[Bruin's Mom]

Hi folks - I live in Suburban Massachusetts where they only dog most groomers know how to groom is a labradoodle. I have a Grand Basset Griffon Vendeen, who is supposed to look like the picture (it's my dog's Mama). What the breeder failed to tell me when I got him is that his coat is supposed to be stripped. I asked her about grooming before contracting to buy the dog, and she told me all I had to do was comb him once a week... But she's a good breeder and Bruin is an amazing dog - only problem is that there is no way in the world that either Bruin or I would put up with 5 minutes of me yanking at his hair, much less 5 hours, so I clip him. Of course this has left him with a very soft coat (which I'd love if it didn't mat so badly).

I'm looking for products or techniques to keep him looking like a GBGV, while still being able to see his eyes. Local groomers almost always shave off his eyebrows, which are a distinctive feature of the breed, and leaving him looking like a really weird schnauzer. As you can imagine, his beard mats like crazy, and he is not a fan of grooming at all. I met somebody a while ago who said to use a slicker brush, but I can't imagine how that would be helpful. I try to do my own grooming, making it all up as I go along. Can anybody give me some actual guidance? It would be nice to feel like I know what I'm doing!

 

[LeoRose]

The slicker brush can help pull out the dead hair, but honestly, if you want him to have a proper coat, you're pretty much going to have to hand strip him. A quick YouTube search turned up this set of videos on a technique called rolling the coat, where you strip a bit here and a bit there over the course of several weeks. It would probably be easier on both of you, instead of doing one long marathon stripping session. This dog is a Brussels Griffon, but the basics are the same for most wire-coated breeds.

You'll need to work into it gradually. Strip a spot here and a spot there for a couple of minutes, making sure you give him lots of rewards for tolerating it. You can either finger pluck or use a knife, whichever you prefer.

If you are on Facebook, this is a good group to join for learning the basics of cooperative care. Facebook Groups

 

[K9luv]

I JUST made a post here about hand stripping, asking if anyone still does it. I am self taught and have been hand stripping my pup for months, he's 11 months old now.

How old is your dog and how many times have you clippered?