The only reason to delay the training for
obedience, tracking, or agility until your poodle has completed it's
Championship is because of the fear of ruining a growing show coat.
Certainly, with the advances made in training methods of the last
several years, an obedience trained dog is an asset rather than a
liability in the show ring. But, you may ask, what about the show
coat? I have successfully trained Standard Poodles in both tracking
and obedience while showing in conformation. One of my dogs obtained
his tracking title about three weeks prior to winning eleven points
in one weekend and completing his Championship in conformation. The
following is one way that I have found to grow and maintain show coat
while training the working Poodle. Until such time as we are allowed
to show a dog in conformation in a sporting clip this is the method
that I use.
1. Growing coat is an
attitude. That attitude is that the hair
is made of precious gold and must be protected at all times.
2. Until the puppy begins going through the coat change only
brush the coat with a pin brush and then only often enough to train
the dog to lay on the table and enjoy grooming. Every time that you
pass a brush or comb through a coat contributes to the wear of the
hair shaft. Hair grows from the root. After a hair has gotten out of
the hair follicle that hair diameter and texture is fixed. It only
grows in length. Every time a hair is touched and rubbed, by comb,
hands, brush or collar it is in the process of wearing out. A worn
hair looses texture, elasticity, and strength. Therefore, only brush
to keep mats out or to train a dog.
3. Until a puppy begins going through the coat change only
bathe when they are dirty or every three to four weeks. After bathing
put a good conditioner on the coat, brush through the coat with a pin
brush to remove any tangles and allow to air dry. Blow drying, again,
wears out hairs and breaks off the ends of hairs.
4. When coat change begins, manifest by the onset of mats,
bathe the puppy in a good canine shampoo and pour a mixture of coat
oil and water on the dog, being sure that the areas around the neck,
flanks and underarms is well oiled. Straighten the coat by going
through it with a pin brush and allow the coat to air dry. At this
point in time you may need to brush the coat weekly or twice weekly
to keep the mats out. If the coat is not matting then rebathe every
week to ten days without brushing before bathing and reapply the coat
oil.
5. When you prepare for the conformation ring you must get the
oil out of the coat by using a good canine detergent shampoo and
several latherings of a good show shampoo. After the shampoo use a
very dilute solution of agood quality coat conditioner rinse and
allow it to set on the coat for several minutes before a quick water
rinse and then a "show blow dry".
6. When the show is over as soon as possible bathe the dog,
put him back in oil and allow the coat to air dry.
7. Never allow your dog to be in the sun. Sun fades the darker
coats and contributes to a brittle and dry coat in the lighter
colored dogs. If you must train in the sun or show in the sun either
use a jump-suit over the coat or a good sun screen spray. A sun
screen is not very effective in preventing sun damage, however. Train
in-doors, or in the shade, or at dusk.
8. Never have a collar on your dog unless you have it in a
training situation or the ring. Collars of all types are very
destructive of the precious neck hair. When you train use a nylon or
satin "neck gaiter" over which the collar can be placed. Remember,
any time that your dog has a collar around it's neck that neck hair
is being worn and broken off.
9. In tracking training always put a nylon or satin jumpsuit
on your dog. This protects the coat from foxtails, seeds, weeds, sun
and the tracking harness. I also lightly spray the jumpsuit with a
tick repellent to further help save on coat loss by decreasing the
number of ticks that get onto the dog. If your jumpsuit is water
repellent it is helpful in saving and protecting coat during the
rainy season or deep snow also.
10. Remember that you cannot show a Poodle in obedience or
tracking with coat protective measures in place so choose your test
site or trial sites to minimize coat destruction.
11. Someone suggested to me that it may be possible to hunt
with a dog in a neoprene wet suit designed for the dog. I have not
tried this, but it might work. I can say, that it is impossible to
hunt with a dog in a show clip without some type of very innovative
protective device. After I was told that it was possible to hunt in
show coat I decided to do the "acid test" and after I spent 19 hours
removing seeds, weeds, moss, and tangles from my male's show coat it
was obvious to me that the "risk was not worth the pleasure."
12. After you have spent a season or two using these methods
to preserve show coat in the working Poodle you will be even more
convinced of the need to be able to show our Poodles in conformation
in a sporting clip. Maintaining a show coat is truely a labour of
love, and not for the faint of heart or the less than compulsive
owner.
This pamphlet has been provided to you at no charge. Please make a
clean copy and share it with others. If you have found the
information to be helpful please consider making a donation to
"Versatility in Poodles", c/o Miriam Hillier, Treasurer, 4 Emerald
Court, San Mateo, CA 94403
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