# Dog showing/grooming advice needed!



## CAROLINA MOM (May 12, 2009)

Bumping up


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## Ffcmm (May 4, 2016)

When I entered my first puppy show I gave Monty a bath on the day itself right before going down to the venue. It was 2 days so he showered in the morning on both days. I didn’t trim anything except for the paws and the whiskers (he was 4 months then). 

I know some set up their tables there and wet them down and then spend the time blow dry right before they enter the ring, but I only saw the adults getting that treatment, the pups were pretty Low maintenance. At 8 months if she has more coat, I Guess you can do that but im a newbie and interested to see what suggest too. 

Good luck! I’m so jealous you can go for a show, nothing has resumed where I’m from.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Ffcmm said:


> When I entered my first puppy show I gave Monty a bath on the day itself right before going down to the venue. It was 2 days so he showered in the morning on both days. I didn’t trim anything except for the paws and the whiskers (he was 4 months then).
> 
> I know some set up their tables there and wet them down and then spend the time blow dry right before they enter the ring, but I only saw the adults getting that treatment, the pups were pretty Low maintenance. At 8 months if she has more coat, I Guess you can do that but im a newbie and interested to see what suggest too.
> 
> Good luck! I’m so jealous you can go for a show, nothing has resumed where I’m from.


We have so few all breed shows in Alaska. We have a show weekend in March. Then one in May, one in June, two in July, and a one day show in November. We had our May and June shows canceled. We've had one show already this month. I heard it went really well. The next closest shows for us are in Whitehorse, YT. Which a lot of people drive over for, but that's an 18-20 hour drive each way, which means taking a lot of time off work. Unless we fly to the states, these are the only shows we have. Some people were hesitant to enter. Judges flying up have to have a negative corona test within 72 hours of flying up.


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## ArkansasGold (Dec 7, 2017)

I usually do the main bath and any trimming a few days before the show, then do another bath and blow dry the first day of the show. The other days we usually just wet her down and fluff her up or do minimal washing just to get the day before’s product out of her coat. At that age and at a small show, you can probably get away with not putting stuff in her coat.
I would also bathe and dry at the show site so she doesn’t get crate marks or mess up her hair on the ride there. If you don’t want to do that, then you can lay a towel over her back and fasten it down in front and under her belly to protect her from the crate and keep her top coat lying flat.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

ArkansasGold said:


> I usually do the main bath and any trimming a few days before the show, then do another bath and blow dry the first day of the show. The other days we usually just wet her down and fluff her up or do minimal washing just to get the day before’s product out of her coat. At that age and at a small show, you can probably get away with not putting stuff in her coat.
> I would also bathe and dry at the show site so she doesn’t get crate marks or mess up her hair on the ride there. If you don’t want to do that, then you can lay a towel over her back and fasten it down in front and under her belly to protect her from the crate and keep her top coat lying flat.


Thanks for your thoughts!


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## Megora (Jun 7, 2010)

Alaska7133 said:


> My issue is her coat. She's still got a puppy coat and is unusually thick, but short fur. She doesn't really have much to trim, hardly any ear fluff even. But because she's a puppy, really hard to keep clean. Should I just bath her Friday night. Then Saturday/Sunday wet her down and blow her out? Luckily we don't have to be at the show both days until 10 am, and the drive is only an hour, so I need to be on the road by 9 am. So what do you think, get up at 6, wet her down then blow her out, then trim the loose fluff? I don't want to overdo her. She's had very few baths and grooming sessions, so she gets bored rather quickly. That balance of keeping it fun but not making her too bored.


When Glee and Jovi were puppies and I showed them the first time kinda right around 7 months....

Both had puppy coats so worst shag was on the ears and feet.

---

Day before the first show I did a full bath and dry - never at shows with a baby pup!

And following that pre show day bath and blow dry, I did a full groom, which for them like I said was just pretty basic. No fuss. Ears, feet, tail, done. Whiskers were left on. I spent more time trimming nails and trimming out the bottoms of the feet vs everything else. About 20-40 minutes tops.

*^^^ Day before first show

__ *

Day of show, I just did a spritz with bodifier/water - for Jovi. He was a big boned pup so didn't need to do much.

Glee was a more lanky pup at the same age, so after I did the bodifier/water, I followed up with t&t gel to build more body on the shoulders/legs/sides. Just to make him blend in more with the 9-12 month pup and give the judge a pause in the winners ring. You never know.

For both dogs, I did touch up (usually this is when I smooth out the bib/shoulder area because pups get a ridge with the growing "mane"). 

My Glee has that right now because he desperately needs to be groomed. The below are ungroomed pictures. He needs his ears, feet, tail, neck/ruff trimmed.

You can't see the ridge in the sideways (and actually completely wet) pic of him, but front view with him sitting you can see the flippy ridge where his growing ruff is still sticking out like a sore thumb. He also has burrs in there making the bib look extra funky (they just brush right out). He had that even as a 7 month old (13 months now) so I smoothed that out and "brought out" his neck a little more.










Both Glee and Jovi have always had big feet so did not fuss too much about the feet to make them look bigger or whatever. If you are showing outside, wouldn't worry about it at all.

Before second day - No bath, no fuss, etc at home. Just went to show maybe an hour early so I could spritz/dry/touch up and then get my pup settled in before showing up at the ring.

First show - I arrived an hour ahead.
Second show - I arrived 1/2 hour ahead.

^^ Just giving you an idea as far as expected prep time + "emergency as needed" time.

Depends on how confident you are in getting your dog prepped and ready.

Stacey - I know you have been showing dogs a while, so less about you.

Somebody else approaching their first show in "regular circumstances" - you might give yourself extra time just to avoid a time crunch panic because you didn't realize how much time you actually needed. And also when you are nervous and inexperienced, stuff takes longer.

Grooming my dogs - I take less time now than I did when I first started. My dogs are not on the table for 2 hours by any means!


^^^^^^ I have no idea how things are being done now though. It may be you aren't even using a dryer at dog shows. Might give yourself less time than I did for having a spritz/blow dry as part of my routine before showing.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

Megora said:


> When Glee and Jovi were puppies and I showed them the first time kinda right around 7 months....
> 
> Both had puppy coats so worst shag was on the ears and feet.
> 
> ...


Thanks for your ideas Kate.


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## puddles everywhere (May 13, 2016)

No advice, just wishing you luck!


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## JulesAK (Jun 6, 2010)

Good luck! Hope all goes well.
Jules


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

puddles everywhere said:


> No advice, just wishing you luck!


Thank you.


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## Alaska7133 (May 26, 2011)

JulesAK said:


> Good luck! Hope all goes well.
> Jules


Thank you.


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