# Best Grooming Supplies + Shampoo for Shows?



## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

I have my grooming DVD from the LA GR Club, I have the grooming table, the dryer, the shower attachment for our apartment shower lol, and a few grooming tools. Nails are short and dremeled, her have thinning shear, trimming (?) scissors, brushes galore. We're ready to start grooming practice.

I don't know what to use for shampoo though? And in the DVD, they have coat stripping brushes, what would be recommended and, are they needed? Finally, there is a lot of little microgrooming, especially on the hind hocks. I can't really tell in any recent photos (this DVD is from like, '04), but do we still trim the hind hocks in a line straight down?


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

It may be a strange suggestion but if you have a rescue group nearby, those dogs and the rescues really benefit from someone learning to groom on them. You would be able to discover how to "fix" structural issues with grooming, and the dogs would be more appealing for adoption due to being well groomed. We used to do all the TVGRR dogs when my daughter was learning to groom. You'd learn how to use a stripping knife to clean up a neck (that's where I use them). 
Shampoos- there are so many! Everyone has their favorites. Isle of Dogs is pretty popular as is BioSilk, Espana (though be prepared for time on the phone if you go that route- the woman who runs it is quite the talker!), #1AllSystems, Christensen, Crown Royale, there are tons of them.. it might be worth your time to email or call some of them and see if you can get sample sizes to try. The conditioner I personally LOVE is so cheap it's not funny, in comparison to dog conditioners - Tresemme. For people's hair. 
I'm seeing hocks not straight line anymore- though it's refreshing when I do see them done like that, now most people have some curve to them. I'm noticing some handlers are starting to show more toe and trimming up from the foot now more than we used to see.


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

Prism Goldens said:


> It may be a strange suggestion but if you have a rescue group nearby, those dogs and the rescues really benefit from someone learning to groom on them. You would be able to discover how to "fix" structural issues with grooming, and the dogs would be more appealing for adoption due to being well groomed. We used to do all the TVGRR dogs when my daughter was learning to groom. You'd learn how to use a stripping knife to clean up a neck (that's where I use them).
> Shampoos- there are so many! Everyone has their favorites. Isle of Dogs is pretty popular as is BioSilk, Espana (though be prepared for time on the phone if you go that route- the woman who runs it is quite the talker!), #1AllSystems, Christensen, Crown Royale, there are tons of them.. it might be worth your time to email or call some of them and see if you can get sample sizes to try. The conditioner I personally LOVE is so cheap it's not funny, in comparison to dog conditioners - Tresemme. For people's hair.
> I'm seeing hocks not straight line anymore- though it's refreshing when I do see them done like that, now most people have some curve to them. I'm noticing some handlers are starting to show more toe and trimming up from the foot now more than we used to see.


Thank you SO much!! I’ll definitely see if I can get samples and get some tresemee, that one is easy!! I know how to use stripping knives on horses ? but have no idea how to do it on a dog, at least how to use it for its proper purpose. W
We have an Everglades GR rescue I think? I can definitely try that. I need to practice tail trimming for sure. Do we still trim the fur around the edge of the ears? They did that in the video.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Chris Christensen Fair Advantage
All Systems Super Conditioning and Cleaning Shampoo

^ I've used both and like both. Given a choice between the two, prefer All Systems.

Crown Royal Bodifier is my go-to if I can't bathe at a show. Mix a little in a spray bottle full of water. Get a CC double sprayer (it will save your hands). Spray dog completely wet to skin - and then blow dry.

That's it.

Since I was grooming dogs way earlier this evening and snapping pictures anyway - luckily enough I did get before and after pics on a couple dogs? (ETA - I take pictures because for some reason that helps me "see" what I'm doing as I'm trimming feet and ears).

First before/after is my Bertie who grows a LOT of hock hair?

Second one is my Jovi who isn't too long with the hock hair, but gets shaggy.

Generally speaking unless the two babies grow hock hair as long as their dad's, will trim to about 1/2" and do a straight line that gets blended in side to side. I mainly don't want it to look like my dog has a mohawk sticking off the back of his foot.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

These are basically my go-to's for grooming. 

And before and after on Jovi's front feet, if it helps at all. <= I was not kidding that my dogs desperately needed grooming.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Another Before and After....





























^^^^ These are the before's

The after's - you can see Jovi still needs a bath and blow dry.

I cleaned up a lot of his "mane" - but only to a certain point. Will evaluate if he needs more cleanup after a bath and blow dry. His "mane" is actually dirty. Once it's clean and blow dried, it will likely lie smooth without too much need for more thinning out.

Ears were cleaned up - all that shag above removed and trimmed the edge of the ear.

On the right side, it looks a little stark or harsh - but left side was after he hopped off the table and shook himself out. You can the ears look soft and natural.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

I will send you a contact who is in the EGRC and she'd know on the EGRR by PM. This is how I am seeing hocks in the SE (inserted image)



Tagrenine said:


> Thank you SO much!! I’ll definitely see if I can get samples and get some tresemee, that one is easy!! I know how to use stripping knives on horses ? but have no idea how to do it on a dog, at least how to use it for its proper purpose. W
> We have an Everglades GR rescue I think? I can definitely try that. I need to practice tail trimming for sure. Do we still trim the fur around the edge of the ears? They did that in the video.


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

Thank you both so much!!

