May | 2012 | Wet Beards

I’ve heard some people say that they would never get a wheaten because “the coat is a lot of work.” While I do need to be brushed out regularly and I get haircuts about every four months, there isn’t a whole lot that goes into it. I’m never not allowed to do something because it would mean some immense grooming. But this post isn’t going to be about me. Shami, my terrier mix sister, wants to write today!

Mixed breed dogs seem to have a reputation of being somehow easier to care for than a pure bred dog. I’m not sure why though. A mixed breed comes from something. Labradors need to be brushed to control shedding. Wheatens need their coats to be hand trimmed. Border Terriers need to be stripped. If I mix those, I could end up with that coat too. As for me, I require stripping.

This is me when I am furry:

It’s cute. I have an amazing little beard. I happily wear this coat through the winter months and I am virtually water resistant.

Then one day I will start to blow my coat. This is when mom sees the tumble weeds of hair suddenly appear on the floor. She will pull me outside and give my fur a little tug. When it is ready, the hair comes right out. You can also tell by looking at it as it changes color.

We don’t have a stripping knife so it can take a long time to do my whole coat, and it is tedious work. It’s kind of self explanatory, but here are instructions on hand stripping. The thing that most people are surprised to find out is that I like it. I sit still. I don’t run off. I want that dead hair off! The temperature is in the high 90s right now, and soon it will hit 100 and up. I don’t want to carry all that hair around with me. This is one way how dogs regulate their body temperatures.

I see so many little terrier mixes that need to be stripped. We had friends who had a larger dog that’s coat did the same thing. When they started stripping her, they were amazed at how much less hair they found in the house every spring.

Of course, Mom stripped my coat while dad was gone one day. When he came home, he had this reaction (caution: there’s a swear word in this link!). I think I am just cute in a new way!

Here are a few other pictures- including a before and after! -Shami