Grooming
your Powderpuff
Maintenance – Part I
Part- I
This information that I’m about to share is almost 14 years of trial and error. I’m very happy to be able to share this with all of you. I hope that what I’m about to pass on, will keep all of you from making some of the mistakes I have and I thank God that I have never had a coat tragedy.
There are so many places I can start, but the first and most important place you need to look is at your dog’s genes. Second is nutrition, third is routine maintenance, fourth is climate and fifth the tools of the trade. All these play a very important part in your puffs coat, and all will help you get ready for the show ring.
Genetics
If you are truly serious about having a great coat you need to take a look at your existing or future pedigree(s). Looking in-depth at the pedigree, recognizing who are the puffs and taking notes of all the coat types. This could take some time and research, but well worth it if you are trying to improve your puff coats. If you can add pictures to the dog’s pedigree do that also, you will be surprised how it will help in the future. Also make note if the puff is a bitch or a dog and what side of the pedigree the coat type falls on….sire or dam. By making note of all coat types it will help you in the future figure out where you need to improve. Improvement will not happen overnight and improvement needs to always be in the back of your mind. Once you see improvement don’t stop trying to reach what you believe is perfection, different coat types can pop-up when you least expect it. This is where all your research can come in handy, take notes on your pedigree and continue to move forward. You may be able to help breed fanciers for many generations. Remember your greatest achievements come with hard work and time. Good Luck!
Nutrition/Climate
I
know, I have said this before and I know I probably sound like a broken record,
but I do feel “Crap in, Crap out”. Since I live in
Routine Maintenance
Weekly
to bi-weekly maintenance is a very important step in maintaining your puff's
coat. Remember a dirty coat will not
grow to its optimal potential. Another very important grooming tip is to never
ever brush a dry coat. By brushing
a dry coat you run the risk of severely damaging the coat. My maintenance program is set-up for bathing
every 4-5 days and this works great if you are showing every weekend. What I mean by this is, maintenance bathing
on Monday and show bathing on Friday. Let’s
look at this in steps! In the steps
below, I will list the products that I prefer to use and do work best for
my puff coats. Please remember there
are so many different coat types and not every product works the same on all
coats.
Step one: Make sure the coat is free of tangles. You will need a small spray bottle approximately
4 ozs, Ultra Shine Conditioning Spray (Pure Paws), Ultra Light Oil (Pure Paws),
water and a brush with long tines and supple rubber cushion. If you have hard water,
use distilled or filtered water. Hard
water has many harsh deposits and will only dry out the coat. Mix 2 ozs Ultra Shine Conditioning Spray, 1
oz. Ultra Clear Light Oil and 1 oz. water.
Dampen coat completely and brush thoroughly. If you do happen upon any tangles try to loosen
as best that you can with your fingers. This
may sound silly, but there is a technique to brushing. When holding your brush use downward strokes
only trying not to flick your wrist. The
flicking or snapping motion will add to hair breakage. I find the best position for the dog is lying
flat on their side, start at their paws and work your way up in small pieces.
Step two: Shampooing - Thoroughly wet coat, mix first shampoo (Pure Paws – Ultra Reconstructing Shampoo) completely cover coat and work in gently/message (downward strokes with your fingers), never scrub or go against coat, rinse completely. Mix second shampoo (Pure Paws – Ultra Reconstructing Shampoo) thoroughly work into coat and let stand for two minutes and rinse thoroughly with cool water not cold. Alternate second shampooing with the Ultra Brightening Shampoo (Pure Paws); you should do this every other matainence grooming. Rinsing with cool water will help close the hair's cuticle. Here is the Pure Paws website; www.purepaws.net or look for it at your local shows.
Step
three: This is the conditioning/oil step of the process.
The amount of conditioner and oil will vary depending on the size of
your puff. I prefer my puffs to be put in heavy oil; I
try not to have to do any brushing in between baths. In a 2 quart container mix 1/8 cup conditioner
(Pure Paws – Ultra Moisturizing), ¼ cup light oil (Pure Paws – Ultra Clear
Light Oil), and 2 quarts warm water, poor mixture thoroughly over your puff.
Don’t rinse oil mixture from coat; use your hands to squeeze excess
water from coat. Wrap your baby in a towel, don’t rub to dry,
hold your baby in your arms while wrapped in a towel, grab a drink and relax
for about ten minutes. Brush coat thoroughly
while wet, make sure the coat is tangle free.
Again, only use a long tined brush.
No combs!!!
Step four: Drying - My preference is to air dry whenever possible (only during maintenance grooming). If you must blow dry, be careful of extreme heat.
Helpful hints:
Do’s – Do check for tangles daily, bathe every 4 – 5 days, use long
tine brush w/supple rubber cushion, good nutrition, try not to let other dogs
pull at the coat, use a satin bed or crate pad, if you need to band the top-knot
only use non-damaging poly bands, if you have a
problem with your dog eating their coat at the sides of their head…use a snood
made from a silky material.
Don’ts – Do not use a comb or a slicker on the coat (feet only and only when tangle free), no fleece, cotton or cotton type fabric beds or pads, don’t leave a collar on, no regular rubber bands and never brush a dry coat except while showing. Never leave your puff in the sun, especially the dark colored coats. The sun will burn the coat and the coat will also become dry and brittle.
“Leslie and PHIL” Nat’l SBIS Ch. Les-Lee’s No Jacket Required
“PHIL”
Please don’t hesitate in contacting if you have further questions.
Happy Grooming,
Leslie A. Gould
Les-Lee’s Chinese Cresteds