This delightful little
breed has been around since Cocky was an egg and has a marvellous
history of being loved and owned through the centuries by many
noted people from Empresses to Kings.
His motto of “Multum
in Parvo” a lot of dog in a small space is so very indicative
of this breed if you have ever shared time or home with one of
them. A compact, square breed he exhibits all the power and fire
of a dynamic little rogue.
My life has been constantly
bombarded with this dog through my sister’s ownership of
many of them over the years and is the reason I started showing
in the first place. What ever did they get me into?
Being a short coated little fellow he is often presented as a
no nonsense dog and thus not needing special attention to grooming.
One should never discount a dog’s need for special grooming
just because he is not a traditional “hairdo” breed.
You may not be able to snip this little guy into shape but you
sure can do a whole bunch with the descriptions as outlined in
your standard.
The coat is described as
“fine, smooth, soft, short and glossy, neither hard nor woolly.”
Well, that’s pretty easy and very direct. No misinterpretations
can be made of that. Thus the quest is to keep the coat as true
to this as possible and maintain the condition, feel and shine.
The Pug has a tendency
to feel the heat and most are prone to wallowing in water and
ending up quite smelly little critters. They snuffle, snort and
generally make themselves a bit pongey. Plush Puppy Odour Muncher is a must for
the warm months of the year. It will help get rid of the odour
and leave a nice light fragrance.
Remember to appeal to as
many of a judges senses as possible. The feel of the coat, the
look of the coat and the smell of the coat are all important even
if some are subliminal.
The Pug’s grooming regime ought to consist of a shampoo that
will leave the coat in it’s correct state with lots of shine
and the Plush Puppy
All Purpose Shampoo with Henna is a wonderful naturally
sourced shampoo that doesn’t alter texture and leaves a fabulous
shine. It contains a very good extract of Henna that does not
build up on the coat and won’t make the coat brittle after
prolonged use. Use at the rate of 5:1 i.e. 5 parts water to one
part shampoo.
If your coat is a little
on the harsh side due to the elements then use the Plush Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner at
a ratio of 5:1 as this will help soften the texture. If the coat
is just right then skip the conditioner. In both cases you then
use as a final rinse Plush
Puppy Seabreeze Oil at a rate of 1 dspn to 1 gallon/4
litres warm water. Either hydrobath through the coat or sponge
through the coat or dunk the dog in the mix. Whatever technique
suits you and leave in the coat - do not rinse again.
The Seabreeze Oil is just
the most magical product. It contains Evening Primrose Oil, Calendula
Oil and lots of calming and healing type goodies that help to
repair, sooth and generally give a good pickup to a dull or tired
coat. Long term it will give an overall good health and vitality
to the coat. You can use this in between shows or when preparing
for a show. It is not greasy or sticky nor will it build up on
the coat. It is water soluble and helps to repel dirt.
Now I am an advocate of blow drying just about everything as it
helps rid the coat of dead and loose hairs and keeps the coat
“rolling” all the time without the holes and gaps one
gets with regular shedding. It also saves on wrists and arms that
over the years end up with RSI and arthritis from all the grooming
that dog exhibitors seem to have. Who needs to stand there brushing
and using mitts and stuff when a good blow with a cool dryer does
a great deal of the work for you? Just watch your Pug’s eyes
when flinging the dryer around. You don’t need ulcers in
these guy’s eyes.
For the Puglets that have
itchy skin, then use the Plush
Puppy Itchy Skin Shampoo at a ratio of 3:1 till it starts
to clear and then dilute as much as up to 10:1 for further use.
Itchy scratching with Pugs
is more prevalent in those kept indoors where they tend to overheat.
Heating and airconditioning can all play havoc except in extreme
conditions when it is necessary. This dog is very much better
suited to outdoors.
Now show day you can give a light go over with the mitt and then
an oval cushion brush that has a fair amount of bristle to plastic
- I prefer 2/3 bristle to 1/3 plastic. Some Pugs have some longer
tufts of hair around the rear end and these can be shortened and
neatened with a pair of thinning shears. Don’t go gung ho
with a regular pair of shears unless you are Vidal Sassoon. Whiskers
are optional but I tend to like the character they give to the
face.
For final shine - the black
points such as face and ears can have a light application of Vaseline
and don’t forget to keep the wrinkles clean. A light “go
over” with a face washer morning and night keeps these trouble
free. Now for the final glam. Sprinkle a tiny amount of Plush Puppy Pixie Dust
onto the oval cushion brush and brush against the coat growth
to settle the powder down lower and leave the shimmer on top.
Discretion is the key word when using this. It is a fabulous effect
and applied judiciously, gives pin pricks of light to the coat.
Finish with a light spray of Plush
Puppy Shine & Comb just prior to going in the ring.
The old girls of years gone by would use a piece of silk rubbed
backwards and forwards over the coat for shine. That’s not
really good for those arthritic wrists either!
So, now you have a star.
Your cheeky little Pug will still have the power pack look all
barely contained within his little square body but will be bursting
with sheer “joi de vivre” and exuding glamour. He is
hard to go past with his playful little nature and with all the
grooming presentation to enhance his standard requirements he
will be a hard contender to beat.
CHERYL LECOURT
Plush
Puppy All Purpose Shampoo with Henna
Plush Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner
Plush Puppy Seabreeze
Oil
Plush
Puppy Itchy Skin Shampoo
Plush
Puppy Pixie Dust
Plush Puppy Shine & Comb
Plush Puppy Odour Muncher