'Curly' puppy

[Jutta]

My latest addition to our family is now 7 months old. He is the first 'curly' one! His incoming feathers on body, legs and chest are pretty straight, but his back is really curly. I am wondering if that will change? Probably not, but how can I handle that best when preparing for a show? He lost his curls around his ears when I trimmed him for his first show, so I know I can handle that part.

 

[Jutta]

Yes, he is a Red. I don' think I will try the net. One of my friends here tried it with a Golden, and it seemed just too much trouble and not a very sucessful undertaking. So for now I will have to keep hoping that he might outgrow it at least a bit.

I wet it and keep brushing it, with little sucess. Of course he thinks it is great. - I follow the UK show scene. Unfortunately only on the net in the last few years and do see many 'wavy' dogs.('Concept') I find it difficult to appreciate them just from a picture.

Time will tell!

Thanks,

Jutta

[Jutta]

I have to get used to it, as all our previous Reds had straight coats. I believe that it is said that wavy coats will turn out thicker in feathering?

I remember that many years ago, we went to 2 Championship Shows in the UK close together. The first one had mostly straight coated dogs entered, but the second had lots of 'curly ones'. So the exhibitors obviously knew the judge's preference. 

This pup loves to 'talk'. I have to try and be firmer with him.

Godd luck with your new one, when it arrives.

 

[eva ciechonska]

Hi Jutta,
If you have a youngster with a curly coat believe me using a stretch net coat is far less trouble than wrapping or blow drying and much less labour intensive. You do need to blow dry your puppy then put the stretch coat on him and keep it on day and night and take it off at the show. Alternatively may I suggest you contact the breeder of your puppy for their advice. I assume living in Barbados you are influenced by the American methods of presentation for the show ring and I appreciate your concern, but there are many curly coated dogs in the US that are successfully prepared and exhibited.......you just need to learn how best to work with your puppiy's coat. As Camilla says, stripping out is not the answer and will, in fact, make it worse for a Coat King can split the hair follicle and the coat can grow back harsh and curly.
Oh, by the way, I own Concept and a wavy coat never stopped him becoming Top Irish Setter.............

[Deb Bouttell]

Do blow dry and/ or use the net coat to make it less unruly...but I love 'movement' in the coat (mind you it's my 4 week old pups that Sue is talking about)!

[Jutta]

Hi Eva,

Thank you for your advice, which is greatly appreciated. - I will contact a friend here who had imported a stretch net coat for a Golden. - I do not dislike the curls, which I hope will turn into waves, just do not know how to cope with them, as all our other Setters had fairly straight hair and feathers. When the wind catches the puppy's back he looks rather comical at the moment, but under his body and on his legs the hair is dead straight. We will see in due course. - We have been members of the ISBC for donkey's years and I try to keep up with the Setter scene on the net and with Dog World. So I have seen many pictures of Concept, just wished I could see him in 'person' as I believe to appreciate a dog in full one has to see it move. We have not been over to attend UK shows in recent years - but hope this will change this year. I see his children are doing well. -  Most of our imported dogs here are from the UK. Ours have been Wendovers, Sowerhills (litter sister to Nobleman) and Fearnleys, with Danaway and of course Intrepid as sires - and we have had great fun and success in the ring. As all our dogs live in the house we only replace when our oldies leave us. - We only have 3 shows a year at the moment, so our dogs go to obedience and two have done well in agility, in order not to get bored.

Thanks again and good luck in the show ring in 2011.

[Ingrid Noyelle]

Is it something like this ????  This is my 8 months old puppy !

[Jutta]

Thank you, I will stop worrying now and nature will take its course and surprise me!  What a beautiful coat Beatles has now, and he is just lovely. Ours is more like Ingrid's for whom the reply below was intended.

I wonder how Frozen Asset looked as an 8 week old puppy and if litter mates were similar.

[Jutta]

Yes, just like it on the back, in all directions, but starting to be 'curlfree' halfway down the ribcage.

 I will ask my daughter to help me take a pic over the weekend and try to upload it.

[Laura Kolbach]

hihi Ingrid, Neita looks the same :)))

[Ruth Findlay]

Hi Jutta,

I too would recommend the net drying coat.  I got mine from www.drydogcoats.co.uk. 

They have a stretch neck that pulls over the dogs head and helps flatten the flyaway bits down the side of the neck, then the rest of the coats hangs quite comfortably on the dog with bands underneath to fasten under the belly.  Put on when the dog is still a wee bit damp, the result is a lovely smooth and shiny coat.  My girls actually push their heads in to help me get the coats on.  I think it means to them that I'm finished with faffing around with grooming products and I'm going to leave them in peace to chill on the sofa and get over the "trauma" of the bath.

[Sheree Parrish]

I've also bought one of the drydog coats for my english lad, he has such a huge coat and I have trouble keeping the curls at bay.  I've yet to try it but he is in a show this weekend so I thought I would bath him today and try it out.  He adores being dried with the hairdryer so it's going to be difficult to leave him damp to put the coat on, maybe I could just put the dryer on him again once the coat is in place?

[eva ciechonska]

Sheree. You don't need to leave the coat damp before you put the drycoat on. Dry it as normal because the hair shaft will still be relaxed. I have also found putting a towelling coat over the top of the drycoat benificial because the dog can finish drying under his own body heat.