Heidi is a Westie x Jr and doesnt moult much. I strip her with a coat king and trim up her face and tail. Everyone comments on how good she looks and most assume she's been to the parlour.

Today I met a lady with cairns and a little terrier cross v similar to Heidi. She clips him and he looked lovely. Now I'm wondering if I wouldnt be better off with clippers. She uses cheap ones because he's small and doesnt have a thick coat.

I cant get the knack of hand stripping and the coat king doesnt take her coat back as short.

Here are a couple of pics. The one of her stripped shows how the coat king mainly only does her back (I have improved since this pic lol). I let it grow for winter. The other pics show her winter growth with just a little tidy up.

back%20garden%20005.jpg

Heidi 4saltram 20.3.11.jpg Heidi 8saltram 20.3.11.jpg

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"Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own”

I think I like the picture of her stripped as it still looks natural. If she were mine, I would probably strip her...

but having said that I clip Bella (her coat is not suitable for stripping though so this has never been an option)

Sorry to be difficult but I love the winter pics. I love her colour.

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Thanks for the replies

Part of me thinks "if it aint broke..............."

I prefer her longer coat too but she gets so hot in the summer and as she doesnt moult, needs a helping hand.

Guess I being too fussy and should stick with what works. It states to use the coatking in the direction of the coat but last time I tried a couple of areas going opposite and it def thinned them out better. Perhaps that's the way to goD

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"Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own”

I like her stripped How does the coat king work? Is it painful for them?

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Thank you.

The pic was my first attempt and before her eyebrows had grown. Now I leave her face longer and strip from eyebrows back.

Here is where I got mine
http://www.peasridge.co.uk/acatalog/...ing_Combs.html
They were ever so helpful. Told them her cross, described her coat and they advised which one to go for.

Heidi loves it. Just like having a good brush. The best way to describe it is - just like giving a moulting dog a good brush. Hair collects in the coatking as if it were a brush. There is no pulling or technique.

You've convinced me to stay as we are

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"Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own”

How often do you have to do it?

I might look at getting one of those because I can't afford clippers before I go back to NZ and they're a stupid price back there.

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Keep stripping her, if you clip you will lose the texture of the coat, she looks to have a lovely harsh texture and you do a fabby job on her

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I do it when I think she needs it. Mostly when it's hot. The most I've done is once a week but that's prob after it's grown quite a bit. If the weather cools, I leave it until she either looks a bit scruffy/warm or poss itchy. Def recommend it. Her little friend she plays with went to the groomer last week. When she came back, Heidi looked the better of the two.

Thank you!! The pic is nothing like how she turns out now(that was my first attempt). She's grown eyebrows since and I leave a bit of hair on her face. The hair on her face and legs is quite soft but her back is coarse. I'm def not going to clip her. The coat king takes off what's needed and leaves her with a bit of style. Clipping her would either do the same and be a waste of time as well as ruin her coarse coat or take her short all over which prob wouldnt look as nice.

Will take some pics when I next do her so you can see the "improved" version

Thanks for helping me decide

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"Life is mostly froth and bubble, Two things stand like stone,
Kindness in another’s trouble, Courage in your own”