Grooming over the last 30 years
Courtesy of Nanak Hounds UK
9th June 2005
Grooming the afghan hound, a subject that has been well written about from all over the world, on the how’s and not to do by afghan hound owners.
I am fully qualified canine Beautician and have groomed the afghan hound for the last 31 years and have seen many changes over the last 31 years of grooming, and owning and showing afghans. I will not be going into depth about grooming, but making some observation of the changes over the last 30years,
It was the flowing coat that 1st attracted me to breed. When we 1st bought our 1st Afghan hound dog, I had no idea as how and when I should bath, groom, or what equipment was needed. There was very little in the way of a pet shop selling good quality dog shampoos. There was a dog show advertised in Leeds. So off we went, there was a bookstall and we bought a dog world annual, and there were a handful of grooming suppliers some still going today, Diamond Edge, Allbrooks, in the end we bought a dryer from Allbrooks, and some of their shampoo, Mink oil based, we also bought a bristle Mason Pearson brush that I still have today. We use the same method & routine then as we do now, only thing that has changed a lot are the products. There was, not a lot in the way of shampoos, etc but the coats looked as good then as they do today even with large amount of grooming products to hand. This today is a major industry, with grooming now a recognized qualification, shows being a major hobby and manufactures and distributors by the dozen. We are spoilt for choice!
But are we? The UK KC have laid down rules as to how we present our dogs, and our standard says the Coat must develop naturally, the same as we did 30years ago, but with equipment we had made things slower. There is much more choice of equipment and shampoos, brush’s etc now, but you have to be careful as with some of the shampoos imported from all round the world, the KC's of other countries do not stop their exhibitors from using colorants, polymers, lacquer, silicones and brightners, in fact shampoos that alter the coat hair, if you choose to use this sort of product in between show is fine. But not on a show day, if you have read Regulations for the preparation of dogs for exhibition F, it clearly states you can use nothing at all with any substances in. The KC can take a sample from anyone, if the coat is found to have any substances on it. You will loose you your placing, plus a fine.
Most exhibitors will have tried every available product I have tried and are happy with a few products, one which I have been using for at least 15years, bought from the USA called the Coat Handler, and it does exactly what is say, no colouring, no harsh chemicals just pure ingredients, and it has suited most coat types, no two coats are the same, although it is a leave in conditioner I have never left in.
30years ago grooming was a backaching and arm aching job, today's dryers have been developed to cut down drying time, not by putting the nozzles close to the skin, this will burn the coat and can will make the skin sore. Used properly you should be able to get your afghan coat straight, and by drying to the roots your dog should say straight for a day or two. I find this sort of dryer is a help in finding those little awkward snags. There are the blasters dryers, which have their place in the grooming room, but not on an afghan hounds coat. This dryer can be lethal, in the untrained hand. And there are the Box Dryers that if used correctly, are an added pair of hands to help getting show dogs ready. You must sure that you have combed completely through your afghan before putting them into the dryer. This dryer works on black heat and is thermostatically controlled. I would only leave the afghan in for about 15 mins bring out and brush through, depending on the coat, onto the table or back in for a further 10mins, this dryer is safe. As all dryers are if correctly used. I can spot a scorched coat a mile off. When we sell puppies I am always on hand or at the end of the phone to advice on grooming and I will show the new owner how to go on.
We still brush dry our Afghans with bristle brushes, never with a slicker. Some companies have come out extra long soft pin brushes, which I also find very good to go through the coat when wet. I often see people dragging the brush or comb through the coat, and then they wonder why they loose coat! Learn to be gentle not aggressive with the coat. Dogs only have 1 layer of skin and the coat is not deep rooted so it’s quite easily to damage the follicles and damage the root hair.
At times we all get static in our afghans coat, but there is a new brush out now made by Plush Puppy Australian products, which is good anti static brush, they also have some excellent ranges in the shampoos & moisture, light oils to help keep the coat from splitting, and knotting, and especially where males pee catch’s the coat both the coat handler &. Plush puppy has an information on there products and preparation that helps you understand more about grooming & their products for the afghan coat
The best-imported product for me was the Hydrobath, developed for dryer climates better than ours in the UK but just brilliant for the afghan hound, because it re-circulates the water and shampoo you get thoroughly to the roots of the coat, and because of the strong power head will deep clean & condition, each strand of hair. We have fresh water supply with ours almost like an auto washing machine. The hydrobath is excellent with shampoos & conditioners, because you do not use as much shampoo & neither conditioner nor over handle-in the coat it helps cut down static too. I still believe that a clean coat is a healthy coat, and will stay almost knot free. We bath about every 5 days and use a clarifier about every fifth bath. Leave the coat too long in between baths, makes for a more work for yourself. This is supposed to relaxing stress free activity.
You will always get the exhibitor whom wants the perfect coat and saddle, and go to any lengths to manufacture it. This is my real bug bear, electric clipping of saddles & faces, trying to make puppies look older, more mature, clipping saddles in, you are just ruining the coat, leave alone until the saddle hair loosens, there is nothing lovelier than a fluffy pup full of monkey whiskers.
We start training puppies to get used the bath & the dryers from day 1. If we buy a puppy in we normally bath to take away mums smell away so that our new puppy will be accepted a little quicker. I use a baby shampoo and a towel, and then use the dryer very gently. We all know about heads, and all mine have hated their heads drying, so I don’t push them to accept the dryer just bath & dry every week and play about with their heads, making it play time and eventually the puppy accepts. If not I just take a deep breath and carry on. I think these pups are sent to try me out….
When I get the afghan out of the bath, I always rap a very large towel round them, and almost ring the coat out!!! I check for any seeds, twigs still left in. Being a groomer I clip and bath a lot of dogs but regardless of hairy dogs, short coated dogs, I find grass seeds stuck, thorns in dogs feet, legs, ears, body, and often have to pull the seed out before it travels into the blood stream. This is a quick way to blood poisioning! We see the results after being at the vets and having to anethetize, coat shaved off and stitched, so always beware of those little seeds they can cause a lot of damage. Every time we go for a walk, we painstakingly go right through the coat, for a lot of above reasons.
I have two dryers that I use on medium heat on the coat, the dryers are Speedys or Cyclones from the USA. One dryer must be 14 years old and is still one of my favourite dryers. Keep the dryers as far away from the coat as possible, for coat burn, and that I can fully work with out dryers in my way. I can do my dogs from start to finish with 2 hours.
So changes over the 30years? We possible have better coats, but we have better facilities to encourage better grooming, we have some dedicated distributors whom will help and explain how to use their products and as to which products shouldn’t be used on show days.
To get that finish the afghan must be just as good on the inside, as well looking good on the outside. Grooming the coat is only the start of the well being of your afghan hound, and hopefully better results in the ring.
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