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Stripping pulls out the outer guard of hairs once the hairs “blow”—or die and start to shed off. Only strip once the coat is blown, which will make hair removal much easier and be less likely to hurt your Westie. Make stripping a regular part of grooming your Westie. If you don’t strip your Westie regularly, you may need to strip all the way down to his undercoat layer, which can leave him looking bare. To strip your Westie, you’ll need to pull out dead hair with your fingers. Be aware that this can cause your Westie pain or discomfort if you don’t know what you’re doing. Do not try to pull out hairs that are still growing out of the skin. Grasp hairs that are sticking out further than other ones and gently pull on the hairs. If the hairs do not come out easily, then stop pulling. The hairs may not be ready to come out yet. Always make sure to pull out hairs from the coat in the direction that your Westie’s fur is growing to make pulling out dead hairs easier and reduce discomfort for your dog. Go with the grain of your Westie's fur rather than against it. If you find the coat is slippery or you are having trouble grasping hairs, then you can apply a bit of chalk to your hands and fingers. The chalk will help you keep a firmer grip on the hair and make it much easier to pull out dead hairs.

Summary:
Strip your Westie’s coat when you notice dead hairs. Use your fingers to pull out dead hairs from your Westie's coat. Go with the grain of your Westie’s fur. Apply chalk to your fingers if grasping hairs is difficult.