westie trim

Question
I bought clippers and clipped my Westie.  His hair seems softer now and kind of fluffy.  I just read the letter about his hair actually changing to this type instead of the wiry kind like it's supposed to be.  I hope I didn't mess up his hair forever now.  Will it change back as it grows or have I ruined his hair forever?

Answer
When you cut hair, your trim off the pointed ends, so the hair shaft itself is thicker where your hand touches it.
It takes quite a bit of time for the hair to grow back into a point, you must go back to hand stripping.
How long it will take to be wiry again depends on the dog, but the texture will be different also due to bathing and what products you use.
So if you used cream rinse and a conditioning shampoo, the hair will be softer even if it isn't cut.
I clip all the westies that come in, (they are pets) and the owners love the comfort of the dogs visit and they like the way the dog looks and feels.

But to answer your question, it will grow back and if you are not showing him, it is kinder to clip the hair than to strip it.  You might try a different shampoo, one that wont' make him so fluffy next time.
Lori