# I Want to Try Show Coat!



## Paddington12 (Nov 18, 2012)

I want to try my luck at a show coat on my dog Paddy, because his old owner did it once and it looked pretty good! But i have some questions about how to do it right. Right now his hair is already just passing 2.5 inches after being at 1/2" when i got him mid-October, so at this rate i better find answers quickly. I have a few pressing questions about maintaining a full length coat,

1. Peeing. I have no idea how to approach the issue of peeing on his coat. Is there a way that the belly is supposed to be cut or something that prevents him from peeing on the hair on his sides and belly? Im not having this issue yet since his hair is still short, but my dog lifts up his leg high and proud, so im sure it will be an issue and i will be at a loss if i dont figure out how to approach that one...

2. Feet/lower legs. Am i supposed to keep his hair around feet and lower legs short, or let it grow with the rest? I can imagine him tripping all over the hair if i didnt cut it... Does anybody have a link to a step-by-step explanation for what im supposed to do with his feet when i want him to have long hair?

3. Topknot. How do you train an adult dog of Paddy's age (7 years) to tolerate the topknot? He hates it and spends all day trying to get it out. I put it in wonderfully and nothing works, but will he ever stop struggling with it, how long does it take, and is there any way to help train him faster to leave it alone?


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## Ladysmom (Oct 19, 2004)

I keep Bailey in a Town & Country cut. Bailey has a TDF thick silk coat so I hated to cut it, but peeing on the belly was a real issue so I gave up.

A few months ago I gave up on his topknot, too. I've made and sold bows for over ten years, but finally realized that not all dogs will wear topknots. LOL! I started top training Bailey from 12 weeks old, but he hated it and tried his best to get it out. If Paddy truly hates his topknot, he might not get used to it.


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## Paddington12 (Nov 18, 2012)

Well i guess hate is a strong word. I had it in wrong or something i now see i guess. Today hes messing with it much less then he was when i originally made this, so maybe that might not be an issue...

I wonder if i could make some kind of sling to hold up his belly fur when i let him out to potty... Think that would work?


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

You could just try banding the tummy hair or just shave the belly hair, shell it out so it doesn't get pee on.

When you say 'show coat' do you mean you want to show him again or just have him in full coat? 

I've successfully grown out a few dogs from being shaved but it definitely takes work!!!


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## Paddington12 (Nov 18, 2012)

i just want him in the full coat like a show dog.


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## bellaratamaltese (May 24, 2006)

Paddington12 said:


> i just want him in the full coat like a show dog.


Oh fantastic! That takes it a whole new level of less stress 

I would shell out his tummy so you don't have to worry about it and band the side coat when he goes pee


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## Paddington12 (Nov 18, 2012)

when you say band do you mean like the silk and the wrapping and everything?

I think ill get my friend to make me a sling like thing to go under his belly and hold upthe hair under belly and on sides tight against skin so that its not a problem. Im sure he can figure that out.  Hes a very creative seamstress/er? Idk what a male clothes maker person is called. Do you think that idea would be a good one?


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## socalyte (Nov 15, 2010)

Isn't a male called a tailor, or do I have that wrong? At any rate, Pippa used to hate her topknots and worried on them all day long. I started putting metal clips on her bows, and I guess because it's more uncomfortable to mess with, she stopped trying to get her topknots out for the most part.


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## Yogi's Mom (Jan 6, 2013)

*Hello from Pa---I wish you good luck that is alot of work,but i cant wait to see it in progress. I just keep Yogi Short. Its the only Way i can keep up with his care. These little ones are alot of work--but worth it all. good luck-Nickee & Yogi In Pa**


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## Grace'sMom (Feb 22, 2012)

I wish you luck and patience  Post a photo on your grooming area for when you get tempted to just give up LOL

But I'd shell his tummy out like Stacy suggested.... will make life much easier for you both!


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## mysugarbears (Aug 13, 2007)

I think what Stacy means about banding the side o his coat when he goes pee is putting into ponytails. I do that with my two girls that have coats almost to the floor, but i do it around their whole body so i can get the coats to the floor.

Here's a pic to show you what i've done and what Stacy may mean.


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## Paddington12 (Nov 18, 2012)

mysugarbears said:


> I think what Stacy means about banding the side o his coat when he goes pee is putting into ponytails. I do that with my two girls that have coats almost to the floor, but i do it around their whole body so i can get the coats to the floor.


Ah, that makes sense. And i assume shelling out belly means shaving that area and keeping short while the rest of hair grows and makes it not seeable?


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## CloudClan (Jan 31, 2007)

Yes shelling out would mean shaving the tummy area. Usually you start wherever the hair starts above the belly button and go up as far as the elbows (which often get tangled anyway. I did this on Cadeau, but never had to on my girls.


