Articles Index/Grooming
Posted 12/18/97
Unless your Norfolk has a super harsh coat, about every nine months it will grow long, part down the spine, and require "stripping," the removal of the top coat. To accomplish this your only tools should be your thumb and finger.
Referring to Fig. A, striped markings mean that all the long surface coat in this area should be removed; the undercoat usually remains by itself. Checked markings mean that the coat should be thinned, only with the longest hair removed. the area without any markings usually needs no attention, but, if it is very untidy, you can remove the longest hair here too. Inside the ear and around the anus the hair can be trimmed with blunt scissors. It usually takes two to four months for the new coat to grow to correct length - show coat. The time varies with the season of the year, the condition of the coat, the season of the bitch, how old the coat when stripped, and so on.
If you are going to show your dog, or just want it to look as nice as possible, now is the time for tidying. You now remove the untidy, stray hair, usually located in the areas marked in Fig. B and, using thinning scissors, shape the outline. these are important moments in trimming. Anyone can learn all the tricks and skills to show the good points of the dog and to hide the faults, such as bandy fronts or turned out feet.
Areas where you can safely use blunt scissors: inside the ear, bottoms and around feet, and around the anus. This has been written as a help for the beginner who has never trimmed before. When you have been trimming for a year or so you will have your own "ideas" how it should be done. At last, remember this: PRACTICE MAKES PERFECT. Good Luck. - Susan Bjorkfall, "Guestlings," Stockholm, Sweden, 1985 -
Note: The above drawings were made by ANTA friend and member Susan Bjorkfall with her permission to adapt the text. It is meant for the average coat and must be modified for coats with harsher or softer textures. A weekly grooming with a comb and bristle brush is a good routine to pursue, as well as regularly checking eyes, ears, teeth and nails.
Susan Bjorkfall
ANTIC, Spring 1990
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