Grooming Border Terriers
September 23, 2011 | by Border Joy! 
I hand stripped and clippered Jake and Zoe yesterday. Zoe has the perfect coat to hand strip it's real easy to see where the two coats differ and it comes out easily. She loves it, she feels like I'm just loving her by touching her so much for so long and she sometimes begs to be groomed. Really! When the brush or hand stripping tool comes out she jumps in my lap it's amazing. I still have trouble getting the legs, belly, face and ears. I clippered her legs and belly because it's easier.
Here's some of Zoe's fur in the middle of the process .... just SOME of it!
Jake is another story. I've heard that some Border Terriers can have difficult coats, meaning harder to strip, because they're softer and there is less of a difference between the top and bottom coat. This is true with Jake. I did manage to strip his back and neck on top, all the way to his hips and sholders. He has no problem with it being done in that area. Once I get anywhere under his shoulders he goes nuts. He squirms and shakes .. it hurts! So I don't hand strip him there I'm just using clippers. I think clippers are like a massage for dogs. His whole body relaxes and he just lays there (or stands) for me to finish the grooming. I do give both dogs lots of treats during the grooming process.
Mike and I really like the Border Terrier scruffy face so I don't plan on doing too much more to their faces. I do need to work on Jake's paws but this is so hard for some reason. I guess I just need practice.
Reader Comments (3)
Ha ha, Bodie has just been stripped on Saturday too, but we have yet to do the legs and tum, so he looks like he's wearing a pair of ugg boots. Hes not too happy about the feet being done.
Hi Michele, Jake looks so like Gem its unbelievable!! Does he have Brumberhill bloodlines by any chance? I have to admire your clipping skills, very neat and tidy. Poor Gem looked like I'd done her with a hedge trimmer (a blunt one at that lol) though it was my first attempt.
When clipping did you use an attatchment on the clippers and if so what number, and also did you follow the way the hair grows or go against it. Any info would be much appreciated for Gems next clip so she looks neater and isn't embarassed to go outside lol
Tracey x
Thanks! You know I wish I could tell you the clipper size, but I'm not sure. I used Mikes older Beard Trimmer. It's cordless and it has an adjustable head. I think it's really just going to be practice and a steady hand ... it's not easy for sure!