Page 55 - K9 News Digital - Issue 11 May2020

Geoff Corish

in, reaches a certain length and in the position for SCRAPING, not be towards the ‘pull’ of the hair, and
dies, this is done regardless of the peeling. For those of you who came it would take MUCH proficiency to
time of year or weather conditions. after the invention of the potato prevent the hair from being cut.
This dead or ‘blown’ coat falls peeler, think of a flat plain (as As you progress you will soon find
out and a new coat comes in to the rain in Spain falls mainly etc) the stripping knife does become
replace it. This constant renewing and imagine a single telephone your ‘finger’. and you will be
of the outer coat is unlike other standing perfectly upright upon lifting and pulling all in one easy
breeds, and during the time when that plain The plain represents motion. Whether you are trimming
the coat is ‘live’, there is little or the dogs skin and hair, the upright with thumb and forefinger or with
no shedding, giving rise to the pole represents the position of the the knife, the same rules apply.
conception that hard coats do not stripping knife in relation to the Remember, the knife merely takes
shed. They do, but not like other dogs skin and hair. Most stripping the place of your finger, and is
breeds. The length of coat before knifes have grooves on one side always pulled in the direction of the
blowing depends on many factors; of the blade. The groves extend coat! I say ‘always’ but like most
the health of the dog, the weather, down to the lower or bottom edge rules, there are exceptions which l
season of year, humidity and in of the blade, and the ridges of shall mention in their proper place.
the case of bitches their season these grooves from the teeth. If we are to pull in the direction the
and also false pregnancy will be The opposite side of the blade hair grows, and at the same time
factors. The area in which you is smooth, the ridged or grooved pull towards ourselves, this means
reside and the housing provided is the side away from you, the that we must place our bodies in
for your dog also play a part in the smooth side is towards or facing relation to where and in which
cycle of a terriers coat. In England you as you strip. The position of direction our dog is standing. The
we seem to get and hold our coats the stripping knife is upright in hair on the dogs back grows from
better than those in America for your hand, the blade of the knife the neck pointing towards the
instance, maybe we don’t get takes the place of your forefinger, dogs, tail. If we are stripping the
such a hot dry climate as they do, your thumb still fulfils the same dogs back, our position should be
perhaps for us terrier people we function. Since we are holding our with our body standing at the dogs’
should be grateful for the weather knife in a ‘scraping’ position, and tail and facing the same direction
we do get if only to help our terrier since the knife is sharp once again as the dog is. However, the hair
coats, these factors have a definite we see the importance of LIFTING does not always grow in the same
effect on a dogs show condition. the hair to be pulled, if you do not direction. At times we will gain the
lift, you will scrape, or cut, and as distinct impression that in order
STRIPPING KNIVES
you work your way down through to follow this rule, we must stand
Having already said that the
the coat, you will cut and make on our head, and this is what we
choice of a stripping knife is a the dog’s skin raw. At first it is almost do! But no matter how silly
really personal one, what may be advisable to lift the hair with your the contortions are, we ALWAYS
good for one person is not so for
finger and then pick up your knife PULL the hair in the direction it
someone else, you may get half a
to pull the LIFTED hair. Always but grows.
dozen before you find the right one,
always keep your wrist straight,
and when you do, guard it with your never snatch as you can cut the
life, I once had my tools stolen and coat rather than pulling it out.
it was a long time before I found
If you have fair control of your left
one l was happy with. Go along
hand, you may lift the hair out with
to one of the trade stands at the
that, pulling the lifted hair out with
larger shows, many have a good your knife held in your right hand.
selection and are most helpful. You can make the job easier if
Hold them and see if they feel right
you rub a little terrier chalk as that
in your hand. Naturally ladies have
gives a bit more of a grip
smaller hands and so not every
Unless you have a ‘left-handed’
knife feels the same to everyone. knife (and occasionally these
A stripping knife should be used in can be found) you must hold the
the proper manner or you will not
knife in your right hand, since
achieve the right effect. For you
the grooves of the blade hold the
ladies who have used a knife for
separate hair from being CUT. If
peeling (potatoes, carrots etc) you you were to hold the knife in your by Geoff Corish
will know what l mean when l say left hand, the smooth side would
the stripping knife should be held

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