Hi same here i have a habit of spending mums money even if no one is going to the show like today lol fiona

Hello everyone, really need some yankee advice please! :)
Baby Pippin has now just passed the 4 month mark, and is doing very well and terribly intelligent! he loves his training so much, life all a big game to him! :D
The one problem we have is that even if he stands perfectly on the table and will let the 'judge' go over him and have his teeth checked etc without moving and inch, when he is standing on the ground/grass he will not let me hold his head while he is standing. He is like a statue and does not move and holds his head up by himself....everything is fine until I attempt to hold his head! :(

It feels like I have distracted him from his 'stand' as he always turns around to face me and starts licking my hand, wagging his tail, and trying to give 'hugs' with his big paws :D :D ..........it is very sweet :) but I have tried and tried and everytime I hold his head when he is on the ground, he will turn and try to jump up and 'hug' me! (maybe it is cos I am so low to the ground too holding him?)....As he is only a baby I have not really done anything about this yet as I am so happy he stands at all!!  :D and that he likes the 'ring' (aka our back garden and at training class!), but I am worried as he is such a quick learner that if I dont do something now, it will be too late!
If anyone has any advice please let us know!!
Carol and The Pipster XXX

If he's that alert don't hold his head then.  What's he like when somebody goes to go over him though?  Does he move about when they go near his head?

Hi spanishwaterdog! It is strange cos he is very good whenever I get friends to go over him or at classes, he stands on the table and I can hold his head fine when hes on the table (? maybe cos he is focusing on the person that is going over him??) and he does not move (as of last 2 weeks!!) when the person is checking  his head or checking his teeth. He does not mind me holding his head then (??)...but it is when he is on the ground and standing for me and I am kneeling beside him that if I move my hand to hold his head he looks up at me wagging his tail and wants to play as if he thinks we are done in the ring now and its time to go and play!!! If I dont attempt to hold his head he will stay standing with very little movement until we are done! :)
Carol :)

Don't despair Carol, it is very early days yet.  I often find ours would much rather give a cuddle than stack.  Forget about the floor stacking for a few days, concentrate on his table stack, which you say is fine , and perhaps try encouraging him to "pose" for you on his lead after you have moved him (as if you had just finished your "up and down" and the judge was having a final look over.  When you try the floor stack again he may have forgotten that he thinks it is cuddle time.

bye
Gwen

I have a stacked and tabled breed also and used to panic all the time that they wouldn't stand. On the day they generally do.  Dont ask me why :-D  a little practice but not over doing it is fine I think.

They get the message eventually :-D  nothing wrong in a little naughtiness :-)

Hi Carol
       my boy used to do that all the time until i discovered my "stand".......i now never kneel down. he always thinks its playtime! i just bend over him, i get him in the right stand then i tickle his chest and only hold his head at the moment the judge gets to us,.....works for me............
can i give a little brag....my b/t puppy won the puppy bich class at Nat Gundog last weekend....i was soooooo excited...Crufts here we come!
regards
Pauline x

CONGRATULATIONS Pauline!!!! :) I am delighed about your puppy!! I will be at Crufts so I will watch out for you both there!!! Also thank you to everyone for the tips!! I have just bathed him and dried him and he has got so hairy since I was away last week!! I will try the new techniques tomorrow and see how we get on!!
Keep you posted!
Carol :)

CONGRATULATIONS again pauline, it was lovely to finally see you!! i have a brag too...... my B/T dog got best in show at lowerstoft companion show it was a suprise for me, i have just recived some lovely pics through the post this morning, hes standing lovely, could be a good pic to use for the year book.

Fiona

Well done Fee fee !
dont forget to email me a pic !
Pauline

Will do later then pauline :) :D

Fiona

WOW! That's fantastic Fiona! My Cav boy won 2 groups, but never BIS!!!

WELL DONE FIONA!!!!!!!!!:) That is super!! and you also have great pics too! :)
Congratulations!!
Carol :)

and the pictures are great!!!!!  Dog looks lovely in them!

Well done Fee!  Don't forget Hettie did well aswell! ;)

Pauline i have sent the pics to you! hope you get them lol.

Yes hettie did ok lol shame about the handler!! ;)

Thanks for all the congrats people :D :D maby his coat will stay on for a bit longer, i say im cutting it of and he wins again :rolleyes: ok it was a companion show but im still thrilled!!

