Wire coated breeds such as Border Terriers and West Highland Terriers have a coarse water resistant coat that can become easily matted and dirty. Their wire coats are made up of a combination of a short, soft dense undercoat and a layer of long wiry guard hairs on top.
The top coat and undercoat grow at different rates and do not shed very much but they should be brushed regularly to remove any dead hair, loose undercoat, dry dirt and tangles. When the top coat has stopped growing and died it becomes ‘blown’, where the coat is dense, long, matted looking and it will start to part and look ‘scruffy’. The coat is then ready to be removed in one go, via stripping (hand or knife) and this is usually needed twice a year in Spring and Autumn.
The top coat and undercoat grow at different rates and do not shed very much but they should be brushed regularly to remove any dead hair, loose undercoat, dry dirt and tangles. When the top coat has stopped growing and died it becomes ‘blown’, where the coat is dense, long, matted looking and it will start to part and look ‘scruffy’. The coat is then ready to be removed in one go, via stripping (hand or knife) and this is usually needed twice a year in Spring and Autumn.