conditioning coats for Showring

Post Reply
User avatar
Hattrick
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 847
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 10:32 am

conditioning coats for Showring

Post by Hattrick » Sun Jun 01, 2014 5:32 pm

What do you all do to brighten up a GSPs coat prior to showing them? I will be testing the waters in the showring soon and its a completly new game for me. Any advice is apperecated. Thxs

slistoe
GDF Junkie
Posts: 3843
Joined: Mon Jun 04, 2007 7:23 pm

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by slistoe » Sun Jun 01, 2014 6:36 pm

That was what I relied on a good quality feed for - to maintain showring coat on a hard working dog. However, oil and eggs should help you out.

User avatar
ezzy333
GDF Junkie
Posts: 16625
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Dixon IL

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by ezzy333 » Sun Jun 01, 2014 9:34 pm

Never found a need for anything if the dog is on a good feed and in good condition.

Ezzy

User avatar
Karen
GDF Junkie
Posts: 1647
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:03 am
Location: Analomink, PA

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by Karen » Mon Jun 02, 2014 5:16 am

I swear by Magic Coat shampoo, conditioner & spray conditioner. I also lightly spray with an oil sheen made for African American hair at night. Their coat absorbs the oil overnight while crated so they're not sticky or slick in the morning. Also bathe weekly.

User avatar
S'setter
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 8:37 am
Location: The Right side of Washington

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by S'setter » Mon Jun 02, 2014 9:22 pm

I agree quality food is the Key! When we showed Gordon's we sprayed them with oil (horse products are cheaper) the week before the show then washed the Oil completely Out the day before the Show! Then put a large towel over the back & pin it carefully at the neck, stomach, & tail! Helps keep the long haired breeds look smooth & clean but also helps with the shine! If you use anything on the coat just be careful with anything sprayed on the coat as it's a disqualification and have seen a dog excused for it! Good Luck & Have fun!!!

User avatar
mountaindogs
GDF Junkie
Posts: 2449
Joined: Sat Feb 12, 2005 9:33 pm
Location: TN

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by mountaindogs » Mon Jun 02, 2014 10:05 pm

I give very high doses of fish oil 4-5 tabs a day starting 2weeks before, feed high quality food, and wash weekly for a few weeks before. Do not wash the day before if you can avoid it. 2-3 days before gives the coat time to harshening up correctly again. Brush out loose dead hair I use the zoom groom or the furminator. Get those nails as short as you can. Long nails make the dogs stand back on their feet making the foot less tight and compact. Trim up the tail tip if needed but keep it natural looking.

That said I am never very successful in the ring because I still get nervous. No matter how much I tell myself is does not matter. But I'll be trying again soon with Scout.

User avatar
Hattrick
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 847
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 10:32 am

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by Hattrick » Tue Jun 03, 2014 4:34 am

Thanks for the advice

MikeB
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 853
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:20 pm
Location: So. California

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by MikeB » Wed Jun 04, 2014 12:19 pm

The best supplement I have ever used for great conditioning and skin/coat is Animal Naturals K9 Show Stopper.
Below is a distributor with the best prices.

http://www.k9power.com/k9-show-stopper.html

User avatar
ezzy333
GDF Junkie
Posts: 16625
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Dixon IL

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by ezzy333 » Wed Jun 04, 2014 2:32 pm

It always bothered me to hear people say they can tell when they feed a supplement. I guess it is because what I hear is the feed you are feeding is really bad. Some one is not being honest. When the food being fed contains all the nutrients a dog can use plus some, it just doesn't follow that a supplement is needed or even helpful. And then look at the ingredients in the supplement and realize you are only feeding a spoonful a day so what difference does it really make for any major nutrient.

I guess it is alright to feed them if it makes you feel better but I never saw the need when I was showing. Another difference I have noticed is we never bathed the dogs but they got a lot of brushing and we spot cleaned with a dry shampoo. That way we kept the natural oils in the coat which kept it healthy and alive looking.

BellaSpinone
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 89
Joined: Sat Dec 22, 2012 2:56 am
Location: Central Ohio

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by BellaSpinone » Wed Jun 04, 2014 8:49 pm

Don't get discouraged. There is a steep leaning curve.

MikeB
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 853
Joined: Thu Jan 04, 2007 2:20 pm
Location: So. California

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by MikeB » Thu Jun 05, 2014 8:10 am

I guess you will never know till you try it. I was feeding and still feed a high quality food. I believe it was the digestive enzymes in the supplement that helps dogs digest their food and the supplement that makes the difference. Show Stopper is one of the top products used by the show world exhibitors today.

