Pug
The Ever Popular Pug
This delightful little breed has been around
since Cocky was an egg and has a marvelous history of being loved and owned
through the centuries by many noted people from Empresses to
Kings.
His motto of Multum in Parvo a lot of dog
in a small space is so very indicative of this breed if you have ever shared
time or home with one them. A compact, square breed he exhibits all the power
and fire of a dynamic little rogue.
My life has been constantly bombarded with
this dog through my sisters ownership of many of them over the years and is the
reason I started showing in the first place. What ever did they get me
into?
Being a short coated little fellow he is often
presented as a no nonsense dog and thus not needing special attention to
grooming. One should never discount a dogs need for special grooming just
because he is not a traditional hairdo breed. You may not be able to snip this
little guy into shape but you sure can do a whole bunch with the descriptions as
outlined in your standard.
The coat is described as fine, smooth,
soft, short and glossy, neither hard nor woolly. Well, thats pretty easy and
very direct. No misinterpretations can be made of that. Thus the quest is to
keep the coat as true to this as possible and maintain the condition, feel and
shine.
The Pug has a tendency to feel the heat and
most are prone to wallowing in water and ending up quite smelly little critters.
They snuffle, snort and generally make themselves a bit pongee.
Plush Puppy Odour
Muncher is a must for the warm months of the year. It will help get rid
of the odour and leave a nice light fragrance.
Remember to appeal to as many of a judges
senses as possible. The feel of the coat, the look of the coat and the smell of
the coat are all important even if some are subliminal.
The Pugs grooming regime ought to consist of a shampoo
that will leave the coat in its correct state with lots of shine and the
Plush Puppy
All Purpose Shampoo with Henna is a wonderful naturally sourced shampoo
that doesnt alter texture and leaves a fabulous shine. It contains a very good
extract of Henna that does not build up on the coat and wont make the coat
brittle after prolonged use. Use at the rate of 5:1 i.e. 5 parts water to one
part shampoo.
If your coat is a little on the harsh side
due to the elements then use the
Plush Puppy
Silk Protein Conditioner at a ratio of 5:1 as this will help soften the
texture. If the coat is just right then skip the conditioner. In both cases you
then use as a final rinse
Plush Puppy
Seabreeze Oil at a rate of 1 dspn to 1 gallon/4 liters warm water.
Either hydrobath through the coat or sponge through the coat or dunk the dog in
the mix. Whatever technique suits you and leave in the coat - do not rinse
again.
The Seabreeze Oil is just the most magical
product. It contains Evening Primrose Oil, Calendula Oil and lots of calming and
healing type goodies that help to repair, sooth and generally give a good pickup
to a dull or tired coat. Long term it will give an overall good health and
vitality to the coat. You can use this in between shows or when preparing for a
show. It is not greasy, sticky nor will it build up on the coat. It is water
soluble and helps to repel dirt.
Now I am an advocate of
blow drying just about everything as it helps rid the coat of dead and loose
hairs and keeps the coat rolling all the time without the holes and gaps one
gets with regular shedding. It also saves on wrists and arms that over the years
end up with RSI and arthritis from all the grooming that dog exhibitors seem to
have. Who needs to stand there brushing and using mitts and stuff when a good
blow with a cool dryer does a great deal of the work for you? Just watch your
Pugs eyes when flinging the dryer around. You dont need ulcers in these guys
eyes.
For the Puglets that have itchy skin, then
use the Plush
Puppy Sensitive Skin Shampoo at a ratio of 3:1 till it starts to clear and
then dilute as much as up to 10:1 for further use.
Itchy scratching with Pugs is more prevalent
in those kept indoors where they tend to overheat. Heating and air-conditioning
can all play havoc except in extreme conditions when it is necessary. This dog
is very much better suited to outdoors.Now show day you can give a light go over with the mitt
and then an oval cushion brush that has a fair amount of bristle to plastic - I
prefer 2/3 bristle to 1/3 plastic. Some Pugs have some longer tufts of hair
around the rear end and these can be shortened and neatened with a pair of
thinning shears. Dont go gung ho with a regular pair of shears unless you are
Vidal Sassoon. Whiskers are optional but I tend to like the character they give
to the face.
For final shine - the black points such as
face and ears can have a light application of Vaseline and dont forget to keep
the wrinkles clean. A light go over with a face washer morning and night keeps
these trouble free. Now for the final glam. Sprinkle a tiny amount of
Plush Puppy Pixie
Dust onto the oval cushion brush and brush against the coat growth to
settle the powder down lower and leave the shimmer on top. Discretion is the key
word when using this. It is a fabulous effect and applied judiciously, gives pin
pricks of light to the coat. Finish with a light spray of
Plush Puppy Shine
& Comb just prior to going in the ring. The old girls of years gone
by would use a piece of silk rubbed backwards and forwards over the coat for
shine. Thats not really good for those arthritic wrists either!
So, now you have a star. Your cheeky little
Pug will still have the power pack look all barely contained within his little
square body but will be bursting with sheer joi de vivre and exuding glamour.
He is hard to go past with his playful little nature and with all the grooming
presentation to enhance his standard requirements he will be a hard contender to
beat.
CHERYL LECOURT