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## Paddington12 (Nov 18, 2012)

We've decided to be lazy and make a sling-like thing to hold up his hair against belly when he goes out to potty. This is my blueprint:








My friend is making it for me. The blue will be a light mesh he took from his work (he works at a clothing factory and they are allowed to take scraps home), and he knows where to get other fabrics like those straps and buckles they have on like, life jackets and stuff. I told him i would prefer adjustable buckles but if he cant find those he can just use velcro like this blueprint.

This will take much less time than ponytails and it will be much cheaper than getting him groomed constantly so they can shell him out (im afraid to do the shaving by myself). And he likes sweaters and stuff and cooperates very well for me putting stuff on him, so this will be a piece of cake to get on and off all the time. When we go out to park and stuff ill just take wipes and wipe the pee off right away, we dont go that often. But for at home in back yard... Sling.


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## Snowbody (Jan 3, 2009)

When Tyler was in a longer coat I found that anything I put on him or around him - harness, vest, coat would cause matting and knotting and I would have to groom him 2 to 3 times a day. Not sure if that will happen with that sling or not. Post photos now and along the way. You're a better person than I am. I couldn't take the amount of grooming time it took to keep his coat long and knot free especially when I'm working. Just couldn't make enough time in my day.


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## Malt Shoppe (Jul 20, 2011)

Blaze is in long coat and has never had any trouble with soiling his hair when pp'g. If you keep his wick hair long, that should take care of the problem, the pp follows the hair to the ground. He lifts his leg and sometimes stands like a horse on all 4's to relieve but never gets his hair wet.

The feet hair should be trimmed like big slippers but closely trimmed around the pads of his feet for good traction.

I gave up on Blaze's topknot, it was always falling in his face or looking sloppy shortly after fixin it - so I cut it off and have never regreted it. He always looks neater even if he isn't!


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## Paddington12 (Nov 18, 2012)

Snowbody, i dont know if its the conditioner i use on him or what, but i seem to have his hair silky enough that it doesnt really knot too bad.  If it gets peed on or wet it instantly becomes a matted knotted mess, but lately the knots that he gets from staticey fleece sweaters and my blankets and everything slide right out like a noodle from a very saucy bowl of spaghetti.  I guess if my idea does fail i can just say at least i tried and then give in and ponytail him up.


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## doggyluver5 (Feb 1, 2013)

I've only had one male maltese, Majic, the one I have now. When I got him he was in "sort of" show coat. The breeder was going to show him and the handler got sick and brought him home. Anyway, they had banded the side hair and then put a belly band around the whole thing with the ends of the banded hair at his top line. This resulted in broken hair all along his top line and his side hair was also damaged. Don't recommend that method!! I had to leave his hair down and just clean his side hair. It took forever to grow back as it was so damaged from the top line down. It is now starting to look really healthy but I still have the pee problem. I tried to put a belly band on him as he is pee pad trained and I have too many dogs to track when each one uses the pads. I line it with a thick poise to soak up the pee and change it often but it still gets soiled. It also gets a bit matted. To solve that problem I bought some silk belly bands from the internet as silk garments don't make their hair tangle as much. Now I am just washing his belly and any affected hair either every day or if I can't on a day it goes for two. I also shave his belly as described here. Just make sure you only cut out around the middle of his belly, that is don't cut too wide that the side hair won't hide it or cut too high as you will ruin the look of his hair from the front view. Nothing scary about cutting it with a razor but if that scared you use a pair of scissors and cut a little at a time till you get what you want. BTW I use ProLine Self Rinse Shampoo (you can get from any Chris Christiansen distributor or the CC website itself) to wash his belly really well, dry it with paper towel, spray on some grooming spray or leave in conditioner on the hair and dry it with my stand hair dryer or whatever hair dryer you use at bath time! For a show coat it is essential that you blow dry his hair after a bath, brushing as you go. Don't use too hot a setting but don't blow him dry with a cold air flow either. This is the first boy dog I've ever had to do this with. My two Tzus (one I showed in Conformation) stand on all fours to pee so no problem and my first Tzu lifted his leg but somehow never got any pee on him?! My other two malts were/are girls so no problems.

For the topknot problem you just have to persevere. All my malts had/have been put in topknots as soon as the hair was long enough. With my Tzus I was advised to first of all start off with a little ponytail over each eye. When it was long enough, make one between the eyes and then start adding hair, don't cut anything, especially around the eyes, let it grow and it will eventually lie down. Get some latex bands from an online seller, (ShowOff.com sells light weight medium YELLOW bands that are perfect starter bands (I'm sure there are lots of other places too but this is where I get mine.) If you get to the place where the topknots is too long post again and I'm sure either I or one of the others can help you figure out how to work with it. Good Luck! Lots of work but worth it!


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## Xewqa's mum (Feb 6, 2013)

If you find anything that helps with your progress please let me know as I want to trim my baby myself if possible, good luck


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