Regular brushing is required to keep the Irish Terrier looking smart, and the coat clean and healthy. Use a slicker brush, terrier palm pad and a stripping stone, and brush with the lie of the coat. The coat of this breed is a distinctive red, harsh and wiry, and has a broken appearance. It should be free from softness or silkiness, and the length should not hide the outline of the body, particularly the hindquarters.

The hair should be straight and flat, with no shaginess, and should be free of lock or curl. At the base of the stiff hair is a growth of finer and softer hair: the undercoat. The hair on the foreface is crisp. The leg hair is dense.

PROCEDURE

Equipment needed: Slicker brush, terrier palm pad, stripping stone, medium-toothed comb, stripping knife, clippers and scissors where applicable.
Breed tip: Done on a 12-week basis, the thorough strip described below will keep the breed looking every bit as distinguished as it should. Show dogs are given more regular attention.

• Brush with a slicker brush.
• Comb with a medium-toothed comb.
• Using your finger and thumb or an all-in-one stripping knife, strip from the corner of the eye to the edge of the mouth down, incorporating the cheeks.
• Shorten the hair on the ears by stripping. The stripping stone can be used on the ears as well as the body, etc. — rubbed across the coat, it tidies up loose hairs.
• The muzzle hair is left to form the correct, grand expression, but should not be so full or long as to upset the balance of the head.
• Strip down the neck and along the body, being careful to blend the hair to give a smooth appearance. It should be shorter at the back of the hind legs.
• Hand or knife-strip those hairs that are easy to see as being longer. Make sure you only take a few hairs at a time. Always pluck with the grain of the growth.
• Pet dogs are sometimes clipped with a coarse blade, but consult with the owner first. This routine is far quicker and less costly, but the coat never looks the same as when regular attention is paid to stripping and general grooming.
• Pay particular attention to the armpits, and around the genital and umbilical areas, as the undercoat can felt. Comb regularly to prevent matting.
• Strip the tail in the direction of the hair
growth from the base to the tip.
• The legs have slightly more furnishing than the body, but the hair should still remain short and smart. This can be achieved by stripping or scissoring.
• Bathe the dog in a natural shampoo and rinse well.
• Dry with a blower or air- or cage-dry after combing through.
• Tidy any loose hairs when the dog is dry.
• Check the dog’s nails, ears and teeth.
• Scissor all hair from underneath the pads and check between the toes.
• Many breeders are happy to help with any grooming problems.