I have heard of many different "secret" preparations that have been used on the coat – glycerin and Jeyes fluid, to name just two, but plain water, preferable rain water, is quite adequate.
If you are in a position that the dog can swim then this is the ideal way of wetting the coat. To keep in perfect show condition the coat needs to be thoroughly wet once a day. If the facilities for swimming are not available really soak the coat with water, with the aid of a sponge. After the dog has shaken the surplus water away, use the fingers to massage the coat in small circular movements – getting right down to the skin. All of the body, including the tail and the backs of the legs need this treatment. This will get rid of any dead hair. Pat the coat down with the flat of the hand. Any coat that is shaggy needs to be trimmed off. For a pet dog the above treatment can be done fortnightly.
Bathing – Curlies rarely require bathing, unless living indoors and leading outdoor lives as well. Frequent bathing deprives the coat of natural oils. I try to bathe my dogs 4-5 days before a show, suing a liquid shampoo as mentioned in the beginning. If close to the sea, very little can equal a swim in salt water just prior to the show to wash out dirt and grit and to harden the coat. The trick is making sure he doesn’t roll in the sand before you get him home. However, if you can’t get to the beach, shampooing is often necessary. DON’T rub your dog dry. Put him on a lead an dlet him shake most of the water off and then if necessary and you don’t have the energy to take a 1 or 2 mile walk, place a towel over his coat and pat it down hard to flatten the curly and absorb the moisture. Every day from then until the show I gently massage the coat in a circular motion with a wet hand or dampen the coat down with water and slap it in. Once again, a shower of rain does wonders. On the morning of the show a light coat of oil rubbed onto the hand and massaged onto the coat brings up a shine. Never overdo this or you’ll produce an oily greasy coat that looks terrible. I prefer to spray the coat with water about 10 minutes before judging to lift off the dust and show off the curl. Again – don’t overdo it, a fine mist of spray is all that is needed.
To prepare a curly for the show ring it is best to start about two weeks before the show. Bathe him well and continue to dampen and press his curls into place daily for about a week. He may then be given another bath if necessary. One will have to use discretion when deciding the day to choose for the dog’s final bath. It is possible to wash some curlies the night before the show and not get a fluffy coat, others will need for or five days in which to get the coat to settle down. I prefer to give mine their final bath three days before the show, afterwards going over the coat two or three times daily for the last few days with a moistened sponge.
Frequent bathing deprives the coat of natural oils. I try to bath my dogs 4 to 5 days before a show, using a liquid shampoo as mentioned in the beginning. If close to the sea, very little can equal a swim in salt water just prior to the show to wash out the dirt and grit and harden the coat. The trick is making sure he doesn't roll in the sand before you get him home. However, if you can't get to the beach shampooing is often necessary. DON'T rub you dog dry. Put him on a lead and let him shale most of the water off and then if necessary, and you don't have the energy to take a 1 or 2 mile walk, place a towel over his coat and pat it down hard to flatten curl and absorb the moisture. Every day until the show I gently massage the coat in a circular motion with a wet hand or dampen the coat down with water and slap it in. Once again, shower of rain does wonders. On the morning of the show a light coat of oil rubbed onto the hand and massaged into the coat brings up a shine. Never overdo this or you'll produce an oily greasy coat that looks terrible. I prefer to spray the coat with water 10 minute before judging to lift off the dust and show off the curl. Again don't overdo it, a fine mist is all that is needed.
Regular bathing will help keep normal coat drop under control and your Curly companion smelling and feeling good. People with allergies should keep their Curly clean, as dust and pollens trapped in the coat are the very things to which their owners are sensitive. Curlies that are only bathed a few times a year tend to feel oily as the coat gets dirty, and dad hair and dirt accumulate in the coat.
A normal bathing routine would include the following: running through the coat with an undercoat rake before the bath; bathing with a pet shampoo and working the shampoo into the coat using a massaging action with your fingers to help loosen and bring the dead coat to the surface; a thorough rinsing and pat down with a towel; and a good shake or two by the dog and off to drip dry.
Bathing: Comb through the coat to be sure there are no mats, especially behind the ears and between the hind legs. Use a shampoo that does not soften the coat, such as those for terriers or poodles. No cream rinse. Pat with a towel or let the dog shake and drip-dry. Never brush or blow dry -–or your curly will look like a poodle.
Coat Dressing: Bathe several days before the show to allow the coat time to settle. If you feel the coat needs dressing, try any of the following.
To show a dog in AKC, you can not have any foreign substance on the dog when it enteres the ring.
