Grooming - Stripping Your Australian Terrier
COAT - Outer Coat -Harsh and straight,2 1/2 inches all over the body except the tail, pastures, rear legs from the hocks down and the feet which are kept free of long hair. Hair on the ears is kept very short. UNDERCOAT - Short and soft. Furnishings - Softer than body coat. The neck is well furnished with hair, which forms a proctective ruff blending into the apron. The forelegs are slightly feathered to the apasterns. TOPKNOT- Covering only the top of the skull; of finer and softer texture than the rest of the coat" ****PICTURE COMING SOON**
PART 1 The Show Dog
Grooming the Australian Terrier for the show ting requires learned skills and a mental picture of what the finished Aussie should look like. Begin by studying well-groomed , well breed specimens. Then begin to master the mental picture and the physical skills required, combining both to fit the particular dog to be groomed. By properly working this terrier coat a rough, unkempt specimen should become a near and natural coated dog.
WORKING THE COAT
The well conditioned Aussie should be somewhat "deep in coat" (2 1/2 inches all over the body) with goo, harsh, new coat blended overall, and ample furnishings softer in texture, the topknot being softer and lighter in color than the other furnishings.
Working a coat is essential to achieve a tidy,vlended, well-balanced outline and appearance, whether for show, performance or simply for a happy, clean house dog.
Working a coat removes old, dead hair to permit growth of new, healthy hair. Frequent brushing will remove unwanted dust and dirt from the coat and stimulate natural oils in the skin for a shiny healthy coat condition.
The technique of a hand stripping gives the best results. Grasp a smll hank of hair between two fingers of one hand such as the forefinger and the middle finger, and with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand pull out gently but firmly the longest,loosest strands of hair, leaving the hank with fresh hair more even in length. ALways pull dead coat in the direction in which the hair grows and lies naturally. Repeat this all over the body coat and furnishings. A layering effect muct be created over the entire body of the dog, from the occiput to the tip of the tail.Once the coat has been trained to lie flat and the correct outline of the Australian terrier has been achieved, the coat must be worked at regular periods,at least onceeveru two weeks. Sometimes referred to as "rolling the coat" this regular maintenance is essential to retain over time the desired outlineand smooth blending of the coat over time.
So what IS a typical Aussie outline? What does the well-groomed Aussie look like.
The Aussie Breed Standard calls for the general appearance of "a small, sturdy,medium-boned working terrier, rather lon in proportion to height with pricked ears and docked tail. "It calls for a harsh-textured outer coat, a distinctive ruff and apron, and a soft, silky top-knot."
The Breed Standards also provides a guide to what the desired outline should be as to size, proportion, features of the head, neck, topline, body and coat.
"Harsh-Textured" hair on the Aussie is not soft or cottony, but also not as harsh as the quality of some other terrier breeds whose body coats are kept extremely short, close and tight to the skin.
The ears are groomed free of long hair to maximize the effect of active, alert pricked ears. The ears are groomed free of long hair to maximize the effect of active, alert prick ears. The neck, topline and sides of the body coat are to be blended into each other to lay flat and to and to contrast somewhat with the softer furnishings along the side of the dog's body and on the neck ruff and the apron that protects the dog's front. The Aussie furnishings grow naturally in the typical patterns and profusion, and should be given every advantage through regular plucking of these aspects of the coat.
The descriptions of the forequaters, hindquarters and gait in the Standard can also guide the groomer to desired proprtions. Too much hair left in some areas may distract from the correct anatomical structure of the dog whether moving or standing stilll. To achieve "2 1/2 inches all over the body" it is necessary to learn to cultivate constant growth of fresh new coat, to layer the coat seamlessly,and to avoid any abrupt line between the body coat and the side furnishings.
The hair on the forelegs(front and both sides) on the Aussie should be short,leaving feathered furnishing on the back side of the forelegs down to the pasterns. The tail is trimmed quite short, blending into the set-on and free from long hair on the underside. The feet are groomed clean afrom the pasterns down to reveal a carlike small size, toes arched and compact, turning neither inward nor outward. Nails should be short, black and strong.
THE PROCESS
The Process begins with basic working of the coat, reccommended to be done by hand, as stated above. Gradually, however, the diligent and skillful groomer should learn the discreet use of a stripping knife, taking care to "pluck" the coat ready to be removed without "tearing" the hari on the serrated edges of the stripping knife. The "size" of the stipping knife blad wheather coarse,medium,fine,or extra fine, becomes a matter of individual choice as one's skill develops and may vary also according to the brand of stripping knife employed. The novice groomer must remember to hand-pull or strip hair in the same direction that the hair grows.
