Crested Grooming

Shambhala Cresteds

Crested Grooming - Coat / Skin Care, Ears & Nails

Coat Care - PowderPuff

Puff Coat Types - Before you decide what to do with a coat, you need to decide what TYPE of Puff coat you have -- then decide how best to most enhance it. Puff coats are often very different from dog to dog. A thin, wispy, silky coat often lacks the full body look many people want for the ring. A cottony and/or wavy coat -- often thick and longer in some body areas than others, can be a lot of work. The harsher terrier coated ( old-style powderpuff) dogs with 2-4" of coat often never get a true puff coat. Some youngsters blow a lot of coat -- either due to age or hormonal changes when in season OR a sudden onslaught of fleas may really ruin the overall quality of the coat leaving them looking somewhat moth-eaten and lacking -- owners give up FAR too often with these kids. Coat upkeep and damage repair is often easier than you'd think, usually just taking a bit more time and dedication...........

Basics

Dirt Creates Friction -- Friction Cuts Coat -- Keeping the coat clean with frequent bathing helps it not only grow -- but helps to prevent breakage. Once a week bathing is not too often for optimum coat care and growth.

When you think the shampoo is all rinsed out -- rinse them AGAIN -- Soap residue leaves the coat gummy and attracts dirt. Making sure the shampoo is totally rinsed out will make it easier the next time you groom and the finished job will LOOK groomed, not clumpy and dirtier than before you shampooed.

Fleas will ruin the BEST coat -- No matter how well or often you groom, no matter what wonder product you use, no matter what a great coat the dog was born with -- it will all disappear with a few fleas and a lot of scratching. Whether you choose chemical free pest control or use any of the many products on the market, ignoring the problem for just a few days will "total" the coat on a flea allergic dog. (My personal favorite is Frontline)

Rotate your shampoos -- How many times have you found a shampoo you loved, only to find after a month or so it leaves something to be desired? When you select a new product -- suddenly your hair is simply wonderful again....for a while. Using the same products continuously leads to build up on the hair shaft. A good shampoo when found can be a mainstay -- but a clarifying shampoo every few baths will help revitalize the coat to the results you originally had when you fell in love with the shampoo.

Creme Rinse -- Creme rinse, most especially balsams are essentially made of petroleum wax....they build up on the coat as well. Some are very heavy and weigh down a coat like a glue even though they seem to make the coat easier to comb and brush. Using a diluted creme rinse -- per instructions....leaving it on for several minutes, then rinsing much of it out may give you outstanding results. A clarifying shampoo can quickly undo any over conditioning.

Drying Time -- Air drying and/or crate drying is fine for maintenance bathing. Low heat is always best. DON'T OVER DRY!! When Show Day comes, a good blow drying from near-soaking wet to totally dry will give you the most polished look. If the dog has a cottony or a wavy coat, it's a must. Use a Pin Brush (a GOOD one) and brush the coat constantly as you dry -- stretching the hair shaft as you dry. If you need a little bulk in your coat -- add some corn starch when the coat is wet -- take the dog outside to finish a full blow dry. You need to work at blowing out the cornstarch residue but you'll not change the texture of the coat the way chalk does. Chalk will also break the coat in time.

Brushing -- Use a good pin brush for bath day -- an excellent bristle brush for show day -- a slicker brush only when absolutely necessary, they break coat and "rough up" the hair shaft, making them tangle faster. Pin brushes ARE great for working on mats or brushing out shedding undercoat but can do a lot of damage as well.

Trimming -- Whether to trim or not is personal preference and choice.

Face/Ears -- Long ear fringes on puffs is adorable if the dogs ears can handle the weight of the coat. If not, trim down being extremely cautious to not cut the ears. I trim the face to an inverted V between the eyes and ending the trim level with the back of the cheek line, leaving enough hair in front of the ear base to offer a soft expression and at the throat latch or slightly below, so it doesn't interfere with the lead.

