One of the most common misconceptions about grooming border terrier dogs revolves around the stripping process. Stripping a border terrier dog involves the hand removal of dead hair from the dog’s hair coat. Find out everything you need to know about what happens if you don’t strip a border terrier pet.
What Happens if you Don’t Strip a Border Terrier
When you don’t strip a border terrier dog, the dead hairs may prevent the coat from functioning properly, it causes discomfort to the dog, and a host of other problems we are going to explain down this page, so read on!
So, what happens when your dog is stripped properly? The coat remains waterproof, your dog enjoys better comfort and most importantly, your dog would be happy! Let’s look at what stripping truly entails, what happens when you don’t strip your border terrier dog and how to go about it.
What Does Stripping a Dog (Border Terrier) Mean?
Unlike other dog breeds, border terriers are not expensive to maintain. What may be a bit of a challenge is the grooming required. One of the processes involved in its grooming is stripping. This refers to the removal of the hair on the dog’s coat either by hand or with the assistance of a device.
Before a Border Terrier can grow new hair, the old hair must come out. This breed can’t shed all of its old hair completely by itself. This is why they are often found rubbing their coat against objects and furniture. Owners of this breed must set out designated times to have Border terrier stripped. This is to save the dog from the stress of using hard surfaces and possibly hurting itself. Also, you’re likely to have its fur scattered over the place if this is not done.
The stripping process may sound painful as it entails the removal of hair but it’s only painful when done incorrectly. There are two common approaches to stripping: hand removal and clipping. Hand removal is highly recommended and the best process because the hair is removed completely, and when done gently and at intervals, the dog feels no pain and enjoys the process.
However, clipping which is sometimes mistaken for stripping only cuts the hair length and does not remove old hair. This approach is not recommended as the goal is not achieved. After clipping, you may still find your dog rubbing its fur against hard surfaces to get rid of the old hair.
In hand removal, the hair is gently removed with the hands, one at a time with breaks in between. You will need a lot of patience to complete this but this is the correct way to properly strip your dog.
Also Read: Are Border Terriers Easy to Train?
Do Border Terriers Have To Be Stripped?
Border Terriers have coats made up of an outer layer and an inner layer. The outer coat is tough while the undercoat is soft. The tough outer coat is waterproof and the soft undercoat is for keeping the dog warm.
The coat can be cared for in different ways. The undercoat can be kept clean with daily brushing. Brushing is suitable for getting rid of dirt. This can be done for a few minutes daily. The overcoat on the other hand grows to a point where the growing stops, then it dies and must be removed. Though the dog has a mechanism for hair removal, the process is not always as effective as external removal with the hands. This is why border terriers have to be stripped.
Stripping by hand removal is easier and makes the process faster. It also saves the dog the stress of having to get rid of the dead hair itself. As stated earlier, when the old hair is not removed, new ones cannot grow and the waterproof function provided by the overcoat is jeopardized.
Why Do Border Terriers Have To Be Stripped?
Not stripping border terriers exposes them to a range of skin issues and they lose the benefit provided by their coat as a new overcoat will not grow until the old one is stripped. Asides from this, stripping the coat provides a range of benefits.
Stripping protects the dog’s skin and coat from the harsh rays of the sun. The coat serves as a protective layer and when a new overcoat is unable to grow, the dog would not enjoy this support.
Coats have a beautiful and alluring appearance. Stripping at regular intervals helps in ensuring the coat retains its color and appearance. It also reduces and eliminates the chances of possible skin irritation. When the coat is not removed, oils may clog the skin and undercoat resulting in skin irritation.
Stripping also helps the coat to maintain its natural texture. And, it keeps the dog warm and dry.
Borders are bound to develop skin conditions when their coat is not properly stripped. Stripping ensures this does not occur. Other benefits include: making maintenance less expensive, keeping dirt off its coat, and helping the coat maintain its natural look and feel.
How do you Know When to Strip a Border Terrier?
Basically, there are three ways to know that your border Terrier needs stripping. The first is the period that has elapsed.
Border Terriers are a unique breed of dogs and it takes about five to six months for their hair to grow and die. After this period the hair must be removed for a new coat to grow. On average, Borders need to be stripped twice a year.
Another way to know your Border terrier needs stripping is when its hair has grown so long that it now forms a part around or towards the back.
The third way is to consult an expert. This is the least explored option as it is often possible to detect when a border needs stripping but if you’re not sure how to go about the process, consulting an expert would help.
What Age Do Border Terriers Need Stripping?
You can start stripping your dog when it’s at about five or six months of age or you can wait till the 8th or 11th month. The age you start stripping depends on the technique you will be using.
Some border terrier owners chose to strip in sections. That is different sections are stripped at different times with a time interval of about 1-4 weeks. In this style only the longest hairs are removed from the selected section, most likely the section with the longest hair.
You can also work with the three-month interval where only the longest hair is stripped and the shorter ones are left to grow to a certain length. This helps the border to retain the natural appearance of its coat. For this method, you can start stripping at about 5-6 months.
For people who will be sticking to stripping twice a year, this method is equally effective but it would be best to wait till about 8-11 months. This is because this form of stripping completely removes the overcoat leaving the border almost bare with the inner coat.
Risks Associated With Hand Stripping
The hand stripping process is not a very risky one but when done incorrectly it could cause pain for your dog, make your dog uncomfortable or irritate the skin. This is why watching a few videos from experts on how this is done is often recommended because though it’s a simple process it’s also quite delicate.
What Happens If You Don’t Strip a Border Terrier?
There are lots of things that could go wrong when you don’t strip your border terrier at the right time. Amongst them include skin irritation, development of a skin condition, loss of protection for the skin, loss of its natural color, appearance, and texture, and increase in the cost of maintenance.
Skin irritation and the development of a skin condition are the most common types, especially when you often help your dog in removing its dead hair and suddenly abandon the routine.
Also, when stripping is not correctly done, it could lead to irritation. The natural color, appearance, and texture of the coat may also be affected, and returning to the original state when your dog finally gets the assistance it needs is not very easy.
In general, not stripping your border makes its maintenance more expensive as other issues may arise that would cost a lot of money to manage.
Best Stripping Tool For Border Terriers?
Guess the tool that’s best for stripping a border? Well, it’s not a clipper, knife, blade, or any other object you can think of. It’s your hands.
Hands are the best tool for stripping and the dead hair should be pulled out one after the other, gently while giving the dog breaks in between. This may require a few hours daily before the stripping process can be completed.
Using tools like knives, blades and other sharp devices would not help with the removal of the hair. It would only trim it and you may end up hurting the dog in the process.
How to Find Border Terrier Stripping Services?
It’s okay if you find the hand-stripping process cumbersome and difficult to carry out after trying. You’re not alone. That’s why they are stripping services to help you handle this.
A simple google search can help you find a border-stripping service near you. You could search, “border terrier stripping near me”, or ” border terrier stripping + location “. This should bring out a long list of service providers that you can patronize.
Go through their website or page to see how they run their services and then pick the one you will be going with.
Conclusion On What Happens if you Don’t Strip a Border Terrier
Stripping for border terriers is something that leaves most border owners confused. This step is a vital one for grooming and so should not be ignored. You can try to fix a stripping time that will be convenient for you and your dog or hire an expert. And, this must be done routinely so ensure to set those reminders ahead of the date.
