Conditioning:It is said with show poodles that hair is gold. If that is true, then condition is platinum. Muscling and general condition is one place our hunting dogs can shine over the other show dogs.

My dog is kept in a working continental or HCC. I find this appropriate for hunting, agility, and obedience, and still legal for the show ring. I don’t do corded-coats, and I don’t understand how to get curly without cords. In any case, I like the brushed look.

Since I am maintaining my dog as an “active” dog, doing hunt work and agility, grooming is more likely to be on an as-needed basis. We have other things to do than spend time at the grooming table. Additionally, since there is wear and tear on the coat because of hunting, I try to rest the coat from grooming. Brushing, even carefully done, stresses the hair shafts. Bathing can do the same. I balance it to avoid that stress on the hair unless the stress from caked on mud or tangles is greater. Then I groom.

This article does not teach how to groom a show poodle. There are plenty of books available for that. What will be addressed are the exceptions that make it livable with a dog in hunt training. The grooming books I work from are:

 The Complete Poodle by Del Dahl, Howell Book House

 The Complete Poodle Clipping and Grooming Book by Shirlee Kalstong, Howell Book House

Use the best quality tools you can get. Brushes and combs that snag and pull hair are uncomfortable for the dog and lose that precious hair. There’s a big difference in slicker brushes. If you pull the brush across your hand and go Ouch, your dog will do the same when you hit one of his clipped areas – and you will hit them, regardless of how careful you are. Clippers need to be in good condition with sharp blades. All brushing should be done with an open hand. Usually I use 2 fingers lightly holding the comb or brush. If you pull hard, deliberately or accidentally because you hit a mat, you will start breaking hair – and that is a no-no.

Handler

I use a professional handler. Grooming and presenting a dog in the show ring require highly developed skills. The handlers work hard to get their reputation for presenting good dogs. With some judges, winning without that reputation is nearly impossible. I don’t want to spend the time and money developing the technical expertise and the reputation myself to have the benefit of them for my dog. I’d rather use a handler and go on to do things I enjoy more myself. If I can’t get a handler, I will groom and present my dog myself, but to me it’s money well spent to have the help.

There are pluses and minuses for both all breed handlers and poodle handlers.

 The poodle handler may be more familiar with current fashion (which does change) and may be better known to the poodle judges. They may also be more accustomed to dealing with the poodle temperament. On the other hand, they are more likely to suddenly have another dog to show in your class, leaving you with a backup handler or showing yourself. Some are under contract to certain breeders and if that breeder needs a dog shown, you are out of luck. They are also more likely to resist putting your dog into the HCC. There is not yet general acceptance of the HCC by the poodle community.

 With an all breed handler, you run the risk of the handler getting caught in another ring when poodles start to show. In that case, you go with a substitute handler, show the dog yourself, or accept that the dog is not going to be shown that day. The show schedule is not made up until after entries close, so there is no way of knowing what conflicts there will be. On the other hand, the all breed handler will probably only have 1 or 2 poodles to show, so if they can get to the ring, your dog will have their attention. Additionally, they seem more receptive to the HCC or working cut – it requires topnotch scissoring, but they like the reduced ring preparation after that. If you use a handler, you can either “ringside” the dog, or turn it over to the handler.

 Ringsiding – You care for and train the dog. If you want to keep the dog at home so you have its company and the chance to do other things with it, then you have those benefits, but the added hassle and reward of caring for a show dog. Having the dog is the HCC reduces this hassle considerably. In poodles, the term “ringsiding” is somewhat misleading, as you will actually bring the dog to the handler well ahead of time so that the handler can do the show-day grooming. How much time this takes depends on how much you have been able to do in advance.

 Turning the dog over to a handler – The handler keeps the dog, cares for it, train and groom it, and show it for whatever period of time you agree on. If the objective is a championship and show record, having the handler take the dog is probably the fastest was to do it.

