Dear Jubilee,

How do I strip the tan parts (the face and the butt) of my Airedale without hurting him so he looks smart? Even when I came back and used scissors on him, he objected.

Stripping without Pain

Dear Stripping,

He is only five months old?

Airedales have been plucked since the breed was developed. They get used to it quickly, and they do not object as long as you do it carefully, stripping only a few hairs at a time. They have to get rid of dead hair, and it does not shed as on other breeds. Most Airedales really enjoy their time on the table alone with you, and ours jump on the table for their grooming. 

In the beginning, a puppy will object. You have to know and believe that you are not hurting him, and just do it. Some puppies really object to your plucking their butts and necks, but if you give in to them, they will object even more the next time. They read your emotions. So the first time, they may be shocked that someone is doing that to them, or, if they have let you do it before, they may figure that they need to tell you that they don't want you doing that. When you stop stripping because you fear you are hurting them, that is a reward: if I obejct, she quits, that feels fine. When you came back with the scissors and he still objected, that was your clue: the scissors didn't hurt. He didn't want you touching that part of him, and he had thought he had won. 

Usually, it has been my boys who have been the worse with this. Usually, with the girls, if I keep on doing it, each time I strip that part, they object. . . for awhile. It may get worse before it gets better, but they all object in the beginning.

I have, however, noticed that if I start thinking I am hurting them, it gets worse and worse. If, on the other hand, I just keep on keeping on telling myself that Airedales have been plucked since the 1800s and so I know that it isn't really hurting them, they will, after a few sessions, settle down and pay no attention to whatever part I am stripping. 

Yesterday, I had to take glued ears down. Annie yelped when I separated the glue from ear. But, just like when we were children and our mothers took a band aid off, when I pulled quickly and stopped, there was a little yelp and silence. After years of sweating how to do this, it occurred to me that this is a puppy that I strip regularly -- pulling off the glue which is not a tough glue doesn't hurt any more than stripping DUH! Besides, it doesn't stop her from taking them down whenever she wants to do so! She behaved very well on the table but kept on yelping most of the times (not every time) that I pulled.