Category 2 - Fringed Breeds

Medium length body coat with feathering on legs, undercarriage and tail.

Typical Breeds: Australian Shepherd, Border Collie, Borzoi, Cavalier King Charles Spaniel, Cocker Spaniel, Dachshund Long, Japanese Chin, Papillion, Saluki

The majority of this category calls for a medium length straight body coat with long soft feathering. There should not be a discernible difference where the straight body coat mingles with the feathering.

Show Bath:
If the coat is in good condition then shampoo with either of the following; Lanolin or Herbal Shampoo. Once again it is recommended that you use Stripping Shampoo at least every 6 - 8 weeks to ensure that the coat remains free of build up. A coat displaying excess build up will look dull and appear in poor condition. Brushing of the feathering may become difficult with the brush or comb appearing to drag during grooming. You should shampoo coat twice ensuring that you thoroughly rinse all shampoo from the coat.

Depending on the condition of the coat you should condition using one of the following: Acid Rinse, Balsam or Lanolin Conditioner. Rinse out the conditioner to your preference then mix 1 capful of Silk in a 1 Litre squeeze bottle of warm water and work this through the coat. Do no rinse out. Dry as normal.

Many of the breeds in this category suffer from a curly top coat. If this is a problem in your breed consider using Go Straight on the areas where a straighter finish is required.

Another issue in this category is lack of volume of feathering. Volume Plus is an excellent conditioner which will not only give you instant results but these results will remain throughout the show day. Where extra volume is required after the initial bath day you can mix Volume Plus with warm water in a spray bottle. Spray coat lightly and re blow dry the coat.

On show day we recommend Show Spray.

When grooming dogs with feathering it is recommended that you never brush a dry coat as this can cause hair breakage. Laser Lites Show Spray is an excellent everyday grooming spray for all breeds.

Maintenance:
Maintenance bathing of these breeds should be similar to that of show bathing however use of Go Straight and Volume Plus would not be necessary when not attending a show. One of the main problems associated with feathered coats is the staining from urine. Dry Kleen used daily will cleanse urine and other stain producing substances from the coat. After spraying Dry Kleen onto the coat, leave and allow it to work for at least a minute, then simply wipe clean with a dry cloth and either blow dry or use potato flour or corn starch to dry the coat. If staining is already present see our 'Stain Removal' section. A Laser Lites aromatherapy oil deodorant is also suggested.