Is Handstripping Cruel?

There's a common misconception that handstripping is cruel to the dog because it hurts the dog. The truth is actually quite the contrary when done correctly. Almost all terrier breeds were originally bred to go under ground or through thick bushes to go after vermin. The wire coat is designed to be tugged out easily should the dog be grabbed by its prey during a hunt. In a way, the harsh wire coat acts as an armor to protect the dog from harm. It also protects the skin as the soft undercoat tends to collect dirt and absorb water like a sponge. Having the wire top coat keeps the dog dryer and protects it from wind and sun.

Picture below is a 10 months old Airedale, Stella. She fell asleep on the grooming table while she was being stripped. As you can see, the rhythm of the stripping process actually put her in a relaxed state.

My experience with Airedales have been that some have very little undercoat and is extremely wiry (20% undercoat, 80% wire coat) while others have more soft undercoat and less wiry (60% undercoat, 40% wire coat). The more undercoat a dog has, the harder it is on the dog (and groomer) to be stripped. My two Airedales cover the entire spectrum for possible coat textures in the Airedale breed.

My girl Sunshade has a special type of coat called the sheep coat.

A sheep coated Airedale will always have lighter colouring, and they maintain dark ears throughout their life time. It is the most undesirable coat texture according to the breed standard (but I love it!) as it is 100% undercoat, 0% wire coat. According to Jane Harvey, Australian Airedale breeder of over 80 champions and a well respected International Judge, sheep coats in Airedales are a result of some sort of genetic mutation. Sunshade lacks the rich colouring and the harsh texture that come with the wire coat. Since she has no wire coat, handstripping for her would be very painful. This is the reason that Sunshade has always been clipped, never handstripped.

If you would like to read more about the sheep coats please click here.

On the other hand, my boy Jaffa, whose sire is Sunshade's litter brother, has the text book perfect black and tan wire coat for the breed.

Handstripping for him is not uncomfortable nor is it painful. He falls asleep too, much like his sister Stella in the picture above.