User avatar
ezzy333
GDF Junkie
Posts: 16625
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Dixon IL

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by ezzy333 » Thu Jun 05, 2014 9:12 am

MikeB wrote:I guess you will never know till you try it. I was feeding and still feed a high quality food. I believe it was the digestive enzymes in the supplement that helps dogs digest their food and the supplement that makes the difference. Show Stopper is one of the top products used by the show world exhibitors today.
I believe you but that doesn't say it is necessary. Lots of people won't feed corn to their dogs but regardless it is still one of the main ingredients in most good feeds. The public can be mislead by peer pressure very easily. Just as this case, a new exhibitor is asking wanting to know and if you tell him he needs to feed a certain supplement to win he will probably believe you whether it is true or not.

As I said feed what makes you feel good but also know it isn't needed.

Ezzy

User avatar
Karen
GDF Junkie
Posts: 1647
Joined: Wed Sep 26, 2007 7:03 am
Location: Analomink, PA

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by Karen » Thu Jun 05, 2014 10:50 am

The OP asked about conditioning coats for the show ring.

If he didn't think he NEEDED to do something to improve his dog's coat, he wouldn't be asking.

We've finished 2 show champions, 2 grand champions, have a bitch with 10 points and both majors toward her CH, and a dog with 10 points and 2 majors toward his GCH title....all in the last 15 months. My dogs all have access to the great outdoors for 18 hours a day, they bask in the sun, dry out their coats, and sun bleach them. They run through the woods and come back covered in burrs, then walk into the show ring 3 days later, and compete against a ring full of dogs that have barely seen the light of day in 6 months, are kept in air conditioned rooms or vans where they won't blow their coat, and are bathed weekly, supplemented daily, and fed more than their fair share of top quality feed.

Bathing and conditioning weekly helps protect the coat from the damages listed above. Using an oil spray helps replace oils washed away. Spraying them down with something like Magic Coat (or another leave in conditioner) helps protect the coat also. Supplements are provided in a form that allows the body to more readily absorb and use them (God knows my dogs hardly chew their kibble before swallowing it). Feeding a high quality feed is a good thing, but spending $20 on a small package of your supplement of choice can't hurt. And sometimes supplements can help where genetics aren't.

Do as much or as little as you want, but PLEASE bring a spotless clean dog into the ring. Doing anything else would be disrespectful to the judge.

User avatar
Brazosvalleyvizslas
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 1340
Joined: Sat Sep 29, 2012 9:20 am
Location: Soon2be, Texas

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by Brazosvalleyvizslas » Thu Jun 05, 2014 12:01 pm

I will 2nd the use of Show Stopper on Show Dogs. Yes it is capable of seeing improvements on coats even if you feed the best foods.... Some dogs more so than others.

User avatar
ezzy333
GDF Junkie
Posts: 16625
Joined: Fri Aug 20, 2004 3:14 pm
Location: Dixon IL

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by ezzy333 » Thu Jun 05, 2014 3:55 pm

Gee Karen, I never thought that I needed to tell anyone who or how many dogs we took in the ring or how many we finished. But our Britts hunted first and went in to the ring on weekends. The Labs and Airedales were not in the field as much. But regardless, they all went into the ring with the same conditioning and it worked, Don't think we insulted any judges while doing it.

Ezzy

User avatar
kninebirddog
GDF Premier Member!
Posts: 7846
Joined: Sat Dec 25, 2004 12:45 am
Location: Coolidge AZ

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by kninebirddog » Thu Jun 05, 2014 6:19 pm

Karen wrote:I swear by Magic Coat shampoo, conditioner & spray conditioner. I also lightly spray with an oil sheen made for African American hair at night. Their coat absorbs the oil overnight while crated so they're not sticky or slick in the morning. Also bathe weekly.
Another thing we like to use is the 60 seconds critical hair.
Then inbetween shows washing and conditioning with humectress and now the argon oil shampoos My friend with her Bull Mastiffs feeds salmon based dog food

User avatar
Hattrick
Rank: 5X Champion
Posts: 847
Joined: Sun Aug 09, 2009 10:32 am

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by Hattrick » Sat Jun 07, 2014 6:18 pm

I bought sum mane and coat horse shampoo and conditioner. If it works for a horse it should work for this hunting dog. He's has a really nice coat for a gsp I would even say he has about as good of coat as you can get on gsp especially a white dog. I'm just trying to hedge the bet and its a new arena for me. Thanks for the advice

User avatar
S'setter
Rank: Junior Hunter
Posts: 48
Joined: Sat May 25, 2013 8:37 am
Location: The Right side of Washington

Re: conditioning coats for Showring

Post by S'setter » Sat Jun 07, 2014 9:52 pm

Yep horse hair conditioner work well, just make sure you get it washed out before the big day in the ring!

Post Reply