Great times were had by
all on the Plush Puppy stand at Crufts 2003 in early March. The
stand rocked! There were so many questions and assistance asked
by exhibitors and we all had a wonderful experience giving knowledge
to everyone.
The most oft questions
asked were how to get a flowing coat to sit - smooth and straight,
from a vast number of breeds ranging from Yorkies and Maltese
to Am Cockers, English Cockers, Springers, Setters, Beardies &
Afghans and lots in between.
It's always gratifying
to be able to offer direct help and engage in problem solving.
The people we gave advice to early in the show, got great results
and passed on the info to others who then flocked to the Plush
Puppy stand and asked for help themselves.
Knowledge is a wonderful thing - it is the difference between
someone who is an expert and a novice. Given the information,
it lifts the novice into expertise.
We make a brilliant product,
Swishy Coat, which primarily
relaxes wave in the coat, inhibits static electricity, smoothes
and allows the brush to slide through the coat when drying.
The finer the coat such as a Yorkie or a Maltese, the less Swishy Coat is required and we recommend
1 teaspoon to 4 litres/1 gallon warm water. Dissolve and squish
through the furnishings - leave in and blow dry.
For coats such as Setters
and English Cockers, you need less water and you can use as a
rule of thumb, 1 teaspoon to 6 cups warm water and leave in and
blow dry. So, the thicker the coat, the less dilution and greater
concentration is needed.
For an Afghan I recommend
1 tablespoon to 1 cup warm water, apply and blow dry.
The exception to the rule
is the American Cocker where one usually wants the coat to hang
flat as well. Now for a flat smooth coat, use 1 tablespoon Swishy Coat plus 1/2 cup Plush
Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner to 4 litres/1 gallon warm
water, squish through furnishings and leave in and blow dry.
For an Afghan that is too
boofy in coat and you want to flatten as well as straighten, add
1 tablespoon Plush Puppy Blow Dry Cream
to 1 cup warm water and apply - leave in and blow dry.
Both the Blow Dry Cream and the Silk Protein Conditioner will
soften and flatten the coat. I use the Silk Protein on the Am
Cockers as it is more ph balanced for this type of coat and the
Blow Dry Cream on the Afghans as
it is heavier and more intensive.
Now somewhere in between
the Yorkie and the Afghan your flowing coated breed will fit.
It is a matter of adjusting the mix of Swishy
Coat for straightening and the Blow
Dry Cream if softening and flattening is required to suit
the coat. We now run a free worldwide advisory service on our
Australian website.
The Blow
Dry Cream is an amazing product for a number of different
coats where you want to instantly soften and flatten. You can
mix this 1 tablespoon to 1 cup warm water and put into a 1 cup
size Plush Puppy Water Spray which
has measurements on the side and spray directly to the coat as
a grooming spray.
This is particularly good
for coats that are dehydrated and tending to go boofy. I loved
the effect an Akita exhibitor achieved on her dog's old coat an
hour before the show. The coat looked like a new coat again. She
was thrilled and I was happy we had solved another problem.
How much ought one pursue
the quest of a pefect coat for a show ring? Is it important to
present a dog in immaculate condition? Do Setters and Cockers
need their furnishings, featherings to be straight and smooth
lying?
It is after all a dog show.
It is not a field trial, a coursing event nor an agility ring.
It is a conformation show and a bit of a beauty show. One must
have a good dog but if it is a good dog then for heavens sake
present it the very best that you can. Is it any wonder that a
great proportion of the B.I.S. wins go to the Poodles and the
Afghans? These are wonderful breeds that look fabulous when groomed
and tittified. You can tittify a Working Dog, a Gundog and in
fact any dog. It will not compensate for a poor dog but it will
make a great dog look magnificent.
I get intense pleasure
from assisting people to enhance the presentation of their breed.
It is gratifying that a dog we have given advice to goes through
to win well. With the right information you can do just about
anything.
Many thanks to all the
exhibitors who have made my trip to the U.K. and the U.S. such
a pleasurable time. I not only give you advice, I learn from all
of you too.
CHERYL LE COURT
Plush
Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner
Plush Puppy
Swishy Coat
Plush Puppy Blow Dry Cream
Plush Puppy
Spray Bottle