Grooming Before Show

[multiple]

Hi all,

Henry's first show is in two weeks and, to say the least, I'm terrified!! Even though I've been asking about a million questions and trying to learn all I can I don't think I'll ever feel completely confident that I know all I need to know.

Basically, what I"m wondering, though, is how you groom a weim before a show? Do you have to trim their whiskers off? And what sort of brush is good to use? Any tips would be much appreciated.

[tasha]

This would be really useful for me too, Bonnie did her first show last week and won first place (but only because no one else turned up) we have a champ show coming up and I'd like to get her ready for that :-)

She's hunted so I'm not keen on trimming the whiskers thou.

[Lois]

I give my dogs a bath the day before the show with a good quality shampoo and conditioner. If they are losing coat give them a brush when they are nearly dry (rubber horse curry brush is good for this ). This will help get rid of the dead coat. Regular brushing with a bristle brush will keep the coat in great condition. I trim nails but not whiskers any more (unless we are having a US judge) - even then I don't always do it. Check their teeth to make sure they are clean. Before going in the ring lightly spray them with a grooming spray that gives a nice shine. There are lots of good brands Plush Puppy, Ring 5 etc. Wipe them over then with a lambswool mitt to give a really high gloss to the coat.
For longhairs same thing but it pays to either blow dry the coat so it lays flat or put a light coat on them until they are dry to help keep the coat flat and not go 'woolly' We used to trim around our LH's feet a bit to give a neat appearance and sometimes thin the coat under and on the side of the neck with thinning shears. It may pay you to ask a person with a coated breed (Golden Retriever, Setter etc) to show you how to do this. Make sure you brush or comb the feathering on the tail and ears before you go in the ring too. There are grooming products available for coated breeds that keep the coat flat and silky too.

Good luck at your next shows.

Lois

[multiple]

Here are a couple of pictures of tonight's session. I feel like maybe I don't have his back legs pulled back far enough and maybe his front feet aren't quite under him as solidly as sthey should be. I also feel like his chest isn't big enough yet, but he's only six months so I'm sure it'll grow some yet. These are really crappy pics, but any critique would be wonderful. The lighting is awful also, his colour is much less brown/red.





He's not stacked here but you get a better idea of his head and colour:

[multiple]

I have a better picture of him now. He's more extended and it seems to lessen the drop to his tail and elongate his back. We'll get there!