When I look back at photos of the many great dogs of the past and compare them to those of the present day, the one consistent difference I see in many breeds is how grooming has changed the overall look of many breeds. Those of us who have been involved in our sport for 40, 50, or even 60 years remember a time when very little grooming was done at the shows themselves other than tidying up the coats with self-rinse and possibly a little corn starch or other drying agent before going into the ring.
In those days, most shows were outdoors or in fairground buildings and other venues where electricity and bathing stations were unavailable at most show sites. We all did most of our grooming at home before leaving for the shows. We did not have the abundance of specialized shampoos, coat conditioners, color enhancers, brushes, combs, stripping knives, scissors, or trimmers available today.
Many of us who showed breeds with white coats were known to mix “Little Boy Bluing” with water to try and whiten and brighten the white in our dogs’ coats and hope and pray that we got the mix right so that a little purplish hue would not show up after drying. We would use a dry shampoo product or water at the site and pack some corn starch to dry and whiten beards, feet, and other areas to make our dogs look their best. Most importantly, we would be sure to get all of it brushed out before going in the ring for fear of being excused for having a foreign substance in the coat.
The Setter and Golden people would bathe, dry, and place a towel held in place with diaper pins to keep the coats clean and lying flat before brushing them out at the show before ring time. Over the years, things have changed. Now, there is electricity at many sites, and some people carry portable generators to run their various dryers and other equipment to groom and prepare their exhibits for the show ring.
When you read the Standards of many breeds, especially the heavier-coated breeds, you will see that many talk about presenting the breed without excessive trimming or sculpting and not using coat enhancers to change the texture of the coat.
Today, however, many products, technologies, and people’s grooming proficiency have drastically changed the appearance of many breeds. Thinning the coat in certain areas where the profuseness distorts the topline is fine, but master groomers with enough coat to work with can change the overall appearance of many exhibits. These masters can make dogs that might be longer in proportion look closer to square. They can strip or even cut the hairs above the shoulders to make the dog appear as if it has more neck length than is there.
Master groomers can trim the front feet so that even if the dog “toes out” he will appear to stop straight and accurately to the judge. A good groomer can trim a “cow-hocked” dog to look perfect when it stops and stacks. As the exhibitor, I think this is all okay. Your job is to present your dog in a way that shows its outstanding qualities and minimizes its faults. After all, the judge must examine the dog to assess its virtues and faults accordingly. Judges with backgrounds in coated breeds have learned how to look through the coat and adequately access the proper movement, while others may still need to learn. While I do not have an issue with doing one’s best to groom to hide specific faults, I do find it sad that some judges allow themselves to be fooled continually by this. What is objectionable is when all of the scissoring and sculpting is super-evident.
Let’s look at the Poodle, for instance. Under disqualifications, it reads: “A dog in any type of clip other than listed under coat shall be disqualified.” A further look into the acceptable coat descriptions, there is a line that reads: “The entire shaven foot and a portion of the shaven foreleg above the toes are visible.” It also reads: “The entire shaven foot is visible.” In some dogs shown today, those bracelets have been allowed to grow to where they hide the shaven area above the foot—requiring a closer examination. Is this being done to hide flat feet? I don’t know. Is it a variation of the Breed Standard? Should the exhibit be disqualified?
I am not pointing out Poodles for any reason other than the fact that the coat specificity regarding shaved feet is not explicitly cited; it is there in the Standard where it can easily be overlooked.
So many Standards specifically say natural outlines and texture should not be changed by artificial means. Like most of you, I enjoy seeing a well-groomed and presented exhibit in the ring. But after many years in the sport as both an exhibitor and a judge, I have learned that, like reading, you can’t always judge a book by its cover.
As judges, we are responsible for getting our hands into those coats and genuinely feeling what’s under the cover. Likewise, as the breeder-exhibitor, you are responsible for knowing what’s under the coat and what the Standard calls for regarding proper grooming and presentation. Yes, there will be times when you will fool some people who only see the pretty book cover, but you should not disrespect or put down the judges who are not deceived and may put up one of your competitors with an excellent specimen that may not be groomed or presented as well as yours.
Many of you are attending the largest show weekend in the United States. Orlando week is where many of the year’s final rankings will be determined. It is filled with many of the top dogs in the country, as well as huge competition in the National Owner-Handled Series and in the classes themselves where, for many breeds, those elusive majors are available. It is held in one of the finest facilities with large, well-lit rings and plenty of things to do when you’re not in the ring. I wish all of you great success and hope your dreams are fulfilled.
Orlando also marks the end of another great year of competition and leads us into the Holiday Season, when I hope everyone has the opportunity to rest and spend time with their families. It is a wonderful time to reflect on the past year and organize our thoughts and goals for the coming year. I sincerely wish all of you a safe and blessed holiday season and, hopefully, a fantastic 2025.