To find a handler, ideally you would get a recommendation from a friend or acquaintance and that handler would have an opening and be glad to take your dog. This assumes that you and the handler agree on what kind. All handlers have a limit on the number of dogs that they can take and show – especially the number of poodles. An all breed handler will probably only take a couple of poodles at a time, especially if they are in full coat. A poodle handler will take more poodles, but since they probably earn their living growing coat on the dogs, they are more likely to be reluctant to put a dog into the HCC.

Whether you ringside the dog or turn it over to the handler, the handler should be able to advise you on things like whether the English Saddle or Continental best suits your dog, whether or not to try the HCC on this dog, whether your grooming routine is working or needs to be changed, etc. But the decisions should remain yours. If you and you handler are not able to agree on these things, you need to find a different handler – one you can agree with. Remember that the handler’s reputation depends on the dog looking good in the ring, and heed their advice.

Routine Grooming

 Clipping – Generally face and feet should be clipped weekly. I normally use a 40 or 50 blade for most of the job, and a 15 or 30 for the sensitive areas underneath. The feet are so much easier to keep clean if they are close clipped. Splinters, cactus thorns, cuts, etc are also a lot easier to find and treat on close clipped areas.

I clip the pattern at the same time that I do face and feet. I do not set the pattern myself, I just maintain it. I have a good professional groomer set and/or fix the pattern periodically. I can set it based on guidelines in one of the books, but by having it professionally done, it stays with current fashion, and accommodates the strengths and weaknesses of my dog.

If I wait 2 weeks or more to clip the pattern, I can’t find it accurately enough, and it starts shifting. Keeping the rosettes and bracelets where they belong and the size they need to be is a challenge. Even the groomers have problems with them shifting. Sometimes if I am going to a hunt test, I will delay clipping the pattern so it is not so obvious I’m running a “foofoo” dog. More often, if I’m confident Charlie is going to run well, I will make sure he is freshly clipped and brushed in order to show them what a “foofoo” dog can do. And it does generate conversations on the history and logic behind the clip.

 Brushing – I brush my dog when he needs it – not on a schedule. If he seems to be matting, he gets brushed and combed. I never brush a completely dry coat. Dry hair breaks more readily, so start by lightly spraying the tips with water, a conditioner, or something else to help avoid breakage. All brushing should be done with a light hand, while still brushing clear to the skin. Usually I use 2 fingers lightly holding the comb or brush. If you pull hard, deliberately or accidentally because you hit a mat, you will start breaking hair – and that’s a no-no. My dog’s coat is short enough that a slicker brush and comb are my main tools. I use the slicker brush on an area, and then run the comb through it. If the slicker doesn’t go clear to the skin, I use a pin brush, then the comb. Of course, brushing is also a part of drying him after any bath.

 Bathing – I only bath my dog when he needs it - again, part of “leave the hair alone”. He always gets a bath the day before he is shown. Between shows, if his hair is too stiff and rinsing it isn’t helping, or the whole coat is dirty and blowing it out isn’t working, he gets an extra bath. I start the bath by soaking him in warm water to loosen up as much of the dirt as possible. Then two soapings and thorough rinses. After letting him shake several times and blotting off as much water as possible, I move him to the grooming table. There, I use the force dryer to blow off all the water that I can. He is nearly dry before I start brushing. If I want to add conditioner or Show Sheen, I spray it on now and then brush him out. On the longer areas of the jacket, I line brush. On the bracelets, rosettes, and shorter areas of the jacket I use the slicker brush and the comb. However you do it, all areas need to be combed and dried all the way to the skin. If there are any damp areas, touch them up with the dryer and re-comb.

 Nails – I keep the nails longer than normal for a show dog. Nails are needed for running, stopping, and turning in the field. Generally a little allowance is made for this on the working dogs, but I still shorten them as much as possible a few days before a show.

 Teeth – I check and brush the teeth on a regular basis. The judge will be checking the dog’s bite and overall impression is poor if the teeth are dirty, even if the bite is OK. Any tartar needs to be kept cleaned off.

 Extra Hair Care for Hunting or Active Dogs

I don’t back of off doing something that will get my dog wet or dirty, but I do try to be aware of what I’m letting or asking him to do so I can minimize or repair the damage.

