A wonderful hunting dog
with great speed and stamina, the Weimeraner appears to have a
coat that is rather no nonsense but as with all short coated show
dogs, it is not simply a case of wash wear when you are intending
to have that dog coat ready all year round.
All dogs shed and all short
coated dogs will get that "moth eaten" look, almost
as if there are holes in the coat. You can brush and brush till
the cows come home but it can take forever to get that nice even
overall glamour back. Seasonal coat changes, hormonal changes
all wreak havoc on a show dogs coat and usually when you least
want it to happen.
So, how to keep up appearances
and keep that level and even feel to the coat? Well, I advocate
blow drying. Controversial? Not if you see the results. It doesn't
take long to blow dry a short coated dog no matter how large he
is, and, all short coated breeds will benefit. Bottom line, it
removes all the dead hair and kind of rolls the coat so you don't
get the sudden explosions of hair associated with shedding. Try
to use if you can, one of the stronger turbo dryers to blast the
dead hair out and one that blows only cool air. People are amazed
when they see how much hair comes away with the dryer compared
to brushing.
To hasten the process when
the coat is shedding, pack the coat full of conditioner such as
Plush Puppy Silk
Protein Conditioner diluted 5 parts water to one part
shampoo and leave in - don't rinse - then hit it with the dryer.
This will get that stubborn hair out quickly. Then rinse clean
and dry fully.
For show grooming, use
the Plush Puppy Whitening
Shampoo which is a toning shampoo and will not lighten
or bleach. This gives a good ash overtone and hue to the coat
which should be a mouse grey or silver grey. Use at 5 parts water
to one part shampoo or 3 parts water to one part shampoo for stronger
tonal effects. This will lessen the warm tones in the coat due
to sun fading or ageing.
For extra shine, use the
Plush Puppy all Purpose
Shampoo which has wonderful henna extracts (not like the
old henna powders which used to build up on the coat causing the
coat to become brittle). This shampoo gives loads of gloss and
glamour and like all the Plush Puppy shampoos, is naturally sourced.
Use at 5:1 as above.
I don't generally like
conditioner on a show coat as it tends to make the coat fluffy
and fly away. Nothing works better than Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil as a final rinse.
This fabulous product is all natural and is Evening Primrose Oil,
Calendula Oil etc. It gives the best gloss and vigour to the coat.
Use 1 tbspn to 1 gal/4 lt bucket of water or 1 dspn into the hydrobath
tank. Squish well through the coat, working right down to the
skin. Now leave it in and do not rinse out. Then blow dry.
As for trimming, your standard
doesn't specifically mention it so that implies it is permissible?
You will need to tidy up for the Long Haired variety around the
feet and strip any excess undercoat as you want the Wei coat to
sit smooth and sleek. Also trim/strip/thin excess hair under the
ears as the choke chain can tug on this and unsettle the dog.
They can start to "lose their neck" too as they can
get a little ruff under the ears. Take it off. Neaten any unwanted
feathering that appears and tidy around the tail and rear if any
growth pattern areas stick up.
Look after the coat in
between shows. Most of your work with your Weimeraner will be
maintaining the condition and ensuring the coat doesn't bleach
out in the sun or get wear and tear in the outdoors. Use Plush Puppy Sunshade
for topline protection. Just a quick application along the topline
to stop colour fade. Also Plush
Puppy Revivacoat for moisturising the coat. This is a
gentle moisturising and dehydrating mousse that can be liberally
applied without greasiness and left in. Keeps the moisture content
up to the coat and stops fly away static.
You should also have in
your kit, a bottle of Plush
Puppy Coat Rescue. This is for when that coat is ready
to go to God and is dry and brittle. Everything known to man has
gone into this bottle of goodness and should be applied diluted
5:1 throughout the coat and left on for as long as you can get
the dog to sit still. Then rinse. Wonderful for quick repair.
I prefer a ½ bristle/½
nylon brush such as the Plush
Puppy Porcupine Brush and then a polishing mitt for grooming
on show day. Follow with a light application of Plush Puppy Shine & Comb misted high
above the topline, allow to settle and then wipe over with the
palm of the hand for extra gloss. I suggest also a hint of Plush Puppy Pixie Dust
judiciously applied to the edge of the Porcupine Brush and dusted
lightly against the growth of the coat to allow the powder to
settle down into the coat and the shimmer to stay on the top.
Nice when it picks up the pinpricks of light from the sun or a
spotlight.
A quick spray over with
Plush Puppy Odour Muncher
to keep your bird dog smelling boutique fresh and he is ready
to walk the cat walk alongside all the other glamour models that
inhabit our dog world. It is so easy to forget he has other sides
and facets to his life. We have chosen to place him in the ring
and it is a step in another direction to which he started out
but one that allows us all to showcase our favourite breed. He
is a handsome dog, the Weimeraner. His fine aristocratic features
and his passionate ability to work and perform are a formidable
sight in any show ring. He moves with ease and grace and a show
of great strength and power. Groomed up with all the skills of
a good presenter, this dog should be a standout in any crowd.
CHERYL LECOURT
Plush Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner
Plush Puppy Whitening
Shampoo
Plush Puppy all Purpose
Shampoo
Plush Puppy Seabreeze
Oil
Plush Puppy Sunshade
Plush Puppy Revivacoat
Plush Puppy Coat
Rescue
Plush
Puppy Porcupine Brush
Plush Puppy Shine &
Comb
Plush Puppy Pixie Dust
Plush Puppy Odour Muncher