Hi
just wondered how often everyone baths their dogs when showing.
I bathed both my elkies for LKA,and will do so for Manchester next week and then will have to again for Crufts.I don't bath them for open shows..just a leg and belly wash.I don't like to bath too often(I know some breeds need bathing much more regularly) since I beleive its not good the coats.I can get away with less often in the summer but with the mud and puddles in the winter...well I'm sure you know!!
Archer   

Mine are bathed twice a week when they're showing, and once a week minimum if we have a few weeks between, they are American Cockers by the way.
Dawn R.

Mine get bathed before every champ show but only before an open show if they are really muddy.

Luckily the red and whites have a lovely coat that dirt just falls off of and so floor needs cleaning more!!!!:D

Rox

Only do mine if they have rolled in something.

Same here Jackie H, when they've rolled in something! Except they get their whites done before a champ. show, but only their whites. Beardies should have a harsh outer coat, and bathing it too often may make it look good in the ring, but it strips the natuaral oils from it, and you end up with a nice looking "show dog", which is incorrect because of the "soft" outer coat.
Kay

When I first started showing I used to bath before champ shows but always thought it spoilt the coat even if it was a week before, also found that there is nothing like bathing a dog to encourage it to roll in something. With my breed a brush with natural bristles seems to clean the coat. If you got a dirty or smelly hand when you touched them then I would wash before a show but either I am used to the smell :) of they have self-cleaning coats.

Have to say also the bitch I used to bath before a show always had trouble with her skin since I stopped it has improved but I also changed food at around the same time so I don't know what helped most.

Can't remember the last time I bathed my weimaraner properly - i.e. with shampoo.  This time last year I had a problem in that he was covered in lumps and we couldn't find the cause.  I was using a tea tree shampoo and through process of elimination we are 95% certain that over a period of time he had developed an allergy to it.  I would bath him on average 2 or 3 times a month !!

Now all I do is rinse him off in the shower, unless he has rolled in something smelly then I will use baby shampoo.  I will of course bath him properly before Crufts :D  I have also used the dry shampoo from Doreen Paige and it was actually pretty good :-)

I bath one of my beagles before every show as she is such a scruff. All her white can be black again within 10 seconds. I don't know what she does. I only bath the other one when necessary as she doesn't show any dirt. I use groomers evening primrose shampoo and kids conditioner and it makes their coats really shiny and smells nice too. They both have really oily coats anyway so bathing regularly doesn't seem to bother them.

Bathed my lot at the begining of last summer with a herbal shampoo, eucalyptus & gingilly from wyken, bonnie I did once a wk for a few wks I think, but no more itchies so after that all I do is hose them down if they get really muddy. Once my lot dry off all the muck seems to fall off them :) I don`t think bathing helps the coat much at all :)

Christine, Spain.

Thanks for the replies everyone.I think I will just do their legs,bellies and tails which are rather grubby..the rest of their coats look ok
Archer

LOL, only just realised it is you who asked the question. Don't bath them now you will have hair every where, wait now till they have the new coat in and then they will not need it :)

Is it safe to use human conditioner on a 16 week old shih tzu?

Rather then use human conditioner, I have used the Johnson's baby conditioning shampoo on puppies.  It brings the coat up with a lovely shine and so soft.  Combs out easily too.

sandra

No tears formula johnstones ,  humans dont like soap in there eys and dogs dont know better.

Have to say on the rare times I do shampoo I use a dog one. Never used a conditioner but would think as it is the silicon that stays on the hair a human one would do. You can get special no tangle ones for dogs that you can spray on as you groom.

