Dogsey

How the hell can that beach look familiar that could be any beach on gods earth. Infact the camera could pan out and theres a JCB parked just out of shot lol.

If you knew the beach, you would know why ... Jackie has already told me she knows the Portie I have mentioned ... she will know what I mean! The question was addressed to her after all!

O sorry Jackie ... did I miss your question? It wasn't intentional.

To me, the natural look of, let's take the golden retriever as our example, would be this:

First and foremost, a lovely glossy coat with a beautiful plumey tail.

Being a golden, probably wet!

Well groomed, but not immaculate

Plenty of muscle, indicating a good level of exercise

Slim - just able to feel the ribs and the backbone when a light finger is applied

Again being a golden, probably a liberal goosing of the nether regions!!

What I would NOT like to see in a golden, is lack of muscle, unnatural coat lacking in the natural oil that goldens and labradors have (due to over-grooming and washing), any sign of overweight-ness.

Taking a portie as an example, Figo looks spot on! If he entered the show ring like that, how much more natural is that for a water dog ...how much better than that primped, permed, ponced up Matisse ... poor dog cannot even see properly through that great matt of permed fur on his face! THAT is unnatural, and IMO cruel.

I've just noticed Figo's clipped out legs ... if I was going to be picky I would say I don't like that one bit!

But we are talking about breeds that have acoat that does not stop growing, how are you going to leave that natural..Figo has a wavy coat, it will continue to grow, the old coat breaks off or gets mattered, so he has to be groomed every week plus he is in the lion clip so that gets clipped every few weeks,

Matisse for instance is a curly coat, think poodle.... His coat ( along with all other curly coats ) will need to be clipped and brushed out every few weeks ( depending on how you like it ) he will suffer the same issues as figo...matted coat, if not groomed.... So if you say you want them natural, how are you going to care for a dog in a natural matted state.

All PWD whether curly or wavy lion or retriever trim, are not left natural...it would be cruel to do so, you must have seen dogs that are matted and unkept.

Rubbish! Of course you can leave them natural ... my Ben is natural, but if he was left untrimmed and unbrushed his coat would matt up into one great big lump. Trim the coat, brush the coat, that is fine ... but why does Figo have to have his legs shaved? That I do not call natural.

I had a golden who was not trimmed in his life! Just brushed occasionally. All my labs and pointers have never been trimmed, just brushed occasionally - and bathed of course when they have rolled in fox poo, something my GSP was very prone to!! Come to think of it, we never bathed Hal except when he had rolled in fox pooh, and we never groomed him because he hated it. We just kept the hair around his btm trimmed. Ben is a different matter, he does need trimming and regular brushing. But no dramatic clipping, I don't like it.

As for those ridiculous poodle cuts, don't get me started! The standard poodle is a magnificent beast and I cannot stand to see those ridiculous pom poms ... they look as if they belong in Kew Gardens as a topiary display, poor things.

Rubbish!!!!!! Oh well I tried !

Jackie, you will never get me to change my opinion unless you can prove me to be wrong ... and as the subject in question is ethereal, it cannot therefore be right or wrong, it is just 2 different opinions. I don't know why you should think you should try to changed my mind ... I am as entitled to my opinion as you are to your's ... this is what I don't like about you, your way is the ONLY true way, your opinion is the ONLY true opinion.

gnasher-bashing ... boring!!

BTW, am I right about the beach? That particular beach has a very unique type of sand (the one quarter of a mile away from where the PWD lives).

1) you are wrong about the beach

2) I was NOT trying to change your mind, I was simply explaining the coat needs of the PWD....my oh well I tried was directed towards your Flippent regard to my post....

You're talking absolute rubbish Gnasher! None of the Labs or Goldens I've owned were ever trimmed ... a good brushing down once a week was quite sufficient. The same applies to Shar-Pei. Tibetan Spaniels, a breed with a long coat are never clipped, just given brush down and any matts cut out.

A few months ago at the vets there was a man with a Husky who'd been given a lion cut. All that remained of his long coat was a ruff of fur round his neck and at the end of his tail. The poor dog looked absolutely grotesque!


Like Jackie I have a dog whose coat doesn't stop growing. Miniature Schnauzers have a wiry top coat and a soft woolly undercoat which if it is not to become matted needs to be combed and brushed daily. Gwylim goes to the groomer every 8 weeks or so to be hand stripped which even though he's much smaller than Figo takes at least a couple of hours.

Jackie ... I don't know about Figo but Gwylim loves being groomed. He finds it relaxing and usually falls asleep as soon as I've finished.