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Maltese

SECRETS FROM A MAD MALTESE EXPERT
So you have a beautiful Maltese that you want to show and you want him to look like a million dollars? As a perfectionist, I strongly believe the first and most important step towards achieving this goal is purchasing the right products to condition and groom your dog. Do not underestimate the importance of using top-notch grooming supplies and equipment to groom your Maltese for the show ring. My favourite brand of rooming products when preparing for and presenting my dogs in the show ring is #1 All-Systems ™. An investment in good grooming supplies is necessary if you want an edge over the competition.

Conditioning and maintaining a Maltese in full coat is a full-time job. In order to commit so much time and patience to ready a Maltese for competition, there must be a certain degree of PASSION! Many, many hours a week are needed to care for your Maltese and his beautiful, long, flowing hair! There are 2 different routines involved - maintenance and show preparation. Let’s begin at the end of a show, when I’m readying my dog for the trip home.

MAINTENANCE

However short or long the journey may be, it is always wise to take the time to ensure your dog’s coat isn’t damaged during the trip. I first brush out any residue from products that have been used on the topknot before going on to brush through the entire coat while lightly spraying #1 All-Systems Moisturizing Coat Protector & Enhancer (or #1 All Systems Fabulous Grooming Spray), using #1 All-Systems Large Pin Brush. I then wrap the hair to keep it from matting or becoming urine-stained during the trip home. Start by wrapping the topknot hair in one wrapper, then proceed with the ears, whiskers, chin, chest, shoulders, body, rear and finally the tail. Now your dog is ready for the ride home.

As soon as we arrive home it is time to brush, bathe and put the dog back into oil and full body wraps. If you have chosen not to use oil, just brush, bathe and condition the coat (use #1 All Systems Botanical Conditioner). If you are trying to maintain a dog in ‘specials’ coat, I highly recommend oil because Maltese are very active and this allows them the freedom to let their personalities shine through without danger of damaging the hair. The purpose of bathing soon after the show is to remove any damaging grooming products or dirt from the hair that may have accumulated during the show. I start by shampooing with #1 All Systems Super Cleaning and Conditioning Shampoo. I really like to use this shampoo after a show because it effectively cleanses and relaxes a coat that has been through the stress of show-preparation.

When shampooing the coat, work it in carefully without swirling or tangling the hair. Instead, squish the shampoo through the hair as though washing a fine, expensive sweater. Then rinse well. It is essential that you get ALL of the shampoo out of the dog’s coat. Repeat this process one more time. Do not be surprised if it takes you a long time to get all of the shampoo out. Different coat textures and water ‘hardness’ or ‘softness’ (which differs from country to country) will affect the time needed to completely rinse all the shampoo out. Now begin to squeeze the excess water out of all sections of the dog’s coat, again, as you would a fine sweater. I then mix 2 tablespoons of #1 All-Systems Humectant Oil & Cosmetic Conditioner (do not use a lanolin-based oil for the Maltese as it is too heavy and harsh for this breed) with 2 litres of warm water. Placing the dog in a clean basin to collect any run-off, pour this mixture over the entire coat, making sure it covers any hard-to-reach areas. The amount of oil you use will depend on the texture of coat you are conditioning and the amount of coat you are dealing with. One of the most important things about putting a dog in oil is that you should leave it on for no more than 5-6 days. Bathe the dog again after this period. You can either put him back in oil after that, or then go on to prepare him for the show ring. Leaving a coat in oil any longer than 5-6 days will be detrimental to the coat.

After this, blow-dry the dog completely using a stand dryer (I recommend an Edemco finishing dryer) being careful not to let the air get too hot as the Maltese has very sensitive skin. If you wrap the hair while it is still wet/damp, you may risk the chance of the hair mildewing in the wrapper, especially if you live in a humid climate. Making sure the ears are completely dry is especially important as damp ears can lead to ear infections (you may want to use #1 All Systems Ear So Fresh to clean the ears and remove water trapped in the ear canals).

After the dog is dry I take a ratting comb that has a metal poker on the end (you can buy these very inexpensively at a local beauty supply store) and part the dog down the back and then use the poker to part the individual sections I am going to wrap. I then body wrap the Maltese. Take special care not to wrap the end of the tail or the end of the ear leathers as the rubber band can cut off circulation to these parts of the body.

