# questions questions questions.....



## Dancer (Apr 5, 2010)

Hey everyone, 

I have multiple questions, so bear with me please! 

Where did you learn how to groom your goldens for show? Can anyone recommend a good video or web-based lesson of some sort? I've been looking through YouTube....

What are the totally "essential" grooming tools that you use a lot/ would advise me to start out with? 'Cause right now, I've got a slicker and a rake, and pair of kitchen scissors. Probably going to need to re-vamp my grooming kit a bit....

Do you keep your show dogs from running around in the bush? Because I don't really want to do that- this is a fun hobby for us to do together, he and his little brother are my babies that I look forward to showing, not 'show dogs' that are my babies also....if that makes sense? Anyways, if some of you let your dogs run around in the forest and swim etc, is there any trick you use to mitigate coat damage? I've heard people say I should spray them with that horse product "show sheen" before they go out in the bush so that their coats are to slippery for the burrs to catch in. I haven't tried it yet though. 

Anyways, sorry if these are dumb questions but I haven't shown a dog since I was 16 years old, and he was a greyhound so not much worry about grooming there....


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## sterregold (Dec 9, 2009)

I won't keep my dogs out of the field for the sake of showing. I do use show sheen before going out in the field or hunting. I put it in the feathered areas. Wash out when you get home as it has silicones in it. They make it easier to get crap out of the fur, but also coat the hair shaft, and will make it brittle if left in.

For equipment, I like a dremel for the nails. Nice, snag-free finish.

Pin brush with rounded tips--nothing sharp that will scratch the skin. The Chris Christenson ones are nice.
Medium spaced pincomb or "poodle comb".
Palm pad
As good quality straight shears as you can afford.
Thinning shears--single sided 46 tooth, again as good as you can afford.
Short rounded tip scissors, sometimes called foot scissors.
Coarse and fine stripping knives.

For a video, Erik Strickland's is excellent on preparing for the show ring. He sells kits as well with shears, and stripping knives etc in a case that are decent quality. I have big hands, so I do prefer to get mine direct from a vendor where i can try them in my hand to see if they feel comfortable. If you are doing a bunch of fine scissoring work with shears that do not fit it gets miserable in a hurry.


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## Dancer (Apr 5, 2010)

Thanks! I really appreciate it! 


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