I bath my shih Tzu every week on the odd occasion  two weeks. I use a dog shampoo &  over the last few months have a cheap human conditioner with no bad effects on her coat. She has a good coat anyway you do need to work at it. Diets have something to do with it aswell.
Diane :)

Elkhounds should only be bathed a couple of times a year at most, unless they roll in something. I just wash breeches and belly before a show if they are dirty, even then very infrequently. I usually bath Spooky at the very end of a moult just to get the last few hairs out.  Raider was two yesterday, and has only ever had one allover bath, before Crufts last year. He doesn't smell at all, and he is naturally a good colour - Spooky's coat is rather brown and soft (my vet loves her "chinchilla" coat - cringe!), and a bath clears it up a bit - his harsh coat naturally repels dirt, so he doesn't look much different after a bath. He gets a good thorough groom once a week, and every day during a moult, and that keeps him clean. If you bath too often, over time you will end up with a dried out, woolly, open coat - you want a harsh, flatlying coat.  The guard hairs are naturally quite oily, and give a lovely sheen to the coat if polished up with a soft brush or piece of silk.

Hey Ness how about posting that on the mostly US based breed email list, lol :D :D :D

In the USA in our breed folks a lot of what we would consider overgrooming is done.

Dogs are bathed and fluffed even the morning of a show, the exhibitors wouldn't dream of not doing so.  Also enhancing shampoos and chalk are used liberally, as well as scissors.

I don't know of any Elkhound exhibitors in this country that even have grooming scissors (unless they own a trimmed breed also)!!

I often like to have a little joke with some that I am freindly with, and did once say that my show kit consited of a comb and flannel, but that isn't far from the truth you can easily get away with not taking any grooming kit to a show when your dog is in good coat, after having given it a brush and comb at home.  Mind you we all take far to much stuff to a show, extra leads, chains, brushes etc.

Yee Gods, not that brave!
My show kit consists of my lovely comb from Ireland, two kinds of slicker brush (a hard one for the coat and a softer one that I've just bought for the legs) and a soft brush for the head and a final polish on the coat, benching chain and show collar and lead.  Oh, and a small towel in case it's wet, and a bottle of Kalms/Rescue Remedy for me. I usually end up only using the hard slicker and the soft brush, as I groom the night before the show - don't know why I bring the rest...

:D :D :D

Yep me too, too much junk in the bag, and can't resist that new brush or comb!

In deference to my feet ;) I have a towel, a bristle brush, a small slicker and a comb to remove the hair from the brush. The thing that really does for me is the water I carry both for the hounds and me.

I usually only bath the boys a couple of times a year but was interest in what others do.Unfortunately the place we go in the mornings is VERY muddy and the boys(especially Asa) always come home absolutely covered in mud .At the min they are grey all over...no white underneath or behind the legs..the mud up the hills must stain!! However I've decided that just a 'bum and tum' wash will do since they are due for a bath for crufts.
Nice to here from you ness...
how many of us elkie CD' ers are going on Sat?? I know Jackie is but Barbara & Vanessa???
See you soon
Nikki 

Don't know Nikki, bet Ness is, well her dogs anyway, and may be Sally but can't remember if Barbara is.

Only the one dog is going, as Minnie Minx has been shaved for skin tests for her allergy problem :-(  She looks a mess, and will be out for months until it grows again. Stuart has nothing to show at the moment - he's even been talking about bringing Trygg out of retirement. Lizzie hates shows.
This may be Raider's last Champ show for a while too, as almost unbelievably he is shedding coat again! He's only had this one for five minutes! I'll be OK for this weekend, but Crufts looks iffy. He started moulting last April, was totally bald by July, and was finally just about in full coat in November - now it's started coming out again. I showed him all the way through last year despite the lack of hair, but have vowed not to do the same this year if he's going to be "nekkit". Maybe it'll only be a partial moult this time - fingers crossed. Need that third dog that my husband doesn't know about yet - ssshhh. Can't show "me old baggy".
I guess from the entry that most of us will be there.

Look forward to seeing you on sat ness.Sorry to hear Raider may be out for a while afterwards...give the rest of us a chance though!!LOL.
Nikki.

I've been moaning about the Sod being out of coat but he is coming anyway, glad you will be there, tell Stewart he can always come and handle Solli for me.