After the dog is in wraps it is a DAILY process of unwrapping, brushing, and re-wrapping until the day before the show, or the show day itself, when you will bathe and groom the dog for the ring. Keep a spray bottle with the Humectant Oil and water mixture to spray on the coat each day as you brush. NEVER brush a dry coat. If you choose not to put your dog in oil then use #1 All Systems Hair Revitalizer & Instant Anti-Static Coat Spray (or #1 All Systems Fabulous Grooming Spray) to lightly spray the coat each time you brush.

SHOW PREPARATION

Now that the day of the show has arrived, the first thing I do is take all of the wraps out and brush through the entire dog, then I trim the toe-nails as well as the hair around the toe-pads. Trimming the toe-pad hair is very important as it prevents him from slipping on the floor or mats in the show ring. After this I clean the teeth and then it’s time for a bath! If you experience any tear-staining, try using #1 All Systems Super Whitening Gel before bathing. (This product is safe to use daily, in-between shows and during maintenance.) I do not recommend bleaching as it can ruin the hair shaft and without constant conditioning, is typically not successful. #1 All Systems Super Whitening Gel is a SAFE and EFFECTIVE alternative to bleaching.

When bathing in preparation for a show I use several different shampoos. First I start with #1 All Systems Super Cleaning and Conditioning Shampoo, again making sure to rinse it off completely. If the dog has been in oil, I shampoo twice. You may choose to use #1 All Systems Product Stabilizer for the 2nd shampoo. I then follow with #1 All Systems Pure White Lightening Shampoo (test a patch of hair underneath first with ANY whitening shampoo you use because different coat textures may absorb the colour in the shampoo differently). After rinsing well, I follow with #1 All Systems Platinum Color Enhancing Botanical Conditioner. I find this conditioner works best on drop-coated and silky-coated breeds. (This product is a natural whitening conditioner, formulated from plant and flowers.) Do not rinse all of the conditioner out of the coat but leave enough in to help keep the coat detangled while blow-drying. After rinsing squeeze the excess water out of the coat again like you would a fine sweater. Then begin the drying process.

Before blow-drying, you may want to apply #1 All Systems Invisible Hold Setting & Styling Gel to prevent flyaway hair and block out humidity. When drying the coat for show day I turn the dog upside down in my lap and start with the back feet first then dry underneath starting with the show side up to the front legs, and then the non-show side. Take care to dry just the coat underneath the dog as you do not want the top coat to dry too fast. Then I turn the dog over and start drying the tail first, then on the show side, line-brushing from the underneath to the top coat, brushing from the centre-part down and moving towards the head. As soon as I have dried the shoulder hair I start on the non-show side of the dog. This is then followed by the chest, leaving the head and whiskers for last. If you are having problems getting the hair as straight as you feel it should be, I recommend using #1 All Systems Get It Straight Coat Polish and Dressing. Using a small amount, rub this product between your hands and work into the coat while wet. However, with this product, less is more.

After I am all done I then wrap the head, whiskers and ear hair (to keep the hair from getting into the dog’s mouth overnight or during the drive to the show). Do note that a Maltese can swallow and easily choke on his own hair if it is not wrapped up. I then wrap the tail hair in one wrapper and split the side hair into two wrappers on each side so that the dog can be exercised without getting urine on his hair. After exercising, take the wrappers out of the body coat and let your dog rest up for the big day!

In most cases I like to do a Maltese out the night before a show so that the coat can breathe before I stress it out with ironing on show day. From start to finish it takes me about 4 hours to groom my dog for the ring. Make sure that when you are planning your schedule for show day you give yourself lots of extra time. The worst feeling in the world is to be rushed. When that happens, both you AND your dog will feel the stress, so allowing for extra time will keep you and your dog stress-free and on top of your game to go into the ring and WIN!

ABOUT THE AUTHOR

Tara Martin was born into the world of dog-showing - specifically, the Maltese. Under the tutelage of her mother, Vicki Abbott (who handled Maltese Ch. Sand Island Small Kraft Lite, “Henry” to Group One at Westminster Kennel Club in 1992 and to top male Maltese of all-time), Tara stepped into the ring with a Maltese for the first time at the age of 6. She was a junior handler who qualified for Westminster in each of the 6 years she competed in Juniors, making the finals one year and ranking as #1 Toy Junior handler and #4 All-breed Junior handler in her last year of competition. After college, Tara returned to the show ring as a professional handler specialising in all Toy breeds and coated Non-Sporting breeds. She is currently campaigning her new Maltese special Ch. Bhe-Jei’s Pinball Wizard, “Tommy”, as he is known to his fans, who at the young age of 2 is already a multiple Best in Show winner!

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