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How many days before a show do you bath your cavalier?

Smilla

Active member
Hi everyone

In 1½ weeks we're entering our first show. We've bought Chris Christensen's 'white on white' products.

My dog is 8 months old - blenheim.

I wonder - to make her coat look as good as possible - how many days before the show should we give her a bath? h*lp
 
Now, I remember reading about when to bath the different colours prior to showing so their coat was at its best in one of my CKCS books. I'll go and look for it this afternoon and let you know what it said.
 
Now, I remember reading about when to bath the different colours prior to showing so their coat was at its best in one of my CKCS books. I'll go and look for it this afternoon and let you know what it said.

Thank you so much MasPip.:wggle:

And please tell me your experience with bathing before a show.

(pardon my english we're from Denmark). :winkct:
 
Bathing etc.....

A big decision is linked to your home environment and how quickly the show dog/bitch will get dirty again ?

I tend to shampoo mine the day before and then dry and groom using a DRY COAT which needs to be left on overnight. The shampoo is very important plus a good quality brush(s) that dont cause static electricity.

Dogs are a bigger problem as they do tend to pee over themselves !

Another shower, local to me prepares her dogs on a Thursday, when the show is on a Saturday. That allows the hairs to regain oils and a velvet glove is most useful.

Regards Mark, but I am no expert.
 
I've not been able to find the book this afternoon. OH thinks it's in the loft, so I'll climb up there tomorrow.

I've never shown my dogs, except in fun dog shows (prettiest bitch and most handsome dog - can you believe they haven't been placed this year?) Pippin isn't show quality as he has an overbite and carries his tail curled up, which apparantly is a fault. I like it myself (the tail I mean, I understand about the overbite being a fault), but I didn't want him to show, so that's ok then.:)

Pippin is B&T and his coat usually takes a couple of days to recover its silkiness after I've bathed him, but that may be down to me rather than anything to do with his coat. Maddie is a blenheim, but she doesn't have the best coat, it's a bit cottony, so it's hard to tell from her when the best time to bath her would be.

I'll let you know what the book says when I find it. :)
 
A big decision is linked to your home environment and how quickly the show dog/bitch will get dirty again ?

I tend to shampoo mine the day before and then dry and groom using a DRY COAT which needs to be left on overnight. The shampoo is very important plus a good quality brush(s) that dont cause static electricity.

Dogs are a bigger problem as they do tend to pee over themselves !

Another shower, local to me prepares her dogs on a Thursday, when the show is on a Saturday. That allows the hairs to regain oils and a velvet glove is most useful.

Regards Mark, but I am no expert.

Thanks a lot. We usually go for walks in the forest/ the park so she does get dirty, but mostly on her legs. Maybe I should wash her coat 2 days before the show and then do her legs one more time the night before. I think the products I've bought are okay, I haven't spend a lot of money on brushes though.. I've an inexpensive pig bristle brush and slicker brush. I would love to have a mason pearson...
 
I've not been able to find the book this afternoon. OH thinks it's in the loft, so I'll climb up there tomorrow.

I've never shown my dogs, except in fun dog shows (prettiest bitch and most handsome dog - can you believe they haven't been placed this year?) Pippin isn't show quality as he has an overbite and carries his tail curled up, which apparantly is a fault. I like it myself (the tail I mean, I understand about the overbite being a fault), but I didn't want him to show, so that's ok then.:)

Pippin is B&T and his coat usually takes a couple of days to recover its silkiness after I've bathed him, but that may be down to me rather than anything to do with his coat. Maddie is a blenheim, but she doesn't have the best coat, it's a bit cottony, so it's hard to tell from her when the best time to bath her would be.

I'll let you know what the book says when I find it. :)

Thank you so much.

Your dogs are beautiful. I don't have a lot of knowledge about what an ideal cavalier should look like so I'm very excited about what the judges will say about Smilla. We do it for fun only. I don't want to breed on her or anything.. She's my first dog. :l*v::dgwlk:
 
Showing for fun is probably the best reason there is to enter your dog in a show. After all, if it's not fun for you and your dog, why would you want to do it?

Now, I've found the book. It's a Foyles Handbook written by Eilidh M Stenning on CKCS first published in 1964!! so some of it is a bit out of date, but this is what it says about bathing a dog before a show:

Blenheim dogs should be bathed the day before a show. Tricolours are best washed several days before the show in order that the shine can be got back into the black parts of their coats, and wholecolours are best not washed too near a show. They should be groomed and "polished" with a velvet so their coats have a nice sheen.

I'm not sure what a velvet is!:D

I'm guessing that bathing a Blenheim the day before comes down to Marks point about them keeping clean.

Good luck with the show and let us know how you get on.:)
 
Showing for fun is probably the best reason there is to enter your dog in a show. After all, if it's not fun for you and your dog, why would you want to do it?

Now, I've found the book. It's a Foyles Handbook written by Eilidh M Stenning on CKCS first published in 1964!! so some of it is a bit out of date, but this is what it says about bathing a dog before a show:

Blenheim dogs should be bathed the day before a show. Tricolours are best washed several days before the show in order that the shine can be got back into the black parts of their coats, and wholecolours are best not washed too near a show. They should be groomed and "polished" with a velvet so their coats have a nice sheen.

I'm not sure what a velvet is!:D

I'm guessing that bathing a Blenheim the day before comes down to Marks point about them keeping clean.

Good luck with the show and let us know how you get on.:)


Thank you so much and I'll let you know. :)

I've heard that some people use a satin/ silk coat to put on their dogs after they've washed, used balsam and shine spray.. to make the coat look nice and shiny and not fluffy. And MARK MARSHALL mentions a velvet glove. I've never seen them for sale though so don't know where to buy it.icon_nwunsure

:thnku:
 
Hi, the show went well. We got a 2. place. It was funny and I think we will try it again some day.:)

here is what the judge (from England) wrote:

Very well marked blenheim, who moved and showed beautifully. Exellent temperement, good back and well turned stiffles. A little short in neck, would prefer more filled in muzzle and darker nose pigmentation.

I have 2 questions maybe you can help me::)

1) what does stiffles mean?

2) and what does muzzle means? (I asked a lady who said it was referring to her head/ jaws/ nose area where she should have been broader.I myself thought it was referring to her whole body because she has walked with a limp for 1½ months. :? She has only been well for 3 weeks.
 
Hi, the show went well. We got a 2. place. It was funny and I think we will try it again some day.:)

here is what the judge (from England) wrote:

Very well marked blenheim, who moved and showed beautifully. Exellent temperement, good back and well turned stiffles. A little short in neck, would prefer more filled in muzzle and darker nose pigmentation.

I have 2 questions maybe you can help me::)

1) what does stiffles mean?

2) and what does muzzle means? (I asked a lady who said it was referring to her head/ jaws/ nose area where she should have been broader.I myself thought it was referring to her whole body because she has walked with a limp for 1½ months. :? She has only been well for 3 weeks.

Stifle is a knee-- if a dog has good structure, it will have distinctive 'angles'.

Muzzle refers to the nose and mouth area. Judges like a lot of cush in that area.
 
Well done on your 2nd place. You must be so proud. I'm glad you enjoyed yourself.:w**h**:
 
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