andypandy3773
Forums Regular
Hi Everyone. What are your thoughts on finishing sprays to add extra shine?
Regards Rosemary
Regards Rosemary
Finishing spray
- Thread starter andypandy3773
- Start date
Jess041
Forums Enthusiast
In regards to grooming for conformation, or every day grooming?
I don't use it for every day grooming. I don't like to put product in my dog's hair. Even the detangler I use I dilute it way down. The only finishing spray I have, which I almost never use, is Chris Christensen Ice on Ice. It came with a trial pack of Black on Black because it's supposed to help with bleaching from the sun.
I don't use it for every day grooming. I don't like to put product in my dog's hair. Even the detangler I use I dilute it way down. The only finishing spray I have, which I almost never use, is Chris Christensen Ice on Ice. It came with a trial pack of Black on Black because it's supposed to help with bleaching from the sun.
tofu pup
Moderator
I'll echo Jess's question... if you aren't planning to show your dog, you can try and use whatever products sound good to you.
If you are planning to show, I (personally) don't recommend using any kind of finishing spray. Have a look at what our standard says about coat: key words include "harsh", "standoff", "dense", "profuse". "Soft" and "silky" are specifically listed as faults.
Although it isn't explicitly mentioned in the standard, Shelties should not "shine" (like, say, a well-groomed horse). "Shine" comes when the hair is flat and even (imagine the reflective surface of a mirror or a still pond) - and a coat that is "harsh" and "profuse", with a "standoff quality", is the opposite of that. A silky, soft coat will shine. A correct Sheltie coat will not. (I suppose that there is a shiny quality to a healthy topcoat above the withers and back, but adding a product to make it shinier would, I think, teeter towards gumminess and softness.)
Again, though, if you are not showing, you can of course use a spray (or conditioner or nutritional supplement) that makes your Sheltie's coat softer. But if your aim is to groom the dog to the standard for a show, your best bet is to a) give him plenty of exposure to cold, b) feed a quality diet, and c) line-brush him regularly with water. These will give you the foundation for a healthy, correct coat that will be ready for the show ring.
If you are planning to show, I (personally) don't recommend using any kind of finishing spray. Have a look at what our standard says about coat: key words include "harsh", "standoff", "dense", "profuse". "Soft" and "silky" are specifically listed as faults.
Although it isn't explicitly mentioned in the standard, Shelties should not "shine" (like, say, a well-groomed horse). "Shine" comes when the hair is flat and even (imagine the reflective surface of a mirror or a still pond) - and a coat that is "harsh" and "profuse", with a "standoff quality", is the opposite of that. A silky, soft coat will shine. A correct Sheltie coat will not. (I suppose that there is a shiny quality to a healthy topcoat above the withers and back, but adding a product to make it shinier would, I think, teeter towards gumminess and softness.)
Again, though, if you are not showing, you can of course use a spray (or conditioner or nutritional supplement) that makes your Sheltie's coat softer. But if your aim is to groom the dog to the standard for a show, your best bet is to a) give him plenty of exposure to cold, b) feed a quality diet, and c) line-brush him regularly with water. These will give you the foundation for a healthy, correct coat that will be ready for the show ring.