Feet -- Trimming the bottom of the feet and between pads with either scissors or clipper, gives a clean look to the dog as they move away. Keeping the coats approximately level with the floor and symmetrical ( but NOT completely round) will give the dog the image of moving more cleanly and with more buoyancy. Over-trimmed feet LOOK IT. They are not Schnauzers or Bichons. If you happen to take off more than intended -- it grows back in about 2-3 weeks, so don't worry if you make a mistake.

Skin Care - Hairless

A Little Hairless Information -- Because the Xoloitzcuintli, Peruvian Inca Orchid and Chinese Crested are of divergent backgrounds, variations in skin type are to be expected. Only the predominant skin types are described here -- while many variations may be encouraged. The Chinese Crested's mixed ancestry may account for the wide variety of skin types found in this breed, from tough to tender; almost velvety soft. The breed standard does request that it be smooth and soft. Proper skin quality is a feature of paramount importance to all hairless breeds. Thickness and texture may vary, but in general, the skin should be healthy, smooth and blemish free. Healthy supple glowing skin is the crowning glory of a hairless dog. While non-genetic environmental factors do play a role, skin quality is a genetically based trait. Certain dogs and lines are more predisposed to skin trouble due to heredity. Age, stress, poor diet and infrequent and/or inadequate grooming will only contribute to existing problems. Skin color or excess body hair will not. It is not normal for pores or hair follicles to routinely clog with oil or debris requiring constant complicated grooming or cleansing. Blemishes occur whem pores become clogged with debris of oil, skin cells and dirt. Clogged pores will look black when they are open -- blackheads, and white when they are closed -- whiteheads. Pimples are the result of clogged pores becoming infected with bacteria. These and other more serious skin conditions should never be considered typical or normal for hairless dogs. Young dogs often experience a temporary bout of hormone-related adolescent acne, most often on the back of the neck and upper hind legs, which is usually resolved through normal maintenance and cleaning by 18 months of age.

Types/Degrees of Hairlessness -- There are several degrees of hairless. There is the "TRUE" hairless that have no body hair w/little to no furnishings. The "HAIRLESS" that have little to no body hair but have better/thicker furnishings. There is the "HAIRY-HAIRLESS" to which there is some body hair (usually a strip down the back, up the arms to the shoulder, and up the rear legs to the hips. The sides are generally free of hair.) accompanied by nice thick long furnishings. Then there is the "EXTREMELY HAIRY-HAIRLESS" that have quite a bit of body hair with very nice thick furnishings. They should NOT have an undercoat. The original Hairless Cresteds did NOT have body hair.

Trimming -- Whether to trim or not is personal preference and choice, but a Hairless Crested should be free from ALL BODY HAIR! For trimming the face/ears & feet of the Hairless follow the same guidelines as the PowderPuff. As for the body hair, shave the body free of hair leaving the socks, 2/3 tail plume & crest.

Skin Care/Bathing -- A hairless dog's skin can be compared to human skin -- some have skin problems and others have none. The same holds true for dogs. There is a genetic factor for good or bad skin and of course how you treat your dog's skin matters as does what you feed him. A hairless dog should get his weekly bath with a moisturizing body wash, such as Soft-Soap, Oatmeal shampoo or something equally mild. Cream your dog's skin after bathing with a moisturizing lotion. If your dog goes outside in the sun, use SPF-45 or better on him. In the case of dry skin, cream your dog daily. before removing black/whiteheads, let your dog sit in water for at least 10 minutes so it does not hurt him so much. After a bath, use a tonic and pimple cream and cover him up so he won't lick the cream off. As a rule of thumb, what is good for your skin, is good for your Crested's skin as well. Selectively breeding for low-maintenance, problem-free skin is the best remedy. Courtesy of......BRIGITTE REID (skin care/bathing)

TRUE HAIRLESS

HAIRLESS

HAIRY-HAIRLESS

EXT. HAIRY-HAIRLESS

POWDERPUFF

Ear Cleaning - Bath time is usually a great time to do this. Cleaning your dog’s ears may look easy but it is more difficult than you think. Dogs have long ear canals and improper cleaning can result in a ruptured eardrum, pain or lacerations of the canal. If the ears are severely infected, they may be too painful for you to clean at home, and you should consider having a veterinarian clean the ears, possibly even under sedation. However, you can perform routine cleaning safely and easily if you follow these steps:

Restrain your dog. Start by wrapping your small dog in a large thick towel with just her head exposed or having someone help hold the body and legs of a larger dog Clean the ear lobe. Using a cotton ball, paper towel or gauze sponges moistened with water, gently rub the large pieces of dirt, wax and debris off the ear lobe. Repeat on the opposite ear.

