When we take our dogs for grooming, we often ask ourselves this question: “What do they do to my beloved pet to make her look so pretty and glossy?” Of course, a bath is a fundamental part of the process, but it’s far from enough. Our friend Luca will be showing us two grooming techniques, stripping and trimming, that are usually employed on medium-long and hard-haired dogs.
Stripping literally means removing all fur, but it’s not painful at all: all it does is remove the “dead” fur, mature fur that has reached the end of its natural cycle. The fur is cut with a specific tool, with special bladeless knives that remove the mature fur from the tips.
This is a very complicated process that should only be performed by someone with experience. It should be done every 3-4 months, and, in particular, it’s a good idea to let your dog get used to it since her first months of life. It’s the ideal technique to regenerate her fur and to make her muscles and face stand out. But the main reason why you should have it done to your dog is because it keeps her fur healthy and beautiful, keeping its colours intact.
Another technique directly related to striping is Trimming, the “pass again technique”, a finishing treatment used after a certain period of time, in between stripping sessions. It can therefore be interpreted as a maintenance technique, fundamental to keep it looking pretty and neat.
Unlike stripping, trimming can also be done at home, using a simple trimmer and plenty of caution, of course. In the case of our spaniel, the trimmer can be used on the back and on the areas more prone to knots (“armpits”, inner thighs, behind the ears).
It’s important to be familiar with the characteristics of our dog’s fur in order to take care of her in the most suitable manner.