There are so many variables
in dog coats that to find the perfect product for that individual
is sometimes a lengthy and expensive process.
Many people tell me that
in their breed they can have even in their own lines, many variations
in the coats. Some coats are just right, some are a touch silky
and some are a touch coarse. The product that suits one coat may
just as certainly not suit the littermate. So, how does one find
something to suit everyone? Simple - just adjust it to fit.
Okay, so find the product
that you like and that does what you want it to do on one of the
dogs and then dilute it according to the needs of the coats you
need it to work on. The dog that you choose the product for, ought
to be the one it works on neat/undiluted or the most extreme usage.
For instance - Plush Puppy
Blow Dry Cream is a great product for disentangling when
drying, for flattening a boofy coat and for general comb through
ability when drying. I would use this undiluted on my Siberians
if they were starting to look cloddy in coat and perhaps about
to blow coat or on the pants and leg fringing on the Eurasiers.
However, what I can use indiluted on my male Eurasier, would be
too heavy on the bitch. So, I dilute it 1/2 and 1/2 with water
and then apply it.
The same principle applies
if you have a Pomeranian for example which has blown coat and
you desperately want to take this dog to a show. The product
for this dog in need is PP
Volumising Cream and can be used sparingly but undiluted
to make 3 hairs look like 3,000. At the same time another Pom
in your kennel could have more coat but still not quite enough
and have a different texture needing less oomph. In this case
just dilute 1tbsn PP Volumising
Cream with 300ml warm water, shake and put into a water
spray and spray it on - then dry.
Shampoos of course ought to be diluted 90% of the time. The only
time I apply shampoo undiluted is for heavy duty cleansing on
really grubby areas. Bathing every week for shows means mine never
get to the disaster stage so the full strength shampoo only gets
applied to maybe the legs and feet. With all Plush Puppy shampoos
dilute them at least 5:1 (i.e.) 5 parts water to 1 part shampoo
or 10:1 if you don't want lots of froth and bubbles and just want
to sluice through to freshen a coat. Nothing worse than suds from
here to Kingdom come and spending forever to rinse them out. Yes
there is! That is flaking and scurfy skin where a shampoo has
been applied neat and not properly rinsed out. Some dry into yukky
scurfy flakes like dandruff. Nothing spoils the shiny black of
a Rottie or Doberman more than white scurf!
Conditioners of course should be diluted too the same way. Let's
not waste good products and why again spend forever to rinse the
bulk of it out?
I have a nice big plastic
jug that I measure and dilute my shampoos and conditioners in.
Then I decant that into a screw top bottle for later use. To
wash the dogs I then pour enough into a squeeze nozzle bottle
and then keep topping that up from my large screw top bottle of
diluted product. I always have plenty ready on hand BEFORE I start
the dogs. Amazing the number of people who aren't organised and
who don't have everything ready to start with. Obviously they
don't have or never have worked with Siberians before. I cannot
possibly get a throathold on a puppy Siberian and mix shampoo
at the same time!
For showday and the on site grooming processes, it's very important
to work with the product at just the right strength to do the
job. I have several Plush
Puppy Spray Bottles with various mixes of products for
each of my dogs. The spray bottle is just the right size. I designed
it to fit a tackbox. It was also designed with graded measurements
on the side so I could mix quickly. It is a dinky size and just
perfect. for use at home and around the ring.
Each and every one of us
has our personal little ways of doing things and we all like to
have a recipe that works for us. Here's your chance to really
experiment for the best outcome on all your dogs - not just one
of them. The products are strong enough and in sufficient concentrations
to enable you to do just about anything! I will be waiting to
hear all the great recipes you come up with. I am sure there are
some very creative groomers around.
CHERYL LECOURT
Plush
Puppy Blow Dry Cream
Plush
Puppy Volumising Cream
Plush Puppy Spray Bottle