22 replies to this topic

[Tracy A.]

Greg P, on Mar 6 2007, 12:38 AM, said:

I think one of the art forms in show grooming is minor fault grooming. Every dog has a fault. It's ok to present the dog to thier very best.

My Grooming teacher is a breeder/handler with a Grooming business that caters to show or pet. She has a solution for each fault that Mett & Bratt have when she grooms them. Even though they are pets, she says that the want's them to look their best because at some point someone will ask who my groomer is. I have been astounded that she has a fix for almost everything, like making Mett appear not so wide/heavy boned (she is so good that people are amazed how much he weights when you pick him up) Or taking care of 'short in the tail/big ears'.
I can only imagine some of the creativity that goes on before the show ring...

Edited by Mysticsol8, 06 March 2007 - 07:19 AM.

[bradl]

It's got to be tough for a judge, depending I guess on the quality of what's in the ring. If there isn't a lot of depth of quality, they may be faced with the choice of putting up a dog with an unfixable fault vs an otherwise sound dog with extreme grooming, being shown strung up on a tight lead. It seems a really good dog could easily establish a 'grooming trend' by winning a lot *despite* extreme grooming. Folks look at what's winning, groom to look like that, never mind the fact the dog that is winning is simply beautifully put together.

[Greg P]

Brad,
I agree that a judge may be in a tough spot faced with the choice of great dog with extreme grooming vs. a faulty dog in a small show. However, in the big specialities and large entry shows, they won't have a problem putting a great dog with correct grooming.

I do agree that folks do look at what's winning and groom to it. That is why specialty judges must be even pickier in picking a correct package. Dogs who continually do well in the specialties are the influencers of the breed. If a nice dog with extreme grooming falls out of BB OS and AOM's, so be it! Owner handlers will soon realize that judges in the big venues won't put up with it and their grooming will come back around to the standard.

[Aimfor]

Hi all, I am back..

Ok thought id bring this topic back as we just had the Vic Specialty under a UK judge...very interesting...all the dogs that went up were heavily groomed, dyed and shaped and all the bitches that went up were more naturel...mmm??

I think alot of judges here tend to put up what they can 'see' ie heavily outlined dogs and alot of them tend to go rather quicky to an almost black colour from Puppy/Junior Red or light brindle...A very interesting topic .

[hallswel]

For the last two weekends we have been out showing and just a few Cairns entered. On the first day in AL the judge said that Duncan looked like an old timey Cairn with that "Scruffy Natural look" and thanked me. He beat his sire that day. My mentors both taught me natural. A couple of weeks before we were at a large show and the Cairns were overgroomed and looked like Westies and some with coats as short as Border Terriers and then there is me with my scruffy--you get what you see Cairns. I don't always think it is the grooming that wins it just what we see, some times it is the dog under that grooming, sometimes it is the person on the end of the lead, some times it is just that look or spark in the eye of the dog that the judge likes.

I got a beautiful Redletter Poster for my birthday recently and I love it because it show the Cairns in a natural coat but tidy. I really love that look!


My grooming needs alot of work and each of my Cairns are groomed a bit differently becasue of coat texture and color. I started with a red coat and I love grooming them now but Duncans wheaten coat is difficult for me. I wonder if coat color makes a diference in texture? In any case I will stay with the natural grooming because that is what I like and what the Standard says.

Great Topic!

[Cairnmania]

Hmmm. The cold truth is no Cairn is shown in its "natural" coat. So while some may be a little less coifed than others - they are all extensively groomed. They are as "natural" as they can be with someone working on them several hours a week when they are being shown!

[kintra]

Grooming seems to be a touchy subject in basically every breed. I realize a lot of people do not use product on Cairns and I completely respect that.

I typically will use product (mousse, hairspray, etc) in my dogs but not to try to give them a stylized look. If it makes sense, I use product, but make it look natural. When I was showing in Junior Showmanship, people couldn't believe I did anything more than run a brush through my dog and that's what I was going for.

The only time I've ever used chalk to is cover a grooming mistake I made (ie, pulling a hole in the dark outer coat to reveal the light undercoat). I was not trying to alter the dog's coloring at all, I was simply enhancing what was there.

[shancamp]

I would really like to know who the judges are that like the more natural look.