Grooming Matters

Heather Roozee’s Journey to

Hand-Stripping Mastery
by Daryl Conner
Photos provided by Heather Roozee
H

eather Roozee began grooming twenty-four years ago and has owned and operated A Groomery Pet Grooming in DeKalb, Illinois for twenty-one of those years. However, she made a name for herself in the grooming industry by competing with her Airedale Terrier, Zeppelin, in grooming contests nationwide.

This team of two has won many Best in Show awards, including twice at Intergroom and at Groom Expo, earning a coveted Groomer to Groomer magazine cover shot. In 2017, Heather was named the number-one Hand Strip Groomer in the U.S. Outside of the grooming industry, Heather also competed in AKC conformation shows and achieved the title of Grand Champion with Zeppelin.

The technique of hand stripping is widely used by pet groomers in Europe but seen far less commonly in shops in the U.S. When done properly, it is not uncomfortable for the dog, and it preserves the correct texture and color of wire-coated breeds, while promoting healthy skin and maintaining proper breed characteristics.

“Honestly, once I learned that hand stripping some dogs was even a thing, I wanted to learn the skill,” Heather shares. “I didn’t want grooming to be a job; I wanted it to be a career. I fell in love with terriers, Airedales specifically, and once learning they were a hand-stripped breed, I had to learn how.”

So, in 2005, Heather began her quest to master the technique.

Heather Roozee poses with her dog, proudly displaying a ribbon, showcasing their bond and achievement together.
“I fell in love with the breed back when I was just starting to groom,” she continues. “I was watching the Westminster Dog Show and the Airedale came out for group judging. He was like no other dog I had ever seen, and I didn’t even know Airedales were a breed. I grew up in the horse world, so seeing this dog shaped like a horse just grabbed me, and I knew I had to have one.”

Her first Airedale, Layne, was the dog that started her down the path towards perfecting her skills.

“It was a lot of trial and error,” Heather confesses. “I started competing with him in a strip-and-clip-type trim way back in the day and got critiques to get me going in a better direction. When I got Zeppelin, my second Airedale, his breeder helped me learn, as did some tricks and tips from handlers like Adam Bernardin at dog shows.”

“I didn’t want grooming to be a job; I wanted it to be a career. I fell in love with terriers, Airedales specifically, and once learning they were a hand-stripped breed, I had to learn how.”

– Heather Roozee
Her third and current Airedale, which she brought home in 2017, is Grand Champion Timberwyck The Rock. Although his many friends know him as Hudson.

“I waited two years for the right puppy from Susan Kuhn, Timberwyck Airedales,” Heather says. “She knew I wanted a dog I could attempt to have a successful specials career in the show ring with. We have far exceeded every goal I wanted to achieve. I never dared to dream of winning a National show, much less our National at Montgomery. And he won our floating National just a few months prior to that. I still find it hard to wrap my head around such incredible wins.

“I am most proud of his two National Specialty wins,” she continues. “Which is what we call winning ‘The Bowl’ in his breed because of the exquisite traveling trophy, and his All-Breed Best in Show. He also accomplished two All-Breed Reserve Best in Show wins and many regional specialties wins over his career.”

Heather does all of Hudson’s grooming and handles him in the show ring. The bond between the two of them is apparent because he is not only a show dog, but also a daily companion and cherished pet.

Heather Roozee in a red suit sits on a bench, accompanied by a dog, enjoying a serene moment outdoors.
Heather encourages other groomers to practice the art of hand stripping by offering seminars and online tutorials. Followers on Facebook see her weekly reminders, such as her “Flatwork Wednesday” posts with photos of Heather working on Hudson’s neck and forechest.

“Hand stripping is so unlike all we are taught while learning to groom pets,” she says. “You don’t cut hair to length; you have to pull hair to get hair, and it’s a lot about timing and consistently working the coats. But for any groomer wanting to have a niche, it’s a great skill to learn. If you learn and are adequate at it, the clients will come. I hear all the time, ‘No one near me wants their dog stripped.’ Simply not true. They just can’t find someone to do it. Learn it and they will come.

“There are so many options now for anyone wanting to learn hand stripping,” Heather continues. “When I was starting to learn, options were few and far between. Now, we have so much on the internet—webinars, hands-on classes, hand-stripping groups on Facebook, and many more knowledgeable people who are willing to teach.

“Hand-stripped terrier breeds are double coated. Cutting their coats is no different than cutting double-coated Arctic breeds, Golden Retrievers, etc.,” she adds. “The coats are ‘ruined’ just the same, and they lose the ability to have a double coat that insulates and protects. While this isn’t going to cause a health issue in either instance, it does make the coat ‘ugly,’ with a loss of color and texture. Carding out the coats before and after clipping can help unclog follicles and keep the skin healthy. Every pet groomer should know how to card and should be doing so to the appropriate breeds as part of every groom.”

So what’s next for this talented duo?

“We are enjoying being home! I am a homebody by nature, so these last few years were a lot,” Heather says. “We did some barn hunt last year, and he titled up through Open (RATO) in just a few trials with no prior training. He loves it, and we are going to do some more of that for fun. He gave me so much for three years in the show ring, now it’s time to let him be the perfect pet he is and enjoy all kinds of fun.”

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