Wire coats are course and not supposed to be soft and silky, like the coats of most other dogs. This type of coat is water resistant, but it can get dirty and knotty. To maintain a wire coat, brush your dog with a slicker followed by grooming with a comb to gently remove any knotts and tangles. Some wire-coated breeds do not shed, and often need to be hand stripped.
A wire coat should not be bathed too often as this can dry it out. Most wire coated breeds need hand stripping every three to four months to keep their coat healthy. Hand stripping means that the dead hair is pulled out of the coat either by hand or by a stripping tool, instead of being trimmed by clippers or scissors.
Done correctly, stripping is not painful or even uncomfortable for the dog and some dogs actually enjoy being hand stripped. Plucking out old, dull hairs will stimulate your dog’s skin and allow healthy new hairs to grow in.
It should also be noted that some dogs cannot be hand stripped. This is can be because of the dog’s age, hormones or individual coat health.
You might prefer to have your wire coated dog’s coat clipped regularly however bare in mind this will mean more regular visits to the groomers as their coat will grow back faster and with a different texture than one that is hand stripped.
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