How to Pluck the Coat of an Irish Wolfhound

The Irish Wolf Hound is a good-natured and gentle, giant sized dog. It is a very ancient breed of dog used for hunting wolves. They are very loyal and great with children. They're very friendly and not very good as watch dogs, but due to their size, are quite often intimidating enough. The Irish Wolf Hound has coarse, wiry hair which is not difficult to groom but does require regular attention and plucking in order to keep it in excellent condition and good appearance.

Things You'll Need

  • Medium steel-toothed comb
  • Brush
  • Stripping knife
  • Rubber gloves
  • Grooming powder
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Instructions

    • 1

      Find a room where your dog is most comfortable and lay an old sheet on the floor if you need to or use a grooming table. Get your dog to relax and stand still.

    • 2

      Use one hand to hold the skin taut in an area of the body you wish to begin removing top-layer hairs. With the other hand, hold a few hairs down at a time and pull between thumb and forefinger in the direction of hair growth. You can use rubber gloves for this or sprinkle grooming powder on the dogs coat to make it easier to grip the hair.

    • 3

      Repeat this section by section until you have completed the whole body or you can do one area at a time whenever you see stray hairs that need to be pulled out.

      Pluck the coat at least two or three times a year. This method is called "hand plucking."

    • 4

      Pluck the coat using a blunt, stripping knife instead of using your fingers (you should find this in a pet store). This is called "stripping the coat." Take the stripping knife and hold it perpendicular to hair growth. Grip the hair between your thumb and the knife and give a quick pull. Repeat this until you have finished the whole coat or do one area at a time as needed.

    • 5

      Brush or comb your dogs coat after stripping or plucking. You may give him a bath afterward, but not before plucking, since wet hair makes the job almost impossible.