OK ,time to decide....
I have 2 elkies going to crufts.
1/ Asa...still shedding a little..bit lacking in coat but not too bad...looking grubby
2/ Kasper....blowing coat like theres no tommorow!!! Have avoided any grooming for the last few weeks and so looks awful. Coat looks discoloured .
Question is ..do I bath just bellies,tails and legs as planned ,give a good groom and take dogs with some coat if not the best or do I give a complete bath and risk loosing what coat they have but look clean!!
Keep changing my mind!! What would you do??
Archer

I would bath Archer.  A good judge will judge the DOG not its coat.  Am sure there will be many more Elkies in their underwear at Crufts.  Good luck to you there.

Nar, nar, na nar nar!!!!!!! mine has finnished coating and is in lovely clean shining coat. BUT has now fallen in love with my older male and is refusing to eat.

Bath them both and remove the lose hair, to most judges there are more important things than coat and you never know it may be forgiven and over looked.

Bath! If you don't, you'll get there & feel ashamed by how dirty they look. (bin there, done that!)

Bath it is then!! Must admit I'll feel happier with clean dogs with a bit less coat than grubby hounds! I have seen worse in the ring...they're not bad but thats before the groom and bath...we'll see what happens.
Archer

Sure they will be fine, Nikki, yours will not be the only ones who are throwing coat and some will still be in winter coat and their owners will be trying to get the coat a better colour. Shame we have a change of judge, still I bet there are some who are pleased and others who are less so ;) to put it mildly.

In the same boat Nikki, if it makes you feel any better.  Raider now has legs like string and no backside.  Hanging on to his neck fur, but at the expense of colour.  I have decided to give him his annual bath and to hell with it.  He looks weird anyway, so might as well go the whole hog.

Hi Ness
Nice to hear from you.
as I said they're not too bad...but didn't know wether a bath might 'finish them off'.I know I won't have the only dogs there lacking in coat but I'm still all wound up...after all its only the second time I've been.
Nikki.

Oh! come on Archer you can only win one CC at one Champ show so why get wound up. :D If had the guts (stupidity) to take the Sod to Manchester I'm sure yours will be OK at Crufts, ;) you have two chances.

Jackie
one CC anywhere would be a dream come true....nearly cried when Asa  won the RDCC at LKA...soft moo!
I get wound up before EVERY show...Crufts is just WORSE!!!
Nikki.

Why?

PS I probably would have done, difficult as I was not there, but you know what I mean.

Hi Jackie
as I said get wound up by any champ show!! I have only been showing for 2 1/2 years and don't do loads of shows each year.Think I've probably done about 10-12 in that time. Showing has been a life long ambition ...crufts a childhood dream!!..watching it on TV for all those years it seemed like the epitomy of the dog world. Yes, I found it a disapointing  experience in one way last year...the crowding and huge numbers of 'non-doggy' spectators we're an eye-opener.BUT the atmosphere and general experience was second to none!!
If I hated it I wouldn't be going..but thats the same with showing in general...its expensive so its got to be worth the money.
Archer

Have PM'd you, don't want to hog the thread ;)

I have to say I have been showing at Crufts for over 30 years now and I still get wound up by it.  Dont know why as it is only another show but I think if you asked any exhibitor they would say the same. 

Sorry Molly, I hate it, think it the worse Championship show there is, no consideration for the exhibitors at all, only the visiting public are given that. It is the most expensive and the least enjoyable, the most stress for both dogs and owners, 8 hours for most with out any freedom to even have a pee in peace and the show with the most hype, and the most interference of the exhibits by the 'paying' public.  As far as I am concerned it is just another Championship Show and the least pleasurable for both the dog and the handler.

I never said I liked it Jackie.  You are right it is the least pleasurable for us exhibitors and the most expensive (all the stalls seem to put their prices up).  So why do we all still go???.

Well this year is the first time for me in about 5 years, guess I am hoping it will be better, at least we are now allowed to escape at 4.

Probably wont be any better than then Jackie.  3 years ago I was walking around the stalls with the dog (hoards of people) when suddenly a little boy walking towards me with his parents, pointed and said "Look Dad there's a dog"!!!!.  That to me summed up Crufts.

My personal favourite 'incident' at Crufts some years ago was when I went to the loos in the car park on arrival. I queued up, with dog and all my show kit. A woman came out of the cubicle, took one look at Clover and shrieked "Aaagh! A dog! No!"

I mean, a dog at Crufts! Whatever next?! :rolleyes:
:D

I went to Crufts last year, it was the first time in years. I was astonished to find that exhibitors didn't have a changing area. They were queuweing up for the loos like the general public and the ladies queues were HORRENDOUS (as they are at most venues)

I am dreading Crufts, I hate the show and one day I will stop going to exhibit and just do Discover Dogs.  It is also the only time I will go to the NEC unless there is a really straight judge as in no face judging then I might suffer the place but otherwise not a chance.

On the plus side when I go visiting the pom ring you can always go find Carl for a good moan and not just about dogs lol, makes me feel better for hating the damn show.

Glad I'm not the only one who hates the show when going as an exhibitor.

I am looking forward to it, there again no dog with me for the first time in 20+ years, I have been caught on year with a friend, with a bottle of brandy in the kit bag for dutch courage, would not care but it was a very well know judge that saw us, The one that was doing our class's.Do not worry about the coat, a few years back my daughter thought she was doing me a favour brushing Thea out for me 3 day before Crufts she looked like a stuffed mattress when she started as her hair was moulting in clumps, my daughter proudly told me she had got 3 bags of hair out of Thea. But still got Best bitch and reserve best in breed as the judge said she could see her outline better, so do not worry there will be plenty more dogs with the same problem

Hi everyone
thanks for the advice...bathed the boys last night and they look GREAT!!
Thanks,
Archer