Both these breeds are dear
to my heart as I have owned both. The double coated breeds are
a true challenge breeds are a true challenge to keep in good show
condition for any great period of time. Ten to one, the pride
of your life will explode coat just when that big show is due.
You rarely see a bitch of either breeds being "specialed".
Huge expense goes into a "special" circuit dog and to
have a dog out of the loop for weeks on end not winning all important
points is sometimes not worth the effort. Bitches will throw their
coats usually twice a year whereas a dog will hold his for most
of a year and if carefully handled as he gets older for 18 months
and longer.
I always use a strong cattle
dryer which is cool air only and blow out dead hair in the coat
after bathing every week. This allows the coat to regenerate on
a constant basis and prevents that awful felting and clumping
one tends to see on some dogs. Looks awful as these breeds are
definitely not "wash and wear".
The weekly coat blowing
also keeps the coat even without the horrid holes that occur when
the dog is shedding. Your dog will stay neat and tidy and be able
to be shown quicker. The older dogs tend to "roll" their
coats with this method and will only kind of "fluff"
out instead. This means they are never really out of coat and
can last as much as two years.
The coat can be addressed
in 3 different stages. Firstly, when it has shed and the dog is
naked, secondly when it is just right and thirdly when it is an
old coat and you're hanging onto it for dear life.
At the first stage you
need to body build with Plush
Puppy Body BuildingShampoo to volumise the coat. Do not use conditioner
at this stage as it will flatten out the coat. Better to use a
leave in moituriser such as PP Reviva
Coatinstead. Second stage use PP
All Purpose Shampoofollowed by a light condition with
PP Silk Protein Conditioner and
third stage use a good conditioning shampoo such as PP
Conditioning Shampoo with Evening Primrose to keep up
the moisture and whack in heaps of leave in moisturizer rather
than a regular conditioner unless you want to loosen the coat
and accelerate shedding.
If that all important show
is looming and the coat is ready to go to God, then for heaven's
sake don't bathe and condition it. Just rinse it through with
a low foaming wash such as PP Hydrobath
Wash, or if not grubby then a warm wet towel all over
and pray. Just use a partial bath routine with either PP
Whitening Shampoo or PP Deep Cleansing
Shampoofor the whites or more explicitly the legs, face
and underbelly. Dry CAREFULLY and stop if coats starts to explode.
In that case, allow to dry naturally and hand pick the loose bits
if needed.
At all other times blow
dry the coat forwards from the rear to the head Don't forget to
carefully comb the underneath of the tail near the base. (looks
ghastly when not done and the dog carries his tail up) and not
forgetting around his bollocks. Why do people forget to comb around
this area?
Now for the short hair
areas such as ears face and legs. Use a flea comb. It really fluffs
these out. I will go over the best combs and brushes I have found
work well and styling and finishing products in the next part.
