These services are for Airedales, Border Terriers, Westies, Cairn Terriers, Schnauzers, Irish Wolfhounds etc.

Any breed or mix of breed that has a Harsh Wire Coat that is low to moderate shedding

Dogs of this variety Benefit from:

-Nail trimming every 2-6 weeks

-Sanitary trimming if needed (some dogs require pad hair, bum area, potty area and/or eye area trimming) every 4-8 weeks

-Brushing and combing to remove dead hairs, and prevent compacted undercoat and matts, every 1-6 weeks

-Carding and raking to remove excess undercoat every 2-8 weeks

-Hand Stripping:  Depending on your breed(s) and your desired style, stripping can be needed every few days (Show quality groom), to a couple of times a year (If you don't mind that your dog looks scruffy)  

-Bathing every 4-8 weeks (or more often for dogs owned by people with allergies, or for dogs with skin issues)

-Ear cleaning and plucking (if needed) every 1-8 weeks (Depends on how prone to ear issues the dog is)

-Trimming of non-stripped areas every 4-8 weeks.  (Feet, some ears, some rears, some throats/cheeks.  It all depends on breed standard)  

Many people opt out of stripping, and choose to use clippers and scissors to trim the hair for a variety of reasons.  The number one reason is that most groomers don't know how to hand strip, or believe that hand stripping is only for show dogs.  

Wire coated dogs' hair and hair follicles act much closer to those of a shedding dog than a non-shedding dog.  The hair wants to shed, rather than be cut, but unlike a Labrador Retriever where it just falls out, it needs a little help to come out, and that is all hand stripping really is: Assisted shedding.

Please we warned that cutting the coat of wire haired dogs beyond a light tidy of feet, ears, and scraggly hairs can have repercussions.  The hair typically gets softer and denser, making it more prone to matting, and the colors tend to fade.  They lose their protective guard coat, and are actually at more risk of developing skin issues because the hair follicles get confused and can overproduce oils or clog with hair.

If you opt to cut the hair, rather than have it stripped it is important that you treat the coat like a non-shed dog and have them professionally groomed every 4-8 weeks, and since we, at the tortoise and hair, are properly trained in wire coated grooming and understand how these coats work, we will still card the coat (remove lose undercoat) to help the skin and coat function to the best of it's ability.  

Clipping the coat is a valid option for dogs who never developed a correct coat in the first place, or for senior or special needs dogs who need less handling than hand stripping requires. 

 A "Strip and Clip" groom can be done occasionally (when you really want your dog looking it's best) without damage as long as the clippered hairs get stripped during the next session.  

For information on Winter and Summer grooming, please click HERE

Need a little stripping done? Maybe you need a lot?  Customize a stripping routine to suite your and your dog's needs.  Unsure of what you need? Ask our Master Stylist, Tracy, and she will gladly give you suggestions to suit your taste and budget.

We have the following services available to help you maintain your shedding dog's skin and coat.