Cami in her PJs

This is the 2nd time Cami is fully stripped, the 1st time by a professional Cairn breeder from Australia, whom visited our home back in 2008. Which means, this is the first time I am doing a full strip for Cami. All the while, I have been using a stripping knife bought from the States to keep her hair groomed but my thumb always ended up with a sore spot after using it for a short while.

Finally, determined to give Cami a good strip, I had a friend of mine help order and hand carry a set of McClellan stripping knifes from the States. These knifes have rubber curve handles which allow your thumb to sit comfortably without giving you a blister. Perfect! :) My friend Viv was kind enough to help me shop around online for the lowest price and lo behold, she ended up buying the set from CPCRN (Col. Potter Cairn Rescue Network), talk about coincidence.

Here are some photos of Cami prior to getting stripped. These were taken one fine afternoon after her bath. As you can see, she has a lot of hair and it made her look more like a yak than a Cairn.

Cami








Yak
Spot any similarities?

Anyhow, with my newly purchased McClellan knifes, I started working on Cami quickly, starting with her back and working my way to her side, legs, neck, followed by her tail. I decided to strip one side first so that I can show the difference before and after stripping. I forgot to record how long it took to complete the stripping process but it was roughly 1-1/2 to 2 hours before I was satisfied with the results.

Top half done

Right side done

Full body done. Check out the amount of hair removed

Cami's beautiful brindle undercoat

After a long day, I decided to wait and strip her head and face another day.

Head/face stripping completed

The end results; she looks like a pup again

It will take 2-3 months before her outer coat grows out again and it will be (hopefully) rough and healthy.