Part 4

GOING TO A PROFESSIONAL GROOMER

The easiest way to groom your Cairn is to let someone else do it. Most grooming shops will clipper your Cairn for a moderate price. However, it will probably look more like a Miniature Schnauzer. It is possible to find a professional groomer who knows how to srip a terrier, but the cost is usually prohibitive because of the time and work involved.

Sometimes a local Cairn breeder and exhibitor will groom your dog for you. The price will vary. Do remember that most serious breeder/exhibitors have their own show dogs to keep in coat, a very time consuming venture, and therefore might not be able to groom for anyone else. However, many will be glad to assist you in learning how to do it yourself.

GROOMING THE SHOW DOG

Anyone looking at a show ring full of Cairn Terriers in all of their full-coated glory should be impressed by how natural they look. There should be no exaggerated heads, looking more like West Highland White Terriers than proper Cairns. Tails should be a carrot shaped, not resembling the "stove-pipe" tails of the Fox Terrier or the Scottie. Toplines should be level. Bottom lines should also be fairly level with only a bit of "tuck-up" and certainly no scissoring to give the look of the Miniature Schnauzer. Moderate is the word used throughout the standard and grooming should follow that instruction.

Of course, one does not want to see a show dog with a dirty or untidy coat either. Long, dead hair or fly-away coats are just as incorrect as those overly done.

It is amazing how much work goes into making a Cairn look tidy and scruffy at the same time. This look is achieved by starting coat care by the time the puppy is 8 to 12 weeks old and keeping up with it every week thereafter. After the basics of proper breeding for good coats, nutrition, brushing, and nail trimming are taken care of, the real work begins.

STRIPPING THE PUPPY COAT

The correct Cairn coat should be "built." When the puppy's fluffy baby coat is looking loose, usually by the age of three months, it should be gently pulled out--all of it. Grasping a few hairs at a time between thumb and forefinger and using a snapping wrist action, pull it out quickly. It helps to slightly stretch the skin in the opposite direction from the way you are pulling. This makes the hair come out easier and lessens any discomfort to your puppy. You can chalk your dog before pulling, as this sometimes makes the coat easier to grip. Dead hair comes out easily and will not hurt the pup as you pull it. It is okay to leave the hair on the muzzle around the nose and lips as playing with littermates usually takes care of it. If not, pull this out, too. Puppy will not appreciate your efforts on his behalf, so give him lots of pets and praise. A treat or two certainly won't hurt either.

ROLLING THE COAT

From puppyhood clear into adulthood, at least once a week go over the entire puppy pulling out any loose hair. There are several ways to do this. One is to brush the hair against the grain and pull out any long hair. Another method is to start at the tail and thigh area and gently roll a narrow strip of hair up between your left thumb and forefinger (if you are right-handed, that is). Then with your right hand, pull long or loose hairs out of that thin line. These will be pretty obvious as they will stick out longer than the rest of the hair. Moving forward a fraction of an inch, repeat the process until the entire back, both sides, and neck are done. You can also simply lift a small section of coat with you fingers and pull out any loose strands of hair.

The legs are done by gently combing the hair straight out from the leg and pulling out loose or long hair all the way around to make the leg look roughly like a fence post. Care should be taken not to "post" the leg to the extreme that it looks like a Wire Fox Terrier leg. It is necessary to keep the shaggy look while tidying up the coat.

On the tail it might be easier to use a stripping knife, again pulling out only loose hair. Be sure to get proper instruction on how to use a knife so as not to cut the coat. Using a dulled stripping knife is preferable to one with a sharp cutting edge for just pulling out coat.

This entire process, called rolling a coat, will open up hair follicles to start new growth after a period of dormancy. The result should be new hair of varying lengths growing in at all times, leading to the so-called perfect coat with one layer prime, another layer just ready to be pulled off, and a new layer coming on strong just under the prime coat. Many breeders have successfully rolled coats on puppies clear through the first years of their lives this way without ever having to completely strip the coat. The secret is to start young and stay on top of it. This means grooming at least once every seven to ten days.

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