Grooming for Show

[grizabella]

I'm hoping to start showing Bella in a few months, and would like to know more about how Salukis (and other sighthounds) are groomed in preparation for a show. Obviously there would be a bath the evening before, nail trimming, and the usual brushing, but what would be specific for showing?

Naturally my main interest would be in grooming for Salukis, but I would love to hear about the requirements for other sighthounds, as I'm sure I will have others in the future.

[Gazinghound]

How exciting!!! Big congrats to you both for entering that world!


Here's what I do for showing:

*Give Ulla a bath, or at least a waterless shampoo treatment (which usually works just as well, actually)
*Clip nails, brush teeth, wipe inner ears and eyes clean
*Wet my comb to do her hair (using water or some type of hairspray, whether made for dogs or humans)
*Rub her coat down with a hound glove, to remove shed hair, dirt, dander/dandruff, etc.
*Trim her tuck-up a bit, just to give the judge a clean view of her outline

That's pretty much what's needed, typically...if there are extra straggly or over-fuzzy hairs anywhere, or you feel like thinning part of the coat, you can just use your eye and judgment to do a little scissoring, but those are the main checkpoints.

[grizabella]

Thank you, thank you, thank you! ;D
We're still a little way off starting, Bella's still a bit nervous with big groups of dogs. Going to obedience classes have helped, a lot and I think we'll be going along to another show to watch soon. My attempts at getting her to stack and gait have improved greatly though, which I am very pleased about!

[Gazinghound]

No problem! Some of that I've picked up from her breeders/co-owners, and I'm always glad to pass it on.

That's awesome! =) She can take her time getting comfortable; there's no rush. Ulla's five now, and we're still working on that Championship--getting very close, though. We only do six to eight shows a year on average, so that's why we're behind the rest of her family.