Category 4 - Spitz Coat 

Typical Breeds: Akita, Alaskan Malamute, Chow Chow, Elkhound, Finish Spitz, Pomeranian, Samoyed, Siberian Husky, Shiba Inu

The breeds within this category call for a dense undercoat with a longer outer coat. These coats are required to stand off the body naturally.

This is one of the most misunderstood categories of coats. Many exhibitors believe that if they fill the coat with powders and concoctions then it will present correctly. Many exhibitors also believe that some of these breeds should never be bathed. From a judges point of view nothing could be further from the truth. Having to examine a dirty coat full of powder etc is one of the most distasteful jobs ever.

Show Bath:
It is imperative that you get the correct crispness to the coat to produce the necessary stand off effect. If you are from the "I never bath my dog and only use powder etc" school then it is suggested that you try a diluted form of Stripping Shampoo. If the coat is particularly dirty or smelly then shampoo twice. Thoroughly rinse all shampoo from the coat thoroughly and dry with a not-too-hot dryer.

If the coat is lacking volume or not standing away from the body enough use Volume Plus either as a conditioner or mixed in a spray bottle and sprayed through the coat prior to blow drying.

There are three sprays that could be used on these breeds on show day - Liquid Diamonds, Show Spray or Bay Rum.

Maintenance:
Many of the breeds in this category are not bathed every week. If bathing these breeds it is recommended that the show bath procedures be followed. When you are not completely bathing your dog you can use Dry Kleen which is a waterless shampoo. This type of shampoo is designed not to be rinsed off. Simply spray through the coat and blow dry. This process will remove dirt as well as unwanted doggie odours. A Laser Lites aromatherapy oil deodorant is also suggested.

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