Hand stripping is a special technique of grooming rough/harsh coated dogs such as terriers.

Most terriers have a soft undercoat & a wired top coat. A Stripped coat will maintain the original colour and texture of your dog & is the 'correct way' for most terriers.

Hand-stripping helps to remove dead coat and allows for a new coat to grow, stimulating the follicles which helps to boost the colour and texture of the coat.

Otherwise, the hair follicles may become clogged and cause skin problems.

Hand stripping is not painful when done correctly, but may be uncomfortable for dogs who are doing it for the first time/ puppies. It is time consuming and requires dedication from both the groomer and the owner. 

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Having done stripping breeds as a master class qualification, Ashley specialises in hand stripping.

To date, she has worked on

• Wire Fox Terriers,
• Cairn Terriers,
• Schnauzers,
• Westie (West Highland Terrier),
• American Cocker Spaniels,
• Border Terrier,
• Wire-Haired Dachshund

She is one of the rare few to complete her master class with Hand stripping in Singapore & is a handstripping specialist.

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 (Below excerpt taken from: https://christiesdirect.com/blog/Hand-stripping:-The-Basics.html)

Why should I hand strip instead of clipping?

Hand stripping is the correct way to groom a wired coat breed. Hand stripping mimics how a dog’s coat would be maintained in the wild and will keep the proper breed look (something which is very difficult to imitate with clippers).

Hand stripping will:

• Maintain a healthy coat and skin on wired coat breeds by removing dead hair which in turn stops follicles becoming clogged and irritated.
• Maintain the gorgeous rich colour of the dog’s coat.
• Ensure the dog’s coat still offers protection. The new guard coat will repel dirt and dust and will also have waterproof properties. 

Clipping will:

• Change the coat texture and volume – Clipping will often leave the dog’s coat soft and fluffy. It won’t be waterproof, and it will also need washed more frequently. A straight coat after clipping can also become curly or wavy and may matt more easily. You may notice the coat gets lesser as the skin stops following the cycle to produce and push through new hair follicles.  
• Change the coat colour - colour will be duller and lighter

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Some of our hand strip clients: 

Cairn Terrier 

Wire Fox Terrier

Schnauzer

Wire-Haired Dachshund

Border Terrier

Westie (West Highland Terrier)