When the coat change is complete, the adult coat will be much easier to maintain. By now your Poodle should be either in the Continental or English Saddle trim. Getting rid of the long puppy hair on the hindquarters will lessen the time you have to spend maintaining the coat. As the coat reaches maturity, you can stretch the bathing schedule from one to two weeks, if the dog is not being shown.
The coat can be maintained in Ring 5 Hair Care, #1 All Systems Super-Rich Protein Lotion Conditioner, Bio-Groom Super Creme Conditioner or similar product. Depending on the coat type, you may opt for a heavier oil. Generally, adult coats only need brushing once a week to keep the hair from matting. However, depending on your Poodle’s coat type and color, his hair may need to be brushed and bathed more often. Just be sure to keep checking for mats and tangles, and brush out any clumps as you find them.
Wrappers and bands are generally taken out weekly. The hair is checked for tangles, brushed, and then re-wrapped or re-banded. Dogs that rub or chew their wrappers or bands will need to be checked more often. Nails are always kept short.
Do remember that oil is used only between shows, and must be completely shampooed from the hair before a dog is exhibited in the breed ring.
Depending on your Poodle’s color and coat type, the hair should be bathed from one to three days before a show. Bathing softens the hair and shampooing beforehand (even a day or so) helps to restore the coat’s natural harshness. If your Poodle is white or light-colored, however, you may have to re-bathe the rosettes or pack, bracelets, puffs and tail the day before the show to restore that fresh, crisp appearance.
Follow the shampoo with a light conditioner or creme rinse. If the dog is put down in an oil mixture, a special degreasing shampoo or detergent may be necessary to completely remove the oil from the coat.
Most dog show concessionaires sell shampoos designed to wash out excessive oils, such as #1 All Systems Super-Cleaning and Conditioning Shampoo; or the following mixture has been used for years by professionals to remove oil: In an empty gallon jug, pour 1 quart of Liquid Lux dish detergent. Add 4 ounces of USP glycerine and 4 ounces of white vinegar. Fill the jug to the top with water and shake well. Use this mixture only if your usual dog shampoo is not strong enough to effectively remove the oil or you can’t find a special degreasing shampoo formulated for dogs.
If the Poodle is dark-colored, all the required clipper work (face, feet, tail, hindquarters, etc.) should ideally be done two or three days before the show with a No. 40 blade. Be careful not to clipper burn the skin. Using a No. 40 blade several days ahead of the show lets just enough hair grow back to give a neat, velvety look to the skin by show time.
If the Poodle is white or light-colored or cannot take a close clip with a No. 40 blade, use a No. 30 or No. 15, and do all necessary clipper work the day before the show. To avoid irritation after clipping, especially if you use a No. 40 blade, always swab the skin with an anti-itch lotion made for dogs or with Bactine or Vaseline Intensive Care Lotion.
Care of the Topknot and Ears
On both young Poodles (as the coat is growing) and on mature dogs between shows, it is necessary to wrap or band the topknot and the ear fringes. This will protect the long hair from falling into the eyes or the mouth, from being broken or chewed off, from hanging into the dog’s food or water and from being dragged on the ground or rubbed against furniture.
There are many different ways to wrap or band. The method you use depends primarily on your dog: some Poodles are better with wrappers, others should be done with bands and still others do better with a combination of both. You’ll have to experiment a bis to find out which is best for your Poodle. If you use wrappers, it is necessary to choose the correct material. Usually, some type of soft plastic is the most popular.
Most dog show concessionaires sell pre-cut plastic wrappers (usually 12 in a package), or you could make your own using Baggies or any light plastic trash/garbage bags. Occasionally one sees other materials used for wrappers, such as nylon tulle, Saran Wrap, Handi-Wrap, Handiwipes, Vet Wrap, waxed paper and florist’s paper being used.
Again, because you will get different results depending on your Poodle’s coat texture, the climate and humidity, you’ll need to experiment to learn which material works best, or to ask fellow breeders and exhibitors in your area for some guidance.