 Burs, brambles, etc – Pull these out of coat before leaving the kennel or hunt field to head home. They are much easier to remove before the dog lies on them and gets them thoroughly tangled in. Usually this only takes a couple of minutes.

 Small burs, leaves, etc – Remove any remaining debris as soon as you get home, before they are imbedded too much. Comb out any mats at the same time. Usually this should not be a long task.

 Ticks – Check for ticks, cuts, etc. every time you have your hands on the dog. I use the monthly tick and flea treatment, but if we go out in the field, it doesn’t take care of the problem. Here in the south, they are a year-round problem.

 Mud – If the dog ends up with mud that stays stuck to the hair, wash it, rinse it, or hose it off. Hair that is stiff from mud breaks easily. In the summer, hopefully swimming will take care of the problem. Sandy mud will sometimes shake off when it dries. My rule of thumb is that if the mud is on the legs, or can just be brushed out of the chest and sides, the legs get rinsed, rather than the dog getting a bath.

 Anticipated brambles, burs or mud – If you expect your dog to be in heavy burs or brambles, you can spray him in advance with Show Sheen (a horse coat spray) to help him shed the brush. The golden retriever people swear by Pam (the cooking spray), but I haven’t used it.

 Wet coat – When the dog gets wet, make sure that he dries all the way to the skin, though he doesn’t necessarily need to be brushed out.

 Dusty coat – Try using the force dryer. You would be surprised how much dust and debris a force dryer can blast out of a coat without bathing. This can sometimes help avoid a bath, but trust me, it needs to be done outdoors.

 Excessively dry coat – If the coat feels excessively dry to the touch, spray it with a conditioning spray containing mink oil and brush it in.

 Collars – Only use a collar when the dog is actually working. The neck hair is the hardest to grow and the easiest to break. For non-field work, I use a thin, nylon (show) collar, usually set so that it will not tighten. My dog always wears an e-collar when he is doing fieldwork, though it is rarely used. Since he normally doesn’t wear a collar with tags, he is micro-chipped and tattooed.

Show Grooming

 Show Preparation

o Clipping – I normally do this 2 days before showing. It looks good for 5 or 6 days if done with a 40 or 50 blade, but I like a day or so of growth to put a velvet look to it. It includes face, feet and pattern - basically the same things I do on a weekly basis, with perhaps more attention to getting everything smooth. It is too late at this point to change a pattern, at least on a black poodle. If you clip anything that you haven’t been clipping, it takes at least a week for the skin to color up to match the rest.

o Bathing and brush out – I normally do this the day before the show – travel day. If I do it any earlier, either I lose more training time than I want to and he bottles up too much energy, or he gets dirty and needs yet another bath. The bath and brush out are the same as described in Routine Grooming except that if I get him too dry before brushing, I spray the tips of the hair with plain water. I don’t want to use anything that may cause a problem with whatever the handler uses on him.

 Show Day Grooming

o Decide what collar and lead will be used on your dog that day. I use a plain black thin nylon slip collar and short lead. The gold or silver fancy slip collars look really nice, but I found that the pull out hair on my dog, and I work too hard for that hair to have to collar remove it. Put the collar on and in place as the first step in grooming. If you wait until later, you will mess up the hair as you pull the collar over the dog’s head. This is especially true if you use hair spray.

o Show-day brushing – I do this myself unless the handler says otherwise. I spray the dog lightly before starting, checking with the handler on what spray they want me to use. Each has their own preferences. They will usually hand me a bottle and say, “Use this”. Occasionally the handler do this grooming as part of the dog’s training – a time to establish that the handler is in charge. In that case I leave the dog to them and leave the area. I trust them or I wouldn’t be using them and sometimes the dog has to concentrate on them, not on me.

o Final Brushing – Normally I haven’t left anything for the handler to do here. They always have to test areas with their comb, but it should be ready for them to start scissoring.

o Scissoring – I leave this to the handler or groomer. When my dog is going into the ring, I want him to have the best possible chance, and my scissoring ability is only average. With the HCC, the scissoring is especially important, as there is little margin for error. There are guidelines, but each dog is trimmed slightly differently, depending on its strengths and weaknesses.

