Cairns are double coated and have a coarse or hard outer coat with a softer undercoat. They are 'non-shedding' in that they do not go through shedding cycles and lose the dead hair. Because they do not 'shed' the hard coat, they need to be stripped. Stripping can be done continually every 2-3 months, by repeatedly only pulling the longest hairs. This is called rolling the coat. Or a complete strip can be done annually. This involves pulling out all the hard coat when it is long and ready to come out, leaving just the undercoat. It is then left to grow out until the next complete strip. The Cairn coat should not be clipped. Clipping can damage the hair temporarily or permanently, making the coat soft which matts easily and has more odor. It is important to bathe infrequently (not more than once a month) to avoid drying out the skin. Always use a quality dog shampoo and never human shampoos.
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Pick up a small piece of hair and pull out only the longest hairs. Do this all over the body. If you do this every 2-3 mo, you are creating layers in the coat. Keep in mind as you strip, what the sillouette of a Cairn should look like. Strip out everything beyond the imaginary lines.
When your puppy is 4 mo old, strip out all of the longest hairs- the puppy fuzz.
At 6 mo, start the following process of stripping and keep up with it every 2-3 mo.
Brush the hair on the head forward. Imagine a circle around the head and strip everything beyond this. Strip the upper 1/3 of the ear clean. The tail is stripped in a carrot shape.
Stripping does not hurt the dog when you strip small pieces. When the hair is ready to come out, it comes out easily. If you start with your puppy, they will get used to the process and even enjoy it!
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