Immortalised by such noted
painters as Rubens and Boucher, the "Butterfly" dog
comes down to us from history as a tough and loyal little dog.
Not for him the labels of a lap dog though he will settle amicably
to that task as well. He is quite the outdoorsy type and will
weather most climates whilst hunting out the odd rat or two, worrying
it till it succumbs.
I have many friends with
Papillons and have observed over the years their happy and alert
little personalities and their easy loveable nature. I have had
them visit and stay, have had to groom and assist preparation,
and, formed a quiet attachment and admiration for them.
The coat standard calls for a fine, silky texture with no undercoat.
It should appear abundant, flowing and straight. Thus, one needs
to keep the fluffiness out of the coat looking for that nice polished
appearance to the texture of most of the body coat except for
the chest frill which is to be profuse and needs a bit of lift
and poof.
The Papillon though appearing
delicate of bone is quite a little livewire dancing around the
grooming table & it can sometimes be a case of catch if catch
can. I do like a neck noose hold and a belly band set up when
grooming this breed. I am too lacking in patience to go chasing
dogs around a table. Train them early to stay on that table and
get accustomed to the dryer. Some like to cage dry dogs but I
like to specifically target areas that may need attention and
my eye tells me that - can't do that in a crate.
Every dog is different
and can be at various stages in their coat development so an individual
eye each time is important. Learn to evaluate your dog and what
it is you would minimise and maximise and then apply the grooming
technique which best suits this outcome. This dog you don't sculpt
with the scissor, just your eye and clever lifting and flattening.
Having decided what is
the primary focus for the coat - shine, pearly white, condition,
smoothness etc select the appropriate shampoo. Most tend to go
for the Plush Puppy
Whitening Shampoo which doesn't bleach or lighten but
rather tones the coat to give a pearly finish to whites and enriches
the tones of the coloured patches. Always dilute the shampoo for
ease of application and evenness of effect. Use at a ratio of
at least 3:1 up to 10:1 for maintenance. That is, 3 parts or 10
parts water to one part shampoo. You don't need masses of froth
and bubbles when bathing a dog. Little low bubbles and you will
get less static and flyaways in the coat.
If the coat needs shine
then use Plush Puppy
All Purpose Shampoo and if softening is the quest then
use the Plush Puppy
Conditioning Shampoo all at the same dilution rates as
listed above. I don't foresee too many times when one would want
to body build this coat but perhaps there are occasions when one
needs more lift though this is likely just the chest frill area
and breeches, and there are other ways to achieve that without
having to use two shampoos.
You do condition this dog
but do it lightly. Use Plush
Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner. A really nice, nice conditioner
this one. Use watered right down at around 10:1. You just want
a slurry through the coat to keep the ph slightly acid and not
to drag it down heavily. You can oil this coat too between shows
if your Papillon does chase critters outdoors. No point having
all that profuse flowing coat on ears and body if he snaps it
off in the bushes at the bottom of the garden. Lightly oil with
Plush Puppy Seabreeze
Oil ½ tspn to 1 quart/1lt of water and leave in.
Great maintenance regime!
So having bathed &
conditioned it is time to dry your showman for the big day. If
the coat is too boofy or puffy, then use Plush Puppy Blow Dry Cream on those areas
you want to flatten or soften. You can either use direct or as
I prefer for evenness, dilute 1 tspn to 2 cups water and spray
or sponge on to the specific part of the dog. For straightening
lengths and a light flattening to the coat use the Plush Puppy Swishy Coat at a dilution
rate of 1/2 tspn to 1 - 2 cups water depending on the abundance
of coat. Dry with your fingers or Plush
Puppy Metro Anti-stat oval cushioned brush on the short
areas of the coat and switch to the Plush Puppy Pin Brush to ¾ dry
the longer lengths. Finish them off with the Metro Brush till
fully dry. This give you the smooth, straight, silky finish you
need for the furnishings. Never use a bristle brush on really
wet coat as the coat is in a vulnerable state when wet and is
prone to over stretch and thus break or split. By ¾ drying
with the Pin Brush you are waiting till the coat is in a stronger
position before attempting to really smooth the coat which the
Pin cannot do well enough.
For the profuse chest frill
and breeches you may want more substance to this area so you can
use the Plush Puppy Volumising
Cream at 1 dspn to 1 cup water. Most times I recommend
this product at 1 tbpsn to 1 cup water but for the softer appearance
of the Papillon coat I personally like less . However you choose
for your dog as they are all different. Spray or sponge onto the
chest frill and blow dry as mentioned above with the Pin and switch
to the Metro Brush.
For titivation on the day,
you can use the Plush
Puppy Coverup Cream for those areas that need a white
makeup. Apply with a barely damp sponge in a light dabbing motion
allowing each application to dry before applying a further layer.
Tap on a small amount of chalk to fully dry and leave for 5 -
10 minutes before brushing excess off. This does provide good
cover and does not seem to wear off during the day.
For those windy, dry days,
use the Plush Puppy
Coat Balm which is a great anti static to use just prior
to going in the ring. A small amount onto the hands and wiped
over the lengths of the coat to keep the snarls and tangles from
the lengths works a charm. You can keep reapplying throughout
the day without fear of the coat appearing greasy or separating.
For a light polish and shine on the day, spray at a good distance
as this is a fine coat texture, the Plush
Puppy Shine & Comb and allow the mist to fall onto
the topline. Smooth your hand over the body and then lightly brush
or comb. You may like to try this by spraying onto the brush and
then applying but the mist approach is a good one and I don't
like extra products apart from the Coat Balm onto the lengths
at this point. Your hard work has been done and it ought to be
perfect anyway.
You can add a light dusting
of Plush Puppy Pixie Dust
onto the chest frill and pants and I do mean a light dusting.
The Glitter Fairy is not what we want right now, just a beautiful
glamorous Papillon with a light glint and hint of shimmer. Don't
forget to make him smell good too with the Plush Puppy Odour Muncher
as dogs do get a kennel/crate smell after overnighting and I believe
judges do use all their senses when judging.
So, your dog looks good,
you look good and you have perfected your ring craft to become
a magical performance. The crowd turns as you enter the ring and
you know, you and your little Buttterfly friend are just the Ants
Pants. It's a great thing to feel and acknowledge you have done
your best and put in the hard yard when others sometimes don't.
Your friend and ring partner is descended from those owned by
kings and queens - he now looks the part - a regular little Prince
among dogs.
