A wonderful hunting dog with great speed and stamina, the Weimaraner appears to have a coat that is rather no nonsense but as with all short coated show dogs, it is not simply a case of wash & wear when your intent is to have that dog coat show ready all year round.
All dogs shed and all short coated dogs will get that „moth eaten“ look, almost as if there are holes in the coat. You can brush and brush till the cows come home but it can take forever to get that nice even overall glamour back. Seasonal coat changes, hormonal changes all wreak havoc on a show dogs coat and usually when you least want it to happen.
So, how to keep up appearances and keep that level and even feel to the coat? Well, I advocate blow drying. Controversial? Not if you see the results. It doesn’t take long to blow dry a short coated dog no matter how large he is, and, all short coated breeds will benefit. Bottom line, it removes all the dead hair and kind of rolls the coat so you don’t get the sudden explosions of hair associated with shedding. Try to use if you can, one of the stronger turbo dryers to blast the dead hair out and one that blows only cool air. People are amazed when they see how much hair comes away with the dryer compared to brushing. So, the quicker the coat comes out, the quicker it grows back and this ability to remove all dead hair every week and fast, ensures an even coat all year.
To hasten the process when the coat is shedding, pack the coat full of conditioner such as Plush Puppy Silk Protein Conditioner diluted 5 parts water to one part shampoo and leave in – don’t rinse – then hit it with the dryer. This will get that stubborn hair out quickly. Then rinse clean and dry fully.
For show grooming, use Plush Puppy Whitening Shampoo which is a toning shampoo and will not lighten or bleach. This gives a good ash overtone and hue to the coat which should be a mouse grey or silver grey. Use at 5 parts water to one part shampoo or 3 parts water to one part shampoo for stronger tonal effects. This will lessen the warm tones in the coat due to sun fading or ageing.
For extra shine, use Plush Puppy All Purpose Shampoo which has wonderful henna extracts (not like the old henna powders which used to build up on the coat causing the coat to become brittle). This shampoo gives loads of gloss and glamour and like all the Plush Puppy shampoos, is naturally sourced. Use at 5:1 as above. You can, if you wish, mix ½ All Purpose Shampoo & ½ Whitening Shampoo and dilute exactly the same. Gives you the best of everything and perfectly tailored to a Weimaraner Coat.
I don’t generally like conditioner on a show coat as it tends to make the coat fluffy and fly away and only ever use it for removing dead hair. Nothing works better than Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil as a final rinse. This fabulous product is all natural primarily consisting of Evening Primrose Oil, Calendula Oil etc. It gives optimum gloss and healthy vigour to the skin & coat. Use diluted 1 tbspn to 1 gal/4 lt bucket of water or 1 dspn into a hydrobath tank. Squish well through the coat, working right down to the skin. Now leave it in and do not rinse out. Then blow dry. A great alternative to a finishing rinse and an apt one for a gundog coat, retaining texture yet keeping up all hydration and shine.
As for trimming, your standard doesn’t specifically mention it, so that implies it is permissible? You will however need to tidy up for the Long Haired variety around the feet and strip any excess undercoat as you want the Wei coat to sit smooth and sleek. Also trim/strip/thin excess hair under the ears as the choke chain could tug on this and unsettle the dog. They can start to „lose their neck“ too as some get a little ruff under the ears. Take it off. Neaten any unwanted feathering that appears and tidy around the tail and rear if any growth pattern areas stick up.
Look after the coat in between shows. Most of your work with your Weimaraner will be maintaining the condition and ensuring the coat doesn’t bleach out in the sun or get wear and tear in the outdoors. Use Plush Puppy Sunshade for topline protection. Just a quick application along the topline to stop colour fade. This unique spray pump will work either as a spray or lotion dispenser depending on how far you depress the nozzle. Also use Plush Puppy Revivacoat for moisturising the coat. This is a gentle moisturising and hydrating mousse that can be liberally applied without greasiness and left in. Keeps the moisture content up to the coat and stops fly away/static.
You should also have in your kit, a bottle of Plush Puppy Coat Rescue. This is for when that coat is ready to go to God and is dry and brittle. Everything known to man has gone into this bottle of goodness and should be applied diluted 5:1 and slathered liberally throughout the coat and left on for as long as you can get the dog to sit still. Then rinse. Wonderful for quick repair.
I prefer a ½ bristle/½ nylon brush such as the Plush Puppy Anti Stat Brush and then a polishing mitt for grooming on show day. Follow with a light application of Plush Puppy Shine & Comb misted high above the topline, allow to settle and then wipe over with the palm of the hand for extra gloss. I suggest also a hint of Plush Puppy Pixie Dust judiciously applied to the edge of the Anti Stat Brush and dusted lightly against the growth of the coat to allow the powder to settle down into the coat and the shimmer to stay on the top. Nice when it picks up the pinpricks of light from the sun or a spotlight.
A quick spray over with Plush Puppy Odour Muncher to keep your bird dog smelling boutique fresh and he is ready to walk the cat-walk alongside all the other glamour models that inhabit our dog world. It is so easy to forget he has other sides and facets to his life. We have chosen to place him in the ring and it is a step in another direction to which he started out but one that allows us all to showcase our favourite breed. He is a handsome dog, the Weimaraner. His fine aristocratic features and his passionate ability to work and perform are a formidable sight in any show ring. He moves with ease and grace and a show of great strength and power. Groomed up with all the skills of a good presenter, this dog should be a standout in any crowd.
CHERYL LECOURT