 Showing

o If you are using a handler, have the dog when and where they say, and don’t be a distraction when they are working the dog. I leave the area, but stay where I can see. The last thing I want is to distract my dog just as the judge looks at him.

o If you are handling the dog yourself:

 Get to the show early and find a place to set up. It will take you longer to groom your dog than you think it should.

 Check the schedule and figure out when you need to be ringside. You can figure an average of 2 minutes per dog, so if poodles aren’t the first breed shown after a specific time, calculate when they should be shown and then be there early. They can’t start judging a breed before the start time printed in the schedule – by their watch.

 Have your dog at ringside shortly before they should be ready for him. If he is inexperienced, have him there early to allow him to look around and settle down before its time for you to show.

 Pick up your armband (check in) and see if everybody ahead of you has picked up. If there are a lot of absences, you may go in early.

 Watch some classes ahead of yours so that you know what procedure your judge is using.

 Listen to the steward (gate keeper) and follow their instructions.

 Listen to the judge and do what they say. You don’t want to annoy them.

 If you win your class, be ready to go back in for winners dog or bitch. If you take second, stay close. If the dog that beat you takes winners dog, you will need to go back in to try for reserve. It is often taken as poor sportsmanship if you aren’t available for reserve – the judge and your fellow exhibitors do remember it.

 Smile sweetly whether you win or lose. And remember that your dog tried his best, whether the judge appreciated him or not. If your dog doesn’t have a good time this time, he won’t want to do it again. My dog thinks he won if he’s the first one to get to the gate at the end of the class – but he’s happy to stay to get extra praise and a ribbon if we want him to.

 After-show Breakdown – This is not needed with the HCC. For a long puppy coat or a full show coat, each day after the dog is shown, the hair spray must be removed or broken down and ears and topknot banded. This isn’t required for the HCC since no hair spray is used and the coat isn’t long enough to require rubber bands. Enjoy putting your dog away while everyone else is putting them back on the grooming table.

 Fixing the Pattern – After we show the last day, I ask the handler to check the pattern and change anything that needs to be moved. This gives it time for the skin to color and hair to grow if there are any problems with what I’ve been maintaining. I request that they actually take the clippers and do it, rather than just telling me “move it forward a little”. That way I don’t misunderstand them.

Show Ring Training

Just because your dog is well trained for field and/or obedience and is nicely mannered doesn’t mean that he will understand what is wanted in the conformation show ring. Standing still for long periods of time and remember to keep your head and tail up do not necessarily come easily to our dogs. Nor does gaiting in the show ring fashion and free stacking. We usually pick our dogs for their activity level, not their ability to strike a pose – that must be taught. And then there’s having a complete stranger open your mouth, look at your teeth and then put his hands all over you – horrors!!

 Conformation Classes – This is the easiest place to start – assuming you can find a class. You can get the same experience in the show ring, but it costs more and takes up more time and travel. Your local poodle club or kennel club should be able to help you find a class. They may offer them once or twice a year themselves. Be sure you know how a poodle should be stacked, because most instructors at these classes don’t. Each breed is slightly different on the nuances of stacking and showing.

 Matches – Most kennel clubs offer sanctioned matches. These are governed by national group rules, but those are much more relaxed. The matches are intended to help train puppies or inexperienced dogs for the ring and to give new handlers the experience they need. Take advantage of these. Often they are held the night before a show or Saturday night after the show is finished. Usually you can get the judge to give you feedback after your breed has finished. Most of the judges are there to help you and are glad to do so. You don’t have to have the dog fully groomed for a match, but what better chance to practice your grooming and get advice on it, while it doesn’t count against you.

 UKC and IABCA (International) shows – These are regular shows, governed by their own rules, but in general, they are more relaxed than AKC shows. Owner/handlers are more common there and grooming mistakes are more forgiven. Again, feedback from the judges is normally available. These shows can be a little hard to find, but they are a good place to get seasoning before charging into AKC shows. And the titles earned there are legitimate and worth being proud of.