only its soft, dull undercoat.

As a professional groomer it is through a variety of procedures that you may maintain the desirable coat texture and breed profile of the harsh coated patrons.

It will be easier on both the groomer and the dog to begin stripping the coat when it is in the “blowing” stage. You can strip or pluck the topcoat from his jacket area, blending into the furnishings on the legs. You will leave the undercoat on his body. The dog will look unusual but this is only the beginning of the process. You can use clippers on the head, throat and ears, and shape the furnishings and tail with thinning shears. You may further shape the facial hair and furnishings by plucking individual rogue hairs that interfere with the desired profile.

To begin removing topcoat from the body using a stripping knife, you will need to follow a few steps to prevent damaging the coat or creating a painful experience for the dog.

The dog’s coat is easier to work with before bathing. So forgo bathing until after the stripping process unless the dog is very soiled or is obviously infested with fleas.

You may use chalk in block or powder form, cornstarch or ear powder to dry oil from the coat and allow you to more firmly grasp the small tufts of hair for removal. These products can be applied by shaking it into the coat, or with the chalk in block form, rubbed across the coat.

A serrated stripping knife is best, especially for the beginner, as you do not want to cut the coat, but to pull it out from the follicle. Hold the stripping knife in your palm, with your four fingers curled around the handle. The non-serrated edge of the blade should be facing you and your thumb should rest on the blade.

It is very important that the dog’s skin be supported during the stripping process. Grasp the dog’s skin and pull it taut just above the area you are working. This will lift the coat up for an easier grip between thumb and knife and prevent the skin from being pulled with the hair. Be sure to move the supporting hand with the area you are stripping.

Begin at the front of the dog and work towards the rear by grasping small tufts of hair, midway up the hair shaft, between your thumb and blade and pull straight back in firm, quick movements. Your wrist should stay rigid with the leverage coming from your elbow. With practice you will develop a rhythm that will allow you to work more quickly.

The difference between stripping and plucking is that stripping is generally referred to when a stripping knife or tool is used and plucking refers to the process of removing coat with your fingers.

As the wire coat grows in you can use a combination of stripping, plucking and clipping and shaping with thinning shears to keep the dog in profile until the next coat blowing cycle. If you must shorten the body coat a #4 or 5 skiptooth blade used with the lay of coat will keep the dog tidy without looking over groomed. The skiptooth design leaves a more natural finish to hard coats which can then be further enhanced by the carding process.

Carding is the removal of undercoat which will enhance the lay, texture and color of any hard coated breed. It is good habit to card the body coat or jacket of all your coarse coated breeds even if they are clipped. This process can be done with a pumice stone, a fine stripping knife, a #40 blade help in your hand with the back of the blade facing you or with the Laube Qwik Change Attachment blade. Simply begin at the front of the dog and with short strokes run the tool over the coat, from front to rear. The tools will capture the fine undercoat and some of the loose topcoat and remove it. The carding process smoothes clipper lines and helps to regenerate the correct coat texture.

The process by which a hard coated breed is groomed and maintained for show is much different than the process in which a pet is groomed, even when attention is given to the integrity of the pet dog’s texture of coat. The show dog’s coat will be maintained by a process referred to as “rolling”, which means the dog’s coat is plucked and shaped on a daily basis so that the dog is always in coat and in good condition. It is best to work with an experienced groomer, handler or breeder to learn the correct technique and procedures for maintaining a harsh coated breed in show coat.

It is necessary to have a variety of tools on hand for maintaining the desired texture and color on hard coated breeds.

A fine stripping knife for detail work and carding, and a coarse stripping knife for body work are mandatory. A pumice stone, a dull 40 blade or Laube Qwik Change Attachment blade. are also items to have on hand for carding. If using the pumice stone be sure to thoroughly brush the coat to remove any debris left behind by the stone.

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