With the popularity of television broadcasts of AKC dog shows growing every year, more and more pet owners are seeing how their breeds are presented in the show ring. Some want that look, others don't. The groomer who knows how to achieve or approximate the correct breed profile has the edge in the growing market of pet owners who would like their dogs to resemble the breed profile.
This is Eddie, a Border Terrier, that was recently retired from the show ring and adopted to a loving home in Tucson. Eddie's new owner wants to keep him looking like he did when he was ranked #8 Border Terrier in the USA. Not only was Eddie a patient and willing subject, but it was a groomer's delight to work on such a good example of the breed. All of my efforts to master the Border Terrier "look" paid off here, and I was able to send this dog home with confidence that I had achieved or surpassed the owner's expectations.
Barbara Bird is a Certified Master Groomer with IPG, Inc. She works from her salon, Transformation Pet Center, in Tucson, Arizona, specializing in terrier breeds, scissored styling, and grooming cats. For appointments or more information, call 520-795-5743 or write petpals@dakotacom.net. Happy grooming!
Do you provide an album with all the different styles or should the owner of the dog bring a picture?
ReplyDeleteI have a great album of show dog pictures of many breeds that I have clipped from Dogs in Review magazine and other sources. I also welcome owner pictures. And I have pictures of my grooming on a large wall. "Wall of Fame"...
ReplyDeleteI have a cream Standard Poodle with a soft, somewhat cottony coat.
ReplyDeleteI am endlessly searching for the perfect products to keep his hair manageable (I'm a professional groomer and I usually leave 1-2 inches on him. I'd like to grow him out longer, but I can't keep him from matting when his hair is longer).
I'm currently using Espree Plum Perfect shampoo, Chris Christensen After Bath, and Ice on Ice spray for brushing. I tried a sample of Thick N' Thicker, but I can't really tell if it made much of a difference.
I'm intrigued by the combination you mentioned for Apollo the Goldendoodle (Texture shampoo & Chrome Coat conditioner). Do you think these products would work for my dog? How do they compare to the CC line?
P.S. I love your blog! Thanks for sharing your knowledge, it's been vastly helpful to me!
You have made good choices in products. You might try adding some of the Ice on Ice to the After Bath solution to increase the detangling ability, I've had great results in rinsing the Ice on Ice through thick coats.
ReplyDeleteThe Showseason products I mentioned, Texture shampoo and Chrome Coat rinse, will give you maximum detangling and hair separation, and minimum softening. The Chrome Coat is a remarkable product, it can be rinsed through, left in, or diuted in a spray. Another excellent product from Showseason is the Results Rinse. I use this when I want the very least softening. It's great for scissored coats. The difference between the Results Rinse and the Chrome Coat is that the Chrome has more antistatic and conditioning ingredients.
I like Espree products too. One of my favorites is the Doggone Clean shampoo. I use this with the Showseason Chrome rinse. This shampoo smells terrific, but it does slightly soften the coat,
I hope I haven't further confused you. Each coat is slightly different, and it helps to keep trying combinations of products.