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Whitening shampoo fading blenheim patches?

Daisy's Mom

Well-known member
We are currently fostering a 2 year old blenheim boy for Cavalier Rescue. He is a sweetheart, but he's huge and he almost certainly came from a puppy mill, from looking at his papers. Anyway, although he never could have made it as a show dog, he has the most beautiful dark ruby markings. Beside him, Daisy's patches and ears look very pale and washed out. Do you think my using whitening shampoos has done this to her, or is it just a genetic thing? These whitening shampoos always say they have no bleach, but they have "optical brighteners." I usually use Chris Christenson's "White on White." I also use one from Bio-Groom. Both say they are safe for all colors. The Chris Christenson one says that if you're in doubt as to which of the shampoos to use, use the White on White. (They also have Black on Black.)

Any thoughts ?-- especially from the show breeders on the board? Daisy's ruby patches are fairly dark on the short hair on the top of her back (although not as dark as his), but the hair with any length on it at all is very faded looking. Actually, his longer hair on his sides is faded, too, but overall his red is much richer than Daisy's. I have also noticed another blenheim in our neighborhood who is much more richly-colored than our Daisy. Both she and our foster boy have much shorter hair than Daisy, though, so that probably makes a difference. In fact, that blenheim girl in our neighborhood has such short hair that she looks like she's been clipped, but she hasn't.

BTW, this boy's a joy to foster and is just the best-natured guy. He's a big ol' rough and tumble fellow. (33 pounds, but honestly, he doesn't look overweight to me.) VERY food-motivated, though. Although he gets along well with other dogs, including our Daisy, he'd knock her for a loop if there was food present and we gave him the chance.
 
I asked my wife Kris about this (she's the expert). There seems to be some controversy about this. Kris thinks it can lighten the red, so she doesn't use it. However, Kris also thinks the effects are reversible if you stop using it. Of course, all this assumes her markings were fairly dark initially. And some lightening can be genetic, which I think is why there is some controversy.

Oh, and I think if a dog spends a lot of time in the sun, that will tend to lighten hair just like it would on a human.
 
My blenheims have gone paler as they've gotten older. Jaspar's ears are quite pale but I kind of like his bleached beach boy look. :lol: I've also heard the red can go lighter on some neutered dogs but don't know if that is true. I think some dogs may just be prone to going lighter.
 
I've noticed show blenheims with a much deeper, richer chestnut coloring than our Geordie. When Geordie was younger, his chestnut hair was deeper colored, but I have noticed for the past few years (he is age 5 next week) that his ears are more pale than before. I think he has white hair mixed in with the chestnut of his long ear hair. He's still a lovely boy to us though! :lotsaluv:
 
Thanks, everyone! I think I will take a break on the whitening shampoo and watch her blenheim patches on her back that are growing in a little darker right now. If they stay darker off this shampoo, then I'll definitely only use it if I see a specific need for it.

She's 2 years old and I do think her patches are getting lighter than they were, but I'm just not sure whether to blame myself for using the shampoo or if it's just the way she is. I've seen lots of Cavaliers at shows with the lighter ears, but I've never seen one with the feathering as light as Daisy's. I also wonder if it's some of the coat changes people describe after spaying.

She's got very long hair, so lots of her feathering is "old" hair that's been exposed to the sun and shampoo many times over its life.

She's definitely not in the sun too much because she's so hot-natured that she can't take it.

It's interesting to hear that Kris says there are differing opinions on these shampoos among show people. As a first time Cavalier owner, I often think there must be some universal secret to the beautiful coats I see on show Cavaliers that I could be using on Daisy. Our breeder's show dogs are beautiful with that high contrast coloring on the blenheims, so I would think Daisy has the potential to have that same coat.

Anyway, she's gorgeous to me, but since we got this foster boy, it became obvious that she is much lighter than other blenheims.
 
My blen girl has a very copper colour. She can look almost rust coloured at times.Alas she has none of the lovely feathery coats you see on the show dogs, but I think some lines carry a different shade of chestnut.
Her g/sire is called Ronnoc Red Andy so I guess it's a trait of that particluar line.There's very little risk of her colour fading from sunshine this year anyway.....:p
copperpup.jpg

Sins
 
I am gonna resurrect this thread if I may be permitted to do so. For a while now I have been photographing Tess, and it seems that the colour is fading on her head. Instead of the rich red, it is more brownie, especially on the ears. I wonder if anyone has anymore to add to this thread.

Thanks
 
I am gonna resurrect this thread if I may be permitted to do so. For a while now I have been photographing Tess, and it seems that the colour is fading on her head. Instead of the rich red, it is more brownie, especially on the ears. I wonder if anyone has anymore to add to this thread.

Thanks


With some cavaliers ears can 'bleach' in sunlight so their ear feathering and long fringes can become paler in the summer.

Dead coat when they are moulting can look dry and washed-out.

Older dogs will lose colour as they age.

There is a genetic component, some cavaliers will inherit a rich red colouring that seems impervious to any of the above problems, others will not be so lucky.
 
Interesting to see this thread again. Jaspar's ears bleached out very soon, Lucy's were always much darker. I see a lot of cavaliers around Dublin and the reds often vary in richness, in rubies too.
 
I think a lot of the shade of ruby is genetic, but I only use the whitening shampoo on the white parts. Isle of Dogs makes a Copper shampoo that you can use to enhance the ruby areas.
 
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