How to get your dogs flowing coat to sit smooth and straight

It is always gratifying to Plush Puppy to be able to offer direct help and engage in problem solving. The people we have given advice to early at shows, got great results and passed on the info to others who then flocked to the Plush Puppy stand and asked for help themselves. This to us at Plush Puppy has resulted in our understanding that education and the importance of only producing products that are result orientated. Knowledge is a wonderful thing – it is the difference between someone who is an expert and a novice. Given the information, it lifts the novice into expertise.

We make a brilliant product, Swishy Coat, which primarily relaxes wave in the coat, inhibits static electricity, smooths and allows the brush to slide through the coat when drying. Swishy Coat allows the coat to return to the shape it was dried without inhibiting the natural flow and movement of the coat.

The finer the coat such as a Yorkie or a Maltese, less Swishy Coat is required, and we recommend 1 teaspoon to 4 litres/1 gallon warm water. Dissolve and squish through the furnishings – leave in and blow dry.

For coats such as Setters and English Cockers, you need less water and you can use as a rule of thumb, 1 teaspoon to 6 cups warm water and leave in and blow dry. So, the thicker the coat, the less dilution and greater concentration is needed.

For an Afghan I recommend 1 teaspoon to 1 cup warm water, apply, then blow dry.

The exception to the rule is the American Cocker where one usually wants the coat to hang flat as well. Now for a flat smooth coat, use 1 tablespoon Swishy Coat plus 2 tablespoons of Plush Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner to 4 litres/1 gallon warm water, squish through furnishings and leave in and blow dry. The amount of swishy and conditioner can increase with a larger coat.

For a coat that is too boofy and you want to flatten as well as straighten, add 1 tablespoon Plush Puppy Blow Dry Cream to the mix or on its own.

Both the Blow Dry Cream and the Silk Protein Conditioner will soften and flatten the coat. I use the Silk Protein on the American Cockers as it is more PH balanced for this type of coat and the Blow Dry Cream on the Afghans as it is heavier and more intensive. Now somewhere in between the Yorkie and the Afghan your flowing coated breed will fit. It is a matter of adjusting the mix of Swishy Coat for straightening and the Blow Dry Cream if softening and flattening is required to suit the coat. We now run a free worldwide advisory service on our Australian website. Very useful for anyone that just needs a bit of advice.

The Blow Dry Cream is an amazing product for a number of different coats where you want to instantly soften and flatten. You can mix this 1 tablespoon to 250 mls of warm water and put into a Plush Puppy Spray Bottle which has measurements on the side and spray directly to the coat as a grooming spray.

This is particularly good for coats that are dehydrated and tending to go boofy. An Akita exhibitor achieved on her dog's old coat an hour before the show. The coat looked like a new coat again. She was thrilled and was happy we had solved her problem.

Plush Puppy also has developed a truly amazing product called OMG. A revolutionary grooming spray combining all the aspects of latest technology with old fashioned common sense – it works! Repels dirt. Completely water soluble. Will not build up. Effortless disentangler. Removes hair spray. Dilute to suit individual coat needs. If you wonder why we called it O.M.G, you will surely understand when you use it. This is the perfect grooming spray for this type of coat type.

How much ought one pursue the quest of a perfect coat for a show ring? Is it important to present a dog in immaculate condition? Do Setters and Cockers need their furnishings, featherings to be straight and smooth lying?

It is after all a dog show. It is not a field trial, a coursing event nor an agility ring. It is a conformation show and a bit of a beauty show. One must have a good dog but if it is a good dog then for heaven's sake present it the very best that you can. Is it any wonder that a great proportion of the B.I.S. wins go to the Poodles and the Afghans? These are wonderful breeds that look fabulous when groomed to their very best. You can achieve amazing results on a Working Dog, a Gundog and in fact any dog. It will not compensate for a poor dog, but it will make a great dog look magnificent.

Plush Puppy get intense pleasure from assisting people to enhance the presentation of their breed. It is gratifying that a dog we have given advice to goes through to win well. With the right information, you can do just about anything.

Each breeds coat is different, each dogs coat is different. These are guidelines that can be adjusted to suit each individual dog's needs.

All our products are developed using only the highest amounts of naturally sourced ingredients that are totally results aimed. Our range is extensive because each product is developed to create a specific desired result. We only use ingredients that contain targeted amounts high enough to achieve optimum results.