Doberman Grooming

[DoberGal]

If one were going to groom a doberman for the show ring, how would they go about it? I cant find any good groomers around me, and my breeder is FAR away. What are some good products for shine also?

Thank you in advance for any help.

[wet noze]

I'm not a show groomer but one thing I do with my dobies in when they are in the tub and soapy, I go over them a bunch of times with my rubber curry. Removes any loose hairs and it is good for the skin and coat.

[spanielcrazy]

Wow, it doesn't get any easier than Dobes!

Grind the nails back as far as you can (it's an ongoing process as keeping them short will allow tha quicks to recede)

Scissor any stray hairs around the ears and the tail and the flap of skin at the groin. Scissor off whiskers for the ring.

Scale teeth! Dobes have exacting standards in regards to teeth (no more than 2 missing, bite, etc) so judges spend a lot of time in their mouths. Don't present a dog with dirty teeth.

I found with my Dobes that I needed to bathe them about 3 days out from the show, any closer and they would have a lot of dandruff showing. (Carry a hound glove, grooming mitt or damp towel to the ring so you can get rid of any dandruff flakes, dust, etc)

Don't forget to have sparkling clean ears too!

"The Stuff" puts on a nice shine. Don't use anything too oily as judges run their hands down the back and body, they're not too happy if they come away with greasy hands.

[bullylover21]

Silf N Finish by Nature's Specialties works wonders on short coats. Nothing I know of gives a better shine and the coat really feels like silk!

[luckydog]

I like Pet Silk liquid silk for smooth coats. Also nice for spaniels and drop coats

[Helly]

A Zoom Groom, in the tub and after drying works wonders. If it's a black dog, use Davis Black Coat shampoo. Boy does that make the black really intense. I also use a small amount of ReFurBish, undiluted. Work it in, let it soak 3-5 minutes, and rinse well. For that last minute spruce up just before the ring I'd use a square of raw silk (not that slinky stuff, the nubby, hard fabric) to polish the coat. And rubbing a dab of Vaseline into each nail doesn't hurt, either.

[Jersey]

I give my dog wheat germ oil and it really puts a nice shine on their coat. You get it at the vitamin store and I give mine one a day mixed in her food. Use it get alot of "how do you get the coat so shiney" when I was showing.

[lvdobes]

Be sure if your dog has cowlicks down the sides of the neck to blend those away.


Lisa

[HOTW]

This is what I learned from a top handler of Dobies. Thin shear like crazy to make the lines clean clean clean. Blend any fur that goes in reverse-cowlicks ,back of legs, whorls on the chest etc.Use a 30 blade to take the hair off the edge of the ear where it was cropped or use a scissor , the handler said you got a better result with the 30. Don't bath too close to the show they do tend to dandruff. Condition the coat when you wash. There are several coat sheans you cna use every dog has its own best product but use a chamois to run over the dog after to "buff" She also used a 30 to remove the whiskers but also a scissor can be used if preferred. Ring 5 shampoo was fave of a friend's mother and she would wash first with a Benzoyl Peroxide shampoo ( Dobies tend to have skin issues and it seemed to work for her) So that's basically what I learned from Dobie people over the eyars.

[Shampooch]

I’m a Dobie fancier, but I’ve never showed. One thing I’ve noticed at the few shows I’ve been to is the handlers keep a hand towel near by. I think that they were moistened with water and they would just run them down the dogs back occasionally. I’ve found if I lightly mist my boy with mink oil while he is still damp, he comes out really shiny but not greasy. I also use a rubber curry comb in the tub as well.

[hairdevil]

I use Coat Handler on my Dobie, then conditioner, after dry I lightly spray his coat with Mink Oil, then polish off..

[sneakers]

showing

I have bred and shown Rottweilers for years. This may help. Bath the dog two days prior to the show, use a rubber curry brush in the tub working as much dead coat out. Towel dry with the lay of the coat, brush again while damp, you can cage dry, no blasting, you want the coat to lay flat not fluffy. Do not use a shampoo that softens the coat. Do NOT scissor any areas as it can be a disqualifacation. The most you should do if any is thin shears only very very natural looking a week before is tighten up the butt area, some judges will not even like that, but I dont think a Dobe will need this as a Rott has more coat. Nails must be short short and clean, showing a well knuckeled paw.

Just before showing (ringside)take a towel SLIGHTY damp with the lay of the coat, some dogs will stress a show flakes specifically black coloured ones, some exhibitors will use a mink oil spray but I have found its not necessary with a clean healthy coat.

In showing its a no no to add anything to the coat but it is practised everywhere in the show world, from blacking out pigment with markers, chalking, hair sprays, mousse, show sheens, adding hair pieces to head pieces for poodles., etc etc.,...It all comes down to whose judgeing

[groomin'blonde]

nice to see fellow Dobe lovers

I saw a vidoe from Shurluck Dobes and she ran a clipper over the ear edges, pads, under tail ect. to remove long or stray hairs.
by the way here is my baby-

[groomin'blonde]

photo probs....

sorry I cant seem to get these darn photos 2 post. lol.

[SCISSORHANDS]

Dobie showing

I don't show my Dobie but I have seen people showing them rubbing them with a silk cloth. I use the Furminator shampoo and deshedding solution on my Dobie, it gets off A LOT of hair and shines him up nice. The tool also gets the undercoat and dander off.