Flat Smooth and Swinging
The most often questions asked were how to get a flowing coat to sit - smooth and straight, from a vast number of breeds ranging from Yorkies and Maltese to Am Cockers, English Cockers, Springers, Setters, Beardies & Afghans and lots in between.
It's always gratifying to be able to offer direct help and engage in problem solving. The people we gave advice to early in the show, got great results and passed on the info to others who then flocked to the Plush Puppy stand and asked for help themselves.
Knowledge is a wonderful thing - it is the difference between someone who is an expert and a novice. Given the information, it lifts the novice into expertise.
We make a brilliant product, Swishy Coat, which primarily relaxes wave in the coat, inhibits static electricity, smoothes and allows the brush to slide through the coat when drying. Swishy Coat allows the coat to return to the shape it was dried without inhibiting the natural flow and movement of the coat.
The finer the coat such as a Yorkie or a Maltese, the less Swishy Coat is required and we recommend 1 teaspoon to 4 liters/1 gallon warm water. Dissolve and squish through the furnishings - leave in and blow dry.
For coats such as Setters and English Cockers, you need less water and you can use as a rule of thumb, 1 teaspoon to 6 cups warm water and leave in and blow dry. So, the thicker the coat, the less dilution and greater concentration is needed.
For an Afghan I recommend 1 tablespoon to 1 cup warm water, apply and blow dry.
The exception to the rule is the American Cocker where one usually wants the coat to hang flat as well. Now for a flat smooth coat, use 1 tablespoon Swishy Coat plus 1/4 cup Plush Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner to 4 litres/1 gallon warm water, squish through furnishings and leave in and blow dry.
For an Afghan that is too boofy in coat and you want to flatten as well as straighten, add 1 tablespoon Plush Puppy Blow Dry Cream to 1 cup warm water and apply - leave in and blow dry.
Both the Blow Dry Cream and the Silk Protein Conditioner will soften and flatten the coat. I use the Silk Protein on the Am Cockers as it is more ph balanced for this type of coat and the Blow Dry Cream on the Afghans as it is heavier and more intensive. Now somewhere in between the Yorkie and the Afghan your flowing coated breed will fit. It is a matter of adjusting the mix of Swishy Coat for straightening and the Blow Dry Cream if softening and flattening is required to suit the coat. We now run a free worldwide advisory service on our Australian website.
The Blow Dry Cream is an amazing product for a number of different coats where you want to instantly soften and flatten. You can mix this 1 tablespoon to 1 cup warm water and put into a 1 Plush Puppy Water Spray which has measurements on the side and spray directly to the coat as a grooming spray.
This is particularly good for coats that are dehydrated and tending to go boofy. I loved the effect an Akita exhibitor achieved on her dog's old coat an hour before the show. The coat looked like a new coat again. She was thrilled and I was happy we had solved another problem.
Plush Puppy also has developed a truly amazing product called OMG. A revolutionary grooming spray combining all the aspects of latest technology with old fashioned common sense - it works!. Repels dirt. Completely water soluable. Will not build up. Effortless disentangler. Removes hair spray. Dilute to suit individual coat needs. If you wonder why we called it O.M.G, you will surely understand when you use it.This is the perfect grooming spray for this type of coat type.
How much ought one pursue the quest of a perfect coat for a show ring? Is it important to present a dog in immaculate condition? Do Setters and Cockers need their furnishings, featherings to be straight and smooth lying?
It is after all a dog show. It is not a field trial, a coursing event nor an agility ring. It is a conformation show and a bit of a beauty show. One must have a good dog but if it is a good dog then for heaven’s sake present it the very best that you can. Is it any wonder that a great proportion of the B.I.S. wins go to the Poodles and the Afghans? These are wonderful breeds that look fabulous when groomed and tittified. You can tittify a Working Dog, a Gundog and in fact any dog. It will not compensate for a poor dog but it will make a great dog look magnificent.
I get intense pleasure from assisting people to enhance the presentation of their breed. It is gratifying that a dog we have given advice to goes through to win well. With the right information you can do just about anything.
Each breeds coat is different, each dogs coat is different. These are guidelines that can be adjusted to suit each individual dogs needs.
All our products are developed using only the highest amounts of naturally sourced ingredients that are totally results aimed. Our range is extensive because each product is developed to create a specific desired result. We only use ingredients that contain targeted amounts high enough to achieve these obvious results.