Hand stripping and de-shedding - what does that actually mean?

[ByUmberViewer]

Just asking the question in the title really. I've always just had my king charles spaniel groomed but he sheds so much hair at home.

I just wondered whether I should be doing something else and wondered what hand stripping and de-shedding actually are?

When I pick him up from the groomers and get him home me and the car are always covered in thousands of little hairs.

Also, should groomers do the anal glands?

Thanks, never had a pet before.

Wondering whether to attend a course and learn to do it myself. £52 every 6 weeks and they don't even do the anal glands or teeth.

Hello, dog groomer here!
You may be best looking at 'carding', if done correctly it can reduce the shedding, allow the coat to lie flat and help promote healthy hair. If you get him clipped short it does not help the shedding. Sorry wasn't too sure what kind of trim you have.
Unfortunately shedding can't be stopped completely but it sounds like it is quite a lot even after a groom? Which to me is not worth the amount you have paid (depending where you are) I'm up north and I charge £35-£37 for a 'full groom' and will check anal glands in that if asked. But it is recommended to let a vet do this now as it can be risky. Teeth is extra at my salon also.

Hope this helps a little.

I have a Cavalier and I've never had her groomed, but I do use a Mars Coat King 20-blade on her in about May, to strip out some of the undercoat so she's cooler in the summer. She doesn't love it (but I know she also would not love being clipped!) so I just do a bit at a time and she seems to be ok with that. The rest of the time, I brush her with a bristle brush, trim the long hair on her tummy/back of legs with round-tipped scissors to reduce the amount of seeds/burrs/mud that she picks up, and remove any tangles with the scissors too. I find this is best done in the evening when she's sleepy, otherwise she won't keep still!

Very important - check your dog over (especially ears, armpits and paws) for grass seeds after each walk in the summer. They can work their way into the body if not removed and cause all kinds of problems, even requiring surgery. Arm yourself with treats and he will soon quite enjoy the checks! And when it's muddy, wash your pup's paws clean, if you don't already. The long fur between cavvies' toes traps mud, which dries into hard lumps which are uncomfortable for them to walk on (a bit like us having to walk with a stone in our shoe!).

Hand stripping and de-shedding can definitely be confusing at first! Hand stripping is more about removing dead hairs from wire-coated breeds to maintain their texture, while de-shedding helps reduce loose fur in breeds that shed a lot. It’s great that you’re diving into this—grooming is such an important part of pet care. If you’re interested, here’s a helpful article I found about pet grooming: Pet Grooming Tips. It covers some great basics!