The smiling happy face of the Samoyed is one that lights up the ring as someone said «with the face and heart of the spirit of Xmas the whole year through». His traditions as the companion, shepherd and sled dog to the nomadic Samoyed peoples gave him the unique traits of the happy endearing personality these people have too.

The Samoyed is a primitive breed tracing origins from Iran to the frozen ice and tundra of the north from the White Sea to the Yenisei River. Working with reindeer herds and having the capability to pull one and a half times his weight in freight, this dog was a valuable member of his community.

He is a double coated breed. His longer guard hair stands straight out from the body with the undercoat soft and abundant like thick close wool. His colour ranges from white. to white & biscuit and cream and should be free from curl and never droop. Bitches have a softer texture but all coats must be weather resistant and the standard calls for «well groomed».

This is a very pretty and endearing breed and the quest to maintain that coat in top show condition at all times is a challenge. Double coated breeds shed coat and when they do it is a snow storm. Lessening the aftermath of the «blizzard» and the frequency, is possible if one adheres to a rigorous routine.

The hard work for this coat starts well before the show – in fact it is a non stop job. Double coats are quite easy to maintain as long as you do it regularly. It has to be part of routine discipline. The major thing for keeping and extending a double coat is to bath, oil and blow dry – every week, and in fact when needed, twice a week.

So the routine has to be, bath in the appropriate shampoo for the situation e.g. Plush Puppy Whitening Shampoo for toning the unwanted warm tones, Plush Puppy Body Building Shampoo to bodify a coat when there isn’t enough coat – OR, mix both together for the tone and extra body. Plush Puppy Deep Cleansing Shampoo is excellent for stains that need minimising. Use all shampoos diluted at the ratio of at least 3:1- i.e. 3 parts water to one part shampoo. The shampoos are all concentrated.

If you have to deal with bad elbow stains etc, use Plush Puppy Wonder Blok, a new stain reducing soap – repeat if necessary. Better to not have stains in the first place! Give a tablespoon Apple Cider Vinegar in food each day to help minimise the acidity – the main cause of red elbows, mouth etc. Takes a good 6 weeks to see new growth.

Do not condition this coat with conditioner as conditioners flatten and soften. The coat is meant to stand straight out from the body and not lie flat. Use instead, Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil to hydrate and protect the coat by diluting at 1 dspn to 1 bucket (4 lt/1gal) water. Saturate the coat through to the skin by applying with a large car sponge and leave the mix in the coat – do not rinse out. Blow dry against the growth of the coat from the bum to the head working against the growth of the coat pushing the coat forwards with the heel of your hand whilst using the nozzle of a cool dryer to dry right through to the roots. It takes time to dry well but it must be 110% dry if anything. The lift to the coat will come from drying well at the roots and not just midlengths and tips.

For extra body and oomph to the coat for show day, add 1 tbspn Plush Puppy Volumising Cream to the bucket Oil mix so it all gets done in one application and is all left in. Apply Plush Puppy Puffy Dog to the legs and ruff if these are a bit coat challenged. Puffy Dog gives LOTS of lift but you will feel this slightly in the coat. If you are a purist, the Volumising Cream will give you lots of lift to the bodycoat and you won’t feel that in the texture.

By using the Seabreeze Oil you get a beautiful silvery sheen to the tips of the coat as it will have all the healthy vigour that comes from the Evening Primrose Oil and Calendula Oil. These are the very best quality extracts that money can buy. Don’t be fooled by others who make claims – this is the best and it is in the bottle. Nothing works as well as this product for getting wonderful sheen and condition to the skin and coat. You won’t get dry flipped up ends that tend to curl if the coat is dry and brittle. It does take regular use and application and this, and, blow drying out religiously every week, will keep most of the coats «rolling», resulting in just a fluff out rather than the huge coat dumps that one generally gets all the time. If you get the loose coat out constantly, the new coat will come back in quicker and you don’t end up with felted messes and having to overwork those wrists with unnecessary brushing.

This is your basis for this double coat. Stick to the basic routine and do it well. Recapping – shampoo, oil and blow dry. Show day, shampoo, oil, Vol Cream and blow dry. Simple!

Now the fluffy titivation bits that make the silhouette on the day perfect. Mix 1 tbspn Plush Puppy Volumising Cream to one cup (250 mls) water in a Plush Puppy Spray bottle. Use this for fluffing up and quick blow drying to offset any flattened areas or just to make it perfect. Or if in good coat, then use Plush Puppy OMG Ready To Use or OMG Concentrate diluted 30:1 as a brushing spray.

Brush using the Plush Puppy Pin Brush Regular against the growth of the coat for maximum lift. Fluff the ruff right up. Any stained areas minimise with Plush Puppy Coverup Cream. This is a great cover up on short coated areas such as face, feet, inside ears or elbows. Apply to a barely damp sponge and dab lightly, layer upon layer till coverage complete. Don’t apply in a big dollop. It’s like white makeup for dogs – put on lightly and not with a trowel! It’s not Kabuki theatre makeup! Then apply a dusting of loose chalk or Plush Puppy Fairy Frost Regular, a super white powder with fabulous clinging ability and allow to dry and then brush. This powder doesn’t clump in wet weather. Worth the extra!

A tiny sprinkle or dusting of Plush Puppy Pixie Dust to the brush and dipped here and there onto the coat will add sparkle and shimmer to the ends without looking like the glitter fairy. If you can see it when you are putting it on the coat, you have too much on the brush.

A light spray of Plush Puppy Shine & Comb from a good arms length away and allowed to fall in a soft mist onto the topline, pants and head, adds last minute gleam to that glam coat. I always add Plush Puppy Odour Muncher for a good fragrance and to eat up any crate or toilet smells – judges judge not just with eyes and hands but noses as well.

You can use Plush Puppy Powder Puff Regular for quick dry cleaning in between the shows over a long weekend or to clean up spills and messes. This is non toxic, naturally sourced and is not talc. Plush Puppy Wonderwash is the wet no rinse alternative for quick cleaning. I just like the easy toss on, rub through and brush or blow out of the Powder Puff – saves having to dry off if in a hurry.

There are many other things you can do for situations outside the norm but please email me if you have personal individual requests.

Now, show time – your wonderful working dog with his alert dignity should stride round that ring with reach and drive, purposel and grace, looking a million bucks! His loyalty, independence and intelligence are all the traits you know him for but his ring silhouette is what the judge will see in the short time he has to make decisions. Adhering to good routines of grooming will ensure your beautiful breed fits the standard’s