[Xeph]

Wanted to share some quick random pictures, as I've had a decent day, and am feeling very proud of the work my husband and I have done lately.

Boz went to his first show with me this past weekend, and on Friday, we did nothing, but the judge complimented me on his excellent coat condition, and many spectators also complimented me on my ring presentation, his conditioning, and his ring training.

On Friday night he placed 3rd in his class under Jimmy Moses, and on Saturday he placed 4th under a notable breeder judge. We did not show on Sunday

Jon and I have worked extremely hard to get Boz into show shape, and we take pride not only in the fact that our efforts are being recognized, but that the DOG is working so incredibly hard for us. We are starting to become his people while he is away from his owner, and it's notable.

Here is a then and now photo. The first photo was taken immediately after a bath, and it was the day after he had arrived home with us. The second photo is taken two days *post bath* and after a few weeks of conditioning both body and coat.

 

[Nuclear_Glitter]

Wow. That is an amazing coat. What are some of the things you did to get him into such great shape?

 

[ChaosIsAWeim]

Ah so that's why Jimmy left Salem. My friend got a group 2 with her GSD in his absence, so she was happy.

Congrats on the progress with Boz. He looks a whole lot better now than when he first came to you.

 

[Xeph]

Wow. That is an amazing coat. What are some of the things you did to get him into such great shape?

Thank you He came to me completely out of coat.

I have to admit that I am not one of those people that thinks you can force coat to grow back more rapidly. What I DO think is that you can allow coat to come back fuller by conditioning it and making it *healthier*.

My husband jogs him about a mile-mile and a quarter every other day. The route involves a rather steep hill and we have to be careful with it, not only because of his joints, but because overdoing it can overload his front and cause him to lose some of his front reach. I try to bike him 3-5 miles every week, though this last week it has not been possible.

Due to his new training regimen, he is now eating consistently, instead of constantly poo pooing his dinner. This has allowed him to put on a couple of pounds, which he really needed.

Boz's current bathing schedule is the following:
Bathed every other week
He is bathed with either a low foaming cleansing shampoo or a moisturizing shampoo, depending on the shape of his coat or skin that day
Thorough rinsing and then more rinsing
Towel dry, and then spray over with Cindra Maxicare conditioner or Cindra Reconstructing Conditioner (depends which shampoo I used), brush through coat, blow out and finish drying

When he first arrived, Boz was sprayed down daily with a dilution of Infusium 23 conditioner, it was brushed through and then just left on him to allow his skin and coat to remain moisturized.

Now he is sprayed down with the Maxicare every night, it is brushed through, and he goes to sleep crated with the conditioner on him, again, to maintain the health of the coat. The Maxicare helps to repel dirt and allows the skin to stay clean and healthy. I'm generally not a big proponent of dog hair care products (haven't been impressed) but I have really liked the Cindra line.

Prior to a show:
Bathed with a texturizing shampoo two days in advance
Lathered twice
Sprayed with Maxicare or Super Coat after being towel dried
Blown out
Spends the next two days on the porch or in the house away from the dogs that'll slobber on him and out of the yard (save for potty time) to keep him from rolling in the dust or any poo that may be out there

And of course, nails and ears are cleaned weekly, still working on getting his teeth cleaned up, but they are a fair sight better than they were I HATE presenting a dog with gross teeth, so I do my best, but when it's not your dog, maintenance is all you can do at times.

ETA: I can't take credit for the coat coming back in in general, as that's just nature, but as you can see, not only did his undercoat come in nice and full, his guard hairs (which do not shed out) have a very healthy glow. And remember, the second photo is taken two days after he had the bath, whereas the first photo was taken immediately after his bath. That is quite a change

Our dog room is kept cool not only for the comfort of our crew, but to facilitate good coats.

 

[Xeph]

Here's the full size photo

Here's a full size photo from when he arrived

 

[boxerlover876]

Wow nice! Kind of looks like Cappy! Duke's going into my conditioning program over the winter hopefully. It's too hot for him now. What shows we're you at? We're in the same area.

 

[Xeph]

Canfield.

You think Boz looks like Capi? Thanks for the thought ^_^ I don't think they resemble each other at all, but different eyes see different things (which I find fascinating)

 

[boxerlover876]

Ok different shows.

I have to admit almost all show GSD's look the same to me. It's all the same coat pattern and basic outline to me. Not that I know anything about GSD's though.

 

[Xeph]

Boz and Capi are very different stylistically, but yeah, most people just see a black and tan dog, lol

 

[boxerlover876]

Ok finding pics of Cappy yeah they are totally different in style. I saw Cappy up in Butler last year. And i see who Jimmy Moses is now. Can you please explain why they have the dog gait way in front though? Is it just the speed of their gait?

 

[Xeph]

Just a stylistic thing. The dogs are often doubled and so will pull ahead while looking for their owners. You'll see the full extent of their gait as they do open their stride more looking for their people

 

[boxerlover876]

Ah, ok thanks for the enlightenment lol I've been wondering that for awhile.

 

[Xeph]

No problem GSDs are an interesting breed to exhibit

 

[LadyBugAnBuddy]

Beautiful!

~Erica~

 

[Abbylynn]

He looks much better! His coat as well as his muscle tone are much better! I admire how hard you work with your dogs.

 

[ChaosIsAWeim]

Canfield.

You think Boz looks like Capi? Thanks for the thought ^_^ I don't think they resemble each other at all, but different eyes see different things (which I find fascinating)

Yeah I don't think Boz looks anything like Capi either.

 

[ChaosIsAWeim]

Just a stylistic thing. The dogs are often doubled and so will pull ahead while looking for their owners. You'll see the full extent of their gait as they do open their stride more looking for their people

There was a judge at Salem that loudly told the steward and exhibitors before they started that anyone caught doubling would be excused from the ring. All the exhibitors looked at each other with priceless looks, lol.

 

[Xeph]

All the exhibitors looked at each other with priceless looks, lol.

It's nice to have (personal) dogs that don't need to rely on doubling and can just get the job done because I told them to xD

 

[ChaosIsAWeim]

Yeah I just thought it was awesome the judge actually told them that he would not put up with doubling. First judge I have ever heard say that.

 

[Sighthounds4me]

It's nice to have (personal) dogs that don't need to rely on doubling and can just get the job done because I told them to xD

No... they get the job done because you've ASKED them to, and they love and respect you so much they do it! That's the result of all the work you've put into them!