Section 8-C. No dog shall be eligible to compete at any show and no dog shall receive any award at any show in
the event the natural color or shade of natural color or the natural markings of the dog have been altered or
changed by the use of any substance whether such substance may have been used for cleaning purposes or for
any other reason. Such cleaning substances are to be removed before the dog enters the ring.
If in the judge’s opinion any substance has been used to alter or change the natural color or shade of natural color
or natural markings of a dog, then in such event the judge shall withhold any and all awards from such dog, and
the judge shall make a note in the judge’s book giving his reason for withholding such award. The handler or the
owner, or both, of any dog or dogs from which any award has been withheld for violation of this Section of the
rules, or any judge who shall fail to perform his duties under this Section, shall be subject to disciplinary action
Having said all that.... you will see people take magic marker to cover up callouses on elbows, and even to blacken in toenails! You will see marker or shoe polish
used to make a not so black nose blacker, or to cover any area on the body that has skin showing. Whole dogs have been given the Miss Clairol treatment if they
are sun bleached, or if the liver color isn't as dark as the owner wants it.
As far as coat preparation, you will see all sorts of goops, concoctions, sprays, jells...... But everyone will tell you they do nothing but spray the coat with water!
A perfect coat needs nothing more. Those not so perfect coats can be helped along with those foreign substances we are not allowed to use.
I have used all sorts of goops on my dogs. (I used to show Irish Setters.....) but now I have gone to the minimalist way of preparing a dog for the showring. A
wise old breeder once told me about using the beer in the bucket of water coat preparation. That seems to work great, easy to get, and if you don't win...you have
5 more from the 6 pack to help ease your pain!
I suggest you use Black Forest Ale for a black coat, and Honey Brown for the liver coats. Of course if your dog is overweight, switch to a light beer.
Only kidding! It does not matter which kind of beer you use
During combing. You notice the coat is all frizzed. The individual curls are broken up.
I dumped water on her, and spritzed a bit of Mink Oil on the coat. This is what she looked like when dry. See, the coat was not damaged by the combing. (It
was hard to drag the comb thrugh the coat though.)
This is after dumping water on the coat.
Order your copy of The Puppy Diary
Or mail a check to:
$19.95 ($5.50 Shipping and Handling)
Cathy Lewandowski
8282 Soft Maple Road
Croghan NY 13327
Follow a litter of puppies from birthday until they go to their new homes. The diary contains lots of pictures, tips on puppy rearing, some breed specific information,
and lots of information on the care of any breed of dog.
I started doing an on-line puppy diary since many of the people that would be getting one of my pups would not be able to travel here to see the pups. I did not
want
to put a bunch of cute puppy pictures online, and encourage anyone to have a litter just because they wanted to see cute puppies! Breeding dogs, if done the right
way, is a lot of work. Lost sleep and sometimes heartache. It takes a lot of time, effort and money to raise a litter of puppies. Once I started doing The Puppy
Diary, I realized I had a captive audience. These people logged on every day to see the pictures, and read what was happening. I used this opportunity to cram as
much education into each day as I could. Health, Coat issues, grooming, feeding, socializing, vet care, puppy evaluations, shipping puppies.... you name it! I tried
to
put it in The Diary. It was suggested that I make it into a book. Well here it is! There are 560 pictures and over 300 pages of living with and watching one litter
grow up. I am sure may conscientious, caring breeders raise litters similar to the way I do. Its is a good look into the time, money, commitment it takes to
bring
up a litter of pups. Some of the things that go on behind the scenes, that the eventual puppies owners (family), never realize go into the litter.
Enjoy my litter as I see them. Day to day
Contents
Chapter One (Week One) ... Page 1
Seger comes into season
Happy Birthday!
Removing the Dewclaws
Start of the Bio Sensor program
Chapter Two (Week Two) ... Page 48
Coat issues.
Tail Gland Hyperplasia
Do Curlies Shed?
Chapter Three (Week Three) ... Page 94
End of Bio Sensor Exercises
Worming The puppies
Eyes are open
First pup escapes from the box
Chapter Four (Week Four) ... Page 130
Weaning. The great food fight!
Introduction to the puppy play room
Shark Cage
Chapter Five (Week Five) ... Page 156
Field dog? Show Dog? CPE?
Happy Mothers Day!
First Stacked pictures
Chapter Six (Week Six) ... Page 195
Toys! Toys! Toys!
What’s In A Name?
Kids and Dogs
Introduction to Wings
Chapter Seven (Week Seven) ... Page 236
About Puppies and Retrieving
Socialize your puppy
First Shots & Vet Visit
Splish Splash, first bath!
Chapter Eight (Week Eight) ... Page 286
Shape up or ship out!
Requirements to ship puppies
See all the pups!
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