Others basic grooming tools used by experienced groomers with an Aussie include a sturdy metal comb; a natural bristle brush or a combionation of bristle with nylon pins that massage the scalp without damaging the hair:
PART 1 The Show Dog
Grooming the Australian Terrier for the show ting requires learned skills and a mental picture of what the finished Aussie should look like. Begin by studying well-groomed , well breed specimens. Then begin to master the mental picture and the physical skills required, combining both to fit the particular dog to be groomed. By properly working this terrier coat a rough, unkempt specimen should become a near and natural coated dog.
WORKING THE COAT
The well conditioned Aussie should be somewhat "deep in coat" (2 1/2 inches all over the body) with goo, harsh, new coat blended overall, and ample furnishings softer in texture, the topknot being softer and lighter in color than the other furnishings.
Working a coat is essential to achieve a tidy,vlended, well-balanced outline and appearance, whether for show, performance or simply for a happy, clean house dog.
Working a coat removes old, dead hair to permit growth of new, healthy hair. Frequent brushing will remove unwanted dust and dirt from the coat and stimulate natural oils in the skin for a shiny healthy coat condition.
The technique of a hand stripping gives the best results. Grasp a smll hank of hair between two fingers of one hand such as the forefinger and the middle finger, and with the thumb and forefinger of the other hand pull out gently but firmly the longest,loosest strands of hair, leaving the hank with fresh hair more even in length. ALways pull dead coat in the direction in which the hair grows and lies naturally. Repeat this all over the body coat and furnishings. A layering effect muct be created over the entire body of the dog, from the occiput to the tip of the tail.Once the coat has been trained to lie flat and the correct outline of the Australian terrier has been achieved, the coat must be worked at regular periods,at least onceeveru two weeks. Sometimes referred to as "rolling the coat" this regular maintenance is essential to retain over time the desired outlineand smooth blending of the coat over time.
So what IS a typical Aussie outline? What does the well-groomed Aussie look like.
The Aussie Breed Standard calls for the general appearance of "a small, sturdy,medium-boned working terrier, rather lon in proportion to height with pricked ears and docked tail. "It calls for a harsh-textured outer coat, a distinctive ruff and apron, and a soft, silky top-knot."
The Breed Standards also provides a guide to what the desired outline should be as to size, proportion, features of the head, neck, topline, body and coat.
"Harsh-Textured" hair on the Aussie is not soft or cottony, but also not as harsh as the quality of some other terrier breeds whose body coats are kept extremely short, close and tight to the skin.
The ears are groomed free of long hair to maximize the effect of active, alert pricked ears. The ears are groomed free of long hair to maximize the effect of active, alert prick ears. The neck, topline and sides of the body coat are to be blended into each other to lay flat and to and to contrast somewhat with the softer furnishings along the side of the dog's body and on the neck ruff and the apron that protects the dog's front. The Aussie furnishings grow naturally in the typical patterns and profusion, and should be given every advantage through regular plucking of these aspects of the coat.
The descriptions of the forequaters, hindquarters and gait in the Standard can also guide the groomer to desired proprtions. Too much hair left in some areas may distract from the correct anatomical structure of the dog whether moving or standing stilll. To achieve "2 1/2 inches all over the body" it is necessary to learn to cultivate constant growth of fresh new coat, to layer the coat seamlessly,and to avoid any abrupt line between the body coat and the side furnishings.
The hair on the forelegs(front and both sides) on the Aussie should be short,leaving feathered furnishing on the back side of the forelegs down to the pasterns. The tail is trimmed quite short, blending into the set-on and free from long hair on the underside. The feet are groomed clean afrom the pasterns down to reveal a carlike small size, toes arched and compact, turning neither inward nor outward. Nails should be short, black and strong.
THE PROCESS
The Process begins with basic working of the coat, reccommended to be done by hand, as stated above. Gradually, however, the diligent and skillful groomer should learn the discreet use of a stripping knife, taking care to "pluck" the coat ready to be removed without "tearing" the hari on the serrated edges of the stripping knife. The "size" of the stipping knife blad wheather coarse,medium,fine,or extra fine, becomes a matter of individual choice as one's skill develops and may vary also according to the brand of stripping knife employed. The novice groomer must remember to hand-pull or strip hair in the same direction that the hair grows.
Others basic grooming tools used by experienced groomers with an Aussie include a sturdy metal comb; a natural bristle brush or a combionation of bristle with nylon pins that massage the scalp without damaging the hair:
