Hi Qldsalty - the main reason behind hand stipping is to keep the westies harsh outer coating which is what they are suppose to have. Once you start clipping you clip away the harsh coat leaving the soft undercoat only. The only reason I can think of why groomers would prefer to clip is that it is easier and lets face it - the westie groom isn't the easiest of grooms. Once you start clipping you will find that their coats become curly or wavy when in fact their fur should be fairly straight. My groomer does a bit of both for my boy as I like the harsh outer coat. Plus the benefit of keeping the harsh outer coat is less bathing the dog as dirt will just fall out. Hope that helps you out
Stripping V Clipping
Hi Qldsalty - the main reason behind hand stipping is to keep the westies harsh outer coating which is what they are suppose to have. Once you start clipping you clip away the harsh coat leaving the soft undercoat only. The only reason I can think of why groomers would prefer to clip is that it is easier and lets face it - the westie groom isn't the easiest of grooms. Once you start clipping you will find that their coats become curly or wavy when in fact their fur should be fairly straight. My groomer does a bit of both for my boy as I like the harsh outer coat. Plus the benefit of keeping the harsh outer coat is less bathing the dog as dirt will just fall out. Hope that helps you out