Boxer
This beautifully balanced member of the dog show
fraternity, could easily be dismissed as a no frills dog because of his good
workability and short coat. Wrong! He has a lot of elegance and style and ought
never to be shoved out in the ring without the formal rituals of good grooming.
The Boxer may be a power pack type of dog but he
can display oodles of glamour given the chance. If as your standard says , the
coat should be short and shiny then short and shiny it will be and it will be
the best short and shiny they ever did see!
Lets go for the shine - firstly, when bathing
attention has to be given to finding the right shampoo for your Boxer as this
breed can be beset by a scurfy powdery dandruff problem. If this is the case,
use the Plush Puppy Sensitive Skin Shampoo at a ratio of 3:1 or 1 part shampoo to 3
parts water till the scurf clears and then dilute further to a maximum of 10:1
for maintenance.
For maximum shine use the
Plush
Puppy All Purpose Shampoo with henna as this is known as the shine
shampoo. Use at a ratio of 5:1 for show grooming.
Your standard also states the coat should be
lying smooth and tight to the body. No fluffy coats for this dog.! So scratch
any ideas of using a conditioner as this can tend to fluffiness in a coat
texture though it will assist in softening the coat. Your standard does not
mention whether the coat ought to be soft or harsh. However, I recommend you
keep the focus of shine in mind and use the
Plush
Puppy Seabreeze Oil as a rinse after shampooing, 1 tbspn to 1 gal/4 lt
water. Pour this all over and work well into the skin and leave in - do not wash
out. This also helps keep any scurf at bay and leaves the coat smelling
wonderful and with great healthy vigour and shine. It does not make the coat
oily.
If you have, as is permitted, white markings on
your Boxer, then you can use either the
Plush Puppy
Deep Cleansing Shampoo for a creamy white finish on those areas or
Plush
Puppy Whitening Shampoo for a pearly white finish. Then follow with the
Seabreeze Oil as above.
Personally, I like to blow dry this coat. Cool
dryer and blast all the dead hair out. I find this rolls the coat and keeps it
regenerating without the holes one associates with coat shedding. He will shed,
but it wont be a moth eaten finish - it will be even. Now you have a good even
surface to work with and complying thoroughly with your standards requirements.
Now let the grooming begin - if you thought this
was the end of the contribution to show day - you have another thing coming. I
believe in the principle of 100 small things to make a great dog rather than any
one big thing. I have seen ordinary dogs turned into extraordinary dogs with the
right approach and yet they were always good dogs. Unfortunately, no-one else
got to see just how good they could be till taken in hand.
Your dog does not and ought not to have wrinkles
but he does have folds and they have to be cleaned regularly and properly. A
little hydrogen peroxide on a Q-tip/cotton bud or small cloth and wiped through
to keep them clean and dry. I kind of like the old liquid ear cleaner for the
ears and the folds - great too for drying out hot spots. Even a solution of
water and Nappi San is not a bad practice. Watch out also for that reddening
around the toes. Again as this dog likes to get his feet and face wet, you need
to watch out for reddening. My old recipe of 1 dspn Apple Cider Vinegar per day
in the food for this sized dog is a good one as I believe it helps keep the gut
alkaline. Acidity is a curse for show dogs that have whites. A light application
of a Smokers Tooth Paste is a nice gentle bleach for reddening too. Apply, leave
on for 10 - 15 mins and wash off.
Trim the whiskers. - this breed looks great with
a clean face. Neaten his tuck up with a pair of clippers turned upside down and
if you have a wobbly hand, hold your left forefinger and middle finger under the
front of the clipper head just behind the blade and, keeping a loose wrist, arc
the angle slightly to present a clean silhouette.
Using thinning shears, neaten under his tail and
neaten the point of tail by rounding off. Proceed to neaten also the 2 cowlicks
where the 2 hair patterns meet at back of stifle. This dog does call for good
musculature and to appear powerfully developed with all that power pack of dog
showing under the skin. You dont want to leave any fluffy bits standing out
away from the body to detract from the clean line he must present.
Whiten up his whites on show day with a touch of
Plush Puppy
Cover up Cream applied with a barely damp piece of kitchen sponge and
worked against the growth of the coat. Apply a dab of chalk block or loose chalk
onto a small bristle hairbrush and allow to dry. Comb or brush afterwards for a
clean finish. This gives a clean and bright finish to his whites and will within
reasonable conditions last all day.
Spritz now with a spray of
Plush Puppy
Shine & Comb. This does not give a greasy finish but gives a great deal
of lustre to the coat. Spray again just before ringtime. I also like a spray of
Plush Puppy
Odour Muncher for a nice clean smelling dog. It literally deodorises and
gives a pleasant fragrance to the dog negating most odours with ease. I also use
it on the dogs mats if I am being flamboyant and frivolous. I can be very
frivolous when I am away for a cluster of shows and cannot find time nor
facilities for another bathing. Keep on hand
Plush Puppy
Wonder Wash for those last minute emergencies too as this will clean up
the whites, pronto. Just spray, foam with the fingers and towel off.
You can step it up a notch if you are ready for
it, with a light dusting of
Plush Puppy
Pixie Dust. Gee, but I like this stuff. Applied judiciously to your
cushion = bristle/ = plastic Plush Puppy Porcupine brush and brushed through,
allowing the powder to settle and the shimmer to stay behind on the surface, can
look very glamorous. Dont overuse and abuse this stuff. It is not the aim to
turn the dog into the glitter fairy - just to make him shine and shimmer for all
to see that wonderfully balanced body of a dog all sleek and clean and shiny.
Good handling, good presentation and a good dog -
what else can beat that?
CHERYL LECOURT
