Fun Grooming day Friday

[LizStreithorst]

You stripped the saddles on your Afhgan's too, right?  That's something I don't know how to do as I've never seen it done.

[wsantia1]

We used to call Sadie, our broken coated JR, "Fuzzy Butt".  I'd strip her coat every spring but she'd get really mad when I'd get to her rear end. We didn't care that she had a fuzzy butt cuz she was our pet and varmint dog. No balance and symmetry even though they look so nice when properly stripped.

Kobe is very sensitive about his butt too. lol. He is due for a grooming but nobody around here strips so I take him to someone who does a good job with him.  There are some JRTCA members in Pennsylvania that I may look up. They can probably point me in the right direction.

[wsantia1]

You could have done it with a little instruction in the use of the stripping knives.  You already know the right look.  I bet that most of the groomers you took him too left the furnishings too long.  A JR is NOT the same as a Wire Fox.

BTW, I no longer hand strip.  There is no demand for it here, I'd have to charge for the time it takes, and I don't know if these old hands could handle it any more.  I had st sleep in wrist braces after having done that Pyr.

You're right Liz. I know the look and have the tools all I need is someone to show me how to use those tools so that I can pull the coat out and not just break it out.

[LizStreithorst]

Has he ever been clipped rather than stripped or have you just allowed him to get shaggy? Clipping changes the coat (it looses that place where it breaks) It can be painful to the dog to go back to stripping.  You'll get the best advice from people in the breed club.

If he has been clipped in the past I would suggest to continue with clipping and use a very fine stripping knife held at a 15 degree angle to pull out undercoat.  That won't hurt the dog and you will get an acceptable result.  But, Paul 3:16 said you need to pull out undercoat a few times a week.  It's not an every 6 week thing.

Clipping encourages our enemy, undercoat growth, and discourages and changes top coat growth.

[wsantia1]

Has he ever been clipped rather than stripped or have you just allowed him to get shaggy? Clipping changes the coat (it looses that place where it breaks) It can be painful to the dog to go back to stripping.  You'll get the best advice from people in the breed club.

If he has been clipped in the past I would suggest to continue with clipping and use a very fine stripping knife held at a 15 degree angle to pull out undercoat.  That won't hurt the dog and you will get an acceptable result.  But, Paul 3:16 said you need to pull out undercoat a few times a week.  It's not an every 6 week thing.

Clipping encourages our enemy, undercoat growth, and discourages and changes top coat growth.

His coat has probably been ruined. He is shaggy at this time and has a decent undercoat. I will see what the breed club recommends though I think we will do what you recommend unless there is a hand stripper nearby.

[LizStreithorst]

I would suggest not trying to go back to hand stripping.  It will be painful to him to get the coat back in shape as the natural break in the top coat  is long gone.   But see experts have to say and please let me know.  I could easily be wrong.

[PaulineMi]

You stripped the saddles on your Afhgan's too, right?  That's something I don't know how to do as I've never seen it done.

Yes and it's easy. It's kind of like the reverse of an undercoat. The fluffy stuff grows up through the smooth, flat coat. You just strip all the fluffy hair out until there's just a smooth saddle left.

[LizStreithorst]

lol, in this case undercoat was your friend because you stripped down to it.  My guess is that you use a fine stripping knife to do that job, not the more course ones you would use to on the top coat of a terrier.  Am I correct?

[PaulineMi]

You are correct. 

[LizStreithorst]

I've been looking on the web to find how to trim the feet correctly.  I found nothing.  I did see this one pic of an Afghan in a very good pet trim.  It's easy to crituque a picture but I know that I wouldn't be able to do such a good pet trim on one.  http://www.metro-urbancabin.com/2010/08/lotus-gets-fixed-up-maintaince-of.html

[Mugwump]

I've been looking on the web to find how to trim the feet correctly.  I found nothing.  I did see this one pic of an Afghan in a very good pet trim.  It's easy to crituque a picture but I know that I wouldn't be able to do such a good pet trim on one.  http://www.metro-urbancabin.com/2010/08/lotus-gets-fixed-up-maintaince-of.html

Pretty dog.....