All I do is take baby wipes with me to wipe the dust off them I never bath before a show well I do but not the dogs trim all whiskas and do there nails , clean ears if they need doing and thats it, make sure you have your bait and plenty of water for the dog.


Mo and the Gang

I don't trim my Basenji's whiskers (or anything else), I don't know if anyone else in my breed does, I was more surprised at trimming his private bits, do they really do that!!

I think it has always been done in dobes. I suppose it is like any type of prep for a dog show, if it gives you an edge or puts you on the same level as everyone else (figuratively speaking) then you do it.

I met a woman with a poodle who refused to have it clipped, he was lovely, couldn't tell what he was mind but smashing all the same, and his coat wasn't tangled either.

As for making the handlers feel better they probably don't think too much of it. Wouldn't say it has affected Khan, though his aren't trimmed on too regular a basis. I would say alot of the prep for shows isn't to the dogs advantage. Nails are cut short on dobes but tell a vet that your dogs claws are too long and they laugh. A couple of friends have even had their vet refuse to cut her claws any shorter.

Well they can (or at least SHOULD!) only be cut back as far as the quick anyway. I know the practice of bleeding a dogs' nails to make them shorter goes on but this is nothing short of cruelty.

Debs

I use a dremel on my dogs nails, it they have got a bit long I just take it back as far as I can and then take a tiny amount every other day and the quick shrinks back.

Yes on rare occasions if very long. I have never had to do it to Khan, I think it is more a hygeine thing, when the boys willie 'leaks' if the hair is very long it hangs around longer so to speak. This is what I've been told. Also on even rarer occasions hairs have turned in on themselves and caused infection.

I hate clipping nails. I too use a dremmel. I have never heard of anyone bleeding the nails deliberately that is awful. As Moetmum says the quick soon goes back in a couple of days and you can soon take nails back enough over a few weeks if they are bad.

With Krystal I started off with human nail clippers but then nail files and now the dremmel, which has taken some getting used to but she is getting there.

I think I will leave his chops whiskers on, his dog snogs are enthusiastic enough without being stubbly as well

stubbly chin!

Good result whatever the reason, and good luck with the shows.
Mary

Designer stubble is what Khan gets when I do it, hence the reason I don't do it often!