# Border Terrier Stripping Tools



## BostonDan (Dec 29, 2014)

Hi - 

I'm acquiring a border terrier pup next month and I'm trying to do as much preparation as possible. Can anyone recommend a good stripping brush/knife/comb that will make the process less tedious? 

In advance, thanks.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Congratulations!

I've been removing coat from wiry/long coated dogs for 16 years. Fingers. At least start with them. As soon as new pup is settled start pretending to pluck with your fingers. Fluff his coat in the area and pick up the longest dozen hairs with 2 fingers and pull just a bit, you don't need to pull yet. That will be plenty challenge at first! Likely you will be fluffing all over and then picking up hair and finally doing the faux pulling. Once he is fine with that in the areas that will get stripped, all but between legs/groin, then start with your chosen tool, again pretending to pull hair. I used a $5 knife from the pet store and a grooming stone from the horse store on the wire haired dog when I used tools. Mostly I used my fingers along with normal brushing out. My first spaniel type coat had a massive hideous spay coat which is undercoat gone crazy and I added a Mars Coat King to the arsenal but for the legs where most of the bad stuff was I still mostly plucked with fingers. 

Try a good soft slicker for normal brushing. Be very sure the tips are blunted so you don't scratch tender skin, I went high end and bought Chris Christenson slicker and pin brushes or dull the wires by scratching it on concrete or sandpaper. It shouldn't scratch your skin when you stroke it. Dog skin is more tender than ours as it is protected by all that fur, this is important.


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## BostonDan (Dec 29, 2014)

Thanks Kathy for responding. 

You mentioned a $5 knife from the pet store. Is this a stripping knife or something else?


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## elrohwen (Nov 10, 2011)

Some place like GroomersMall.com or Petedge.com is good for stripping knives. I would start with at least coarse and fine and see what you like. I groom spaniels, not terriers, but I do use a lot of stripping knives and know a little bit of the technique. A good stripping knife will be pretty cheap. You want it kind of dull, which you can do by using it on a dirty coat, or you can speed it up by cutting through cardboard or something. Lots of people like the Coat King too (you can get that through Groomer's Mall). Real show groomers of terriers won't use them, but they're perfectly fine for at home pet grooming where you want to strip, but want to do it a bit faster.


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## Kathyy (Jun 15, 2008)

Yes, a stripping knife. It has a round end and I don't see it at my local big box pet stores now. Good groomers need a variety for different coat types and personal preference but a pet owner is just trying to keep the dog looking like its breed not looking for the perfect clean neck or getting the job done in 3 hours rather than 5.

As far as I know there is no way to make the job shorter because only a few hairs can be pulled at a time. The Mars Coat King will pull more hair but it only gets you so far.


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## BostonDan (Dec 29, 2014)

Just getting back to this. Thanks again to both of you for the suggestions.


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