Megora: I just ordered some of the shampoos you recommended. How about conditioners? And thank you SO much for the pictures!! This definitely helps clear up what was confusing me in the video. And it does look like you trim around the ear, I wasn't sure if that was something that was still regularly practiced. What size (?) stripping knife do you have? I'll try to post some before and after pictures today after my extension cord gets here. Poor Felix is going to be my guinea pig. 

Prism: THANK YOU!!! That definitely looks more like what I've seen compared to the straight cut in the video. A lot of what they're doing is new to me, but I'm doing my best lol. I will get back to you


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## DevWind (Nov 7, 2016)

Megora said:


> Another Before and After....
> 
> 
> 
> ...



OMG! Jovi looks just like Pilot in the photo on the left! I had to do a double take!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Tagrenine said:


> Megora: I just ordered some of the shampoos you recommended. How about conditioners? And thank you SO much for the pictures!! This definitely helps clear up what was confusing me in the video. And it does look like you trim around the ear, I wasn't sure if that was something that was still regularly practiced. What size (?) stripping knife do you have? I'll try to post some before and after pictures today after my extension cord gets here. Poor Felix is going to be my guinea pig.


Yes - I trim the ear. Straight long shears on the outside edge of the ear, thinning shears and stripping knives everywhere else.

The white handled knife is a hauptner (fine).

The brown handled one is Mars fine slant tooth. I also have the coarse slant tooth (for some cleaning up on the belly - you can use thinning shears, but it doesn't look natural) and coarse sharp teeth (for behind/under ears).

If you are just getting one knife for ears - get the hauptner.

Conditioners = Thick and Thickener rinse, if you show horses you probably already have cholestrol creme (only a tiny bit and over the top, not dug into the coat), Plush Puppy has a lot of products I love like their Protein Coat Balm. 

One thing I suggest is checking around and seeing if somebody (pro handler or show breeder) could let you shadow them while they groom their dog or even groom yours for showing. With Bertie way back, I had somebody do a show groom a few days before every show - with me watching and learning. And I practiced on Jacks.

Feet and ears are easy to mess up or over do.


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

Megora said:


> Yes - I trim the ear. Straight long shears on the outside edge of the ear, thinning shears and stripping knives everywhere else.
> 
> The white handled knife is a hauptner (fine).
> 
> ...


I tried to get some before and after pictures of our grooming today  I just ordered the stripping knives, so we're without that. And after I looked at him inside, I realized I needed to do more on his ears, but I figured I'd do that another time. I'm much happier with how his feet turned out vs how I've done them in the past though! He's in kind of a weird place with his fur growth and doesn't have much furnishing right now lol, but he's starting to come together!

BEFORE:


















AFTER:


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

I realize I'm a little late to the party, but I basically only use Chris Christensen products on my dogs with one exception. 

I use Day to Day Shampoo and Conditioner for bathing. Sometimes Miracle Moisture shampoo and conditioner if one has a dry coat. If I'm not grooming for a show _and _my dogs are filthy I will use the Clean Start shampoo. It does more of a deep clean than Day to Day and it's also good for use after you've shown for several days in a row because it will get all the stuff out of the coat that gets put in there during shows. I also use Ice on Ice (leave in conditioner/detangler) and Coat Dressing (this stuff really makes the gold shine!) when I'm actually at a show. 

Isle of Dogs has this incredible straightening/smoothing spray that I borrowed to use on Eevee when she had wild puppy coat that made her top line look wonky. It totally straightened it out and we got a nice smooth line on her back. 

As far as tools go, I basically only use the following on my girl: long straight shears (I have the 7" Chris Christensen ones), thinning shears (also CC, but Kenchii has good ones that are affordable too), short straight shears, and a Mars Coat King for stripping undercoat. You will also need a tool to easily take off whiskers at some point in the future, but I haven't decided what to get yet. People have different opinions on what to use for that.


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

My sister uses the yellow handled shears to trim whiskers back.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

I have used my thinning shears before to do whiskers, but Eevee is a brat, so it took forever. I've seen a lot of people use a straight razor or some tool used for horses. I can't remember what it's called right now...


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

Thank you for your shampoo suggestions! I bought some of the CC stuff, and I'm gonna try the Isle of Dogs because Felix has a patch of growing fur over his loins that make his topline look weird. 

I was just going to use blunt tip straight scissors for the whiskers? When we do horse whiskers, we used electric clippers, but for mane pulling, we used thinning knives, a lot like the stripping knifes.


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## Prism Goldens (May 27, 2011)

The thing Maegan is talking about costs about a dollar @ the feed store, and it looks like a flat red, green or blue plastic holder covering a blade. I can take a pic of one tomorrow for you... already in the the pj's tonight! Edit- it comes in purple too I see! And costs way more than the last one I bought: Horse Shave Grooming Aid Horse Shave - Combs Brushes | Grooming Aids | Grooming


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## Tagrenine (Aug 20, 2019)

Prism Goldens said:


> The thing Maegan is talking about costs about a dollar @ the feed store, and it looks like a flat red, green or blue plastic holder covering a blade. I can take a pic of one tomorrow for you... already in the the pj's tonight! Edit- it comes in purple too I see! And costs way more than the last one I bought: Horse Shave Grooming Aid Horse Shave - Combs Brushes | Grooming Aids | Grooming


Oh!!! Is that what you all use for whiskers??


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