Karhia’s story began in 2010 when mechanical engineers and brothers Markus and Sami Ristaniemi got frustrated of hand-stripping their own wire-haired dogs. The brothers started to develop a mechanical device that could do the job faster with better grooming quality and less stress on their hands.
The product was developed over many years and numerous prototypes were made before the right technology was eventually found and it was patented in Finland, Europe and USA.
From the beginning professional groomers were involved in the development of the product, so that the product would be the best kind of tool for the needs of trimmers. Durable, high-quality, gentle for the dog, but effective enough to make the hand work of the groomer as light as possible.
All wire-haired dog breeds must be frequently groomed by removing the old dead hair with a method called stripping (also known as plucking). Removing the old hair makes way for new, healthy hair to grow. Frequent grooming is important for the well-being of the coat, which also directly reflects the overall well-being of the dog.
At Karhia, our mission is to make all dogs feel and look good all the time. We achieve this by developing tools for professional groomers, breeders and responsible dog owners caring about the well-being of the man’s best friend.
Karhia’s first product, KarhiaPro, the world’s first electric coat stripper, was launched in December 2017 at the Helsinki Dog Show. Now it has been sold over 30 countries around the world.