Clean the cartilage of the ear. After most of the debris has been removed with the moistened cotton ball, use a cotton tip applicator (Q-Tip®), moistened with water, to gently remove the pieces of debris trapped within the cartilage of the ear. Be very careful not to place the Q-tip down the ear canal. This will stimulate head shaking and can lead to ear trauma.

It is safest to clean only the parts of the ear you can see. If there is significant wax just inside the ear canal, you can briefly place the tip of the Q-tip into the ear canal to remove the debris. However, this is important: You should ALWAYS be able to see the cotton tip of the Q-tip.

After cleaning ears, it is a good idea to offer a treat. This will help make the next ear cleaning session a little smoother.

Nail Trimming - Trimming your dog's nails is not just a part of grooming; it's important for your pet's health as well. You should remember that untrimmed nails can cause a variety of problems including broken nails, which are painful and bleed profusely. While some dogs don’t seem to mind when you're trimming their nails, others just plain don't like it. Make trimming time fun and not a struggle. If your pet is not used to having his nails trimmed, start slowly and work up to it gradually. Following these suggestions for a proper nail trim might help you give your dog a more pleasant pedicure.

Start young. The earlier you start clipping your dog’s claws, the better used to it he will be. Frequent trims when your dog is young will help diminish any fear. Have your veterinarian show you how to do it the first time. Learn the anatomy. Within the center of each toenail is the blood and nerve supply for the nail called the quick. In clear white nails you can see the quick, a pinkish area in the middle of the nail. Unfortunately, the common black nails do not allow an easy view. Cutting into the quick will result in pain and bleeding. You cannot see the quick on dark colored nails, making them more difficult to trim without cutting into the quick. Cut dark colored nails in several small cuts to reduce the chance of cutting into the quick.
Use the proper instruments – be sure to use only nail trimmers that are designed for dogs. There are a variety of nail trimmers available at pet stores or your veterinarian’s office. Before you start clipping, determine how much needs to be trimmed. The basic rule of thumb is that the nail, which curls downward, should be even with the paw pad. Whatever hangs over must be clipped.

Procedure -- Some dogs will happily sit in your lap or on a table while you trim their nails but many require some form of restraint. You may want to sit on the floor with your pet, hold your pet in your lap, or have someone hold your pet on a table. If your dog has light colored nails, eyeball the quick and aim a few millimeters away from it. If you cut into the quick, referred to as “quicking,” it will hurt your dog and the nail will bleed.

Using a nail trimmer for pets, cut the nail below the quick on a 45-degree angle, with the cutting end of the nail clipper toward the end of the nail. In dogs with dark nails, make several small nips with the clippers instead of one larger one. Trim very thin slices off the end of the nail until you see a black dot appear towards the center when you look at it head on. This is the start of the quick that you want to avoid. The good news is that the more diligent you are about trimming, the more the quick will regress into the nail, allowing you to cut shorter each time. Trim nails so that when the animal steps down, nails do not touch the floor.

Although you will take great care not to hurt your pet, sometimes accidents happen and you will cut into the quick. Have silver nitrate products on hand – you can get them at your veterinarian’s office or pet store. You can also use flour or cornstarch to stop the bleeding. If that doesn’t work, apply a light bandage for about 15 minutes. If the bleeding continues, call your veterinarian.

"He is your friend, your partner, your defender, your dog. You are his life, his love, his leader. He will be yours, faithful and true, to the last beat of his heart. You owe it to him to be worthy of such devotion."

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