Fiona

Hi Fee Fee..............i haven't got the pics?..........can you send them again?
P.x

have done
Fiona

cheers i have emailed you about them
P.xx

ooops new i forgot to reply to something what with Bournemouth  then the wins!
Fiona

Hi all:

Sorry to be bringing this topic up after 3 years :)
Was searching for something on the Yanks and found this thread.
Have always loved the Yanks and hoping to own and show one. I have some queries and wondered if someone out there will help me.

1. How hard is it to maintain a show yank? Is it true to what people say about yanks often stink of pee? (I was told that...no offence to the breed)
2. Will the sex (male/female) make a difference in the difficulty of maintenance?

I hope these questions do not sound too silly. Just want to know what I am getting myself into first before I commit. 'Cause the last thing I want is to regret after getting one. I have more questions, but thought I keep it short at 2 for the moment :-)

Cheerio

My buff hasn't got a really full coat, but I find a 10 minute brush through every day or two keeps him pretty tidy. Not sure about the male / female question, I know that in Cavaliers (my other breed) boys often have more coat than the girls so this might be the case with Yankees too.

Hi Tintin, American Cocker Spaniels are extremely high maintainence. Keeping an adult American in full show coat involves bathing and blow drying every 4 to 5 days. So by the same token, no they don't smell of urine.

Dogs that are shown regularly will also be trimmed up once a week, that's head, neck, tail and feet. Then there's hand stripping the topline. All mine, I have 6 Yankees, are now clipped off, because I'm no longer showing any of them. I used to find that a full bath, blow and trim to prepare for a show, would typically take 3 hours, and the maintainence bath mid week another 1 /12 hours.

I have both sexes and I never found any difference in coat care. :)

Dawn R.

The only big difference in coat between the sexes is that the bitches are more likely to "pattern" (lose hair on front legs etc) than the dogs.    As Dawn has said, coat maintenance for a full show coat is time consuming.  Brushing between bathing is a BIG NO - NO!!!! IT is the fastest way to lose coat.  Onlly ever brush through when blow drying (or a brush out at shows).  Bathing every 5 days is about the norm, plus after dirty/muddy walks etc.  Different colours/varieties give rise to different problems, partis are the highest in terms of need/maintenance, are prone to staining if vigilance is not kept, and are probably the variety most at risk of not getting enough coat.

Well my boy isn't really show quality as I said, and I've had other Yankee people recommending NOT brushing between baths, but as he gets so muddy and covered in twigs on his walks I usually do brush them through with either a pin brush or a wide tooth comb, I don't find I get huge amounts of hair out so hopefully am not damaging the coat too much. He never smells of urine either, unlike my Cav who always wees down his front leg feathering! :-)

Wow. Thank you guys for the input. I sure learn something from there. Something very very interesting i learnt is that the yank's coat should not be brushed in between bathing (?!) Wow. I have kept dogs and have always thought daily grooming is needed for coat care.
Silly question from me....if brushing is only kept during blow drying, wont the coat get mats and tangles when you next bath the dog?
And why no brushing in between? Is it because brushing in between bathing will cause hair breakages?

I have always loved a parti. But I think it will be diving for trouble for first timers like me. And I appreciate the blacks....so that should be better :) (but of course i will worry of discoloration for a black!)

The main reason why i linked sex of yanks to care/maintenance of coat is when they pee. I often noticed that the boys when they pee, tend to "shoot" forward as such the front legs tend to get stained and yikky too. Whereas the gals, they just squat :P

Cheerios

Yeah thats right Lucydogs. I thought it will be the yanks that will most likely pee down his front legs. I am surprised that you say that your Cav does it more often! :)

Replying to both Lucy and Tintin on the brushing between bathing issue.  To maintain a Yankee coat on a full coated show dog in top condition it should never be brushed out apart form whilst being blow dried.  It is essentisl to work round an approx. 5 day washing cycle, routinely, plus additional baths when the dog gets dirty at excercise and play.  Brushing a dry, dirty coat causes breakages and hair loss.  In reality this means that lots of very frequent baths are essential if the weather is bad or you excercise in muddy/wet areas.  If the coat is properly shampooed, conditioned, and blow dried, then any tangles will be small and easily teased out whilst drying.

Never had any problem with Yankees peeing into their coats apart form badly matted pet ones who come in to be groomed a lot less frequently than they should.    Maintaining an american cocker coat is not for the faint hearted, or those lacking in time.  If you are worried about sun bleaching out a black coat there are lots of sun block sprays available, and make sure shade is always available in gardens, runs etc.

Thanks Gwen for the information :)
Sounds very interesting. I like grooming breeds alot...so i think i will take up the challenge.
Now me turn to find a right dog. LOL.

Cheers.