Coat Preparation for Dog Showing: Bathing

Many show dog owners and exhibitors seem to underestimate the importance of condition while preparing for their next dog show. Quality, Condition, and Performance, I believe, are the keys to ring success.

A large part of conditioning is developing and maintaining a healthy, clean and shiny coat. Such coat in the perfect natural form requires little enhancement or correction during show preparation. It presents to the judges and peers the superb genetics in health and coat, as well as hard work and expertise in coat conditioning of the exhibitors.

Maintenance

A healthy coat primarily comes from good genetics. For Akitas, we would love to seen soft and dense undercoat and harsh guard coat with healthy skin. Diet, supplements, exercise, dedicated bathing and grooming routines are important on a daily base. At Aces-Up kennel, all the dogs are bathed often, show or companion exclusively using the PurePaws products. By maintenance, they are bathed every 3-4 weeks depending on the weather or coat condition using either the Oats N Aloe line or H2O line:

1. Oats N Aloe shampoo or H2O shampoo

2. Oats N Aloe conditioner or H2O conditioner

3. Oats N Aloe hydrating spray or H2O hydrating spray after blow dry prior to combing

In between baths, the coat is brushed and combed weekly after applying the Oats N Aloe spray or H2O spray.

Show preparation

Assuming a good condition coat thanks to the maintenance routine, you want more volume, clear and brilliant colors for showing. That often takes 4-6 weekly baths prior to showing:

1. Amplify shampoo mixed with Brightening shampoo (3:1)

2. Magic White shampoo on white areas

3. H2O hydrating spray after blow dry prior to combing

Post Shows

As soon as you come home from a dog show, it is important to bath your dog immediately to remove all the chemicals and de-stress:

1. Factor Zero shampoo

2. Oats N Aloe or H2O shampoo

3. Oats N Aloe or H2O conditioner

4. Oats N Aloe hydrating spray or H2O hydrating spray after blow dry prior to combing

For all of our Aces-Up family members, order the PurePaws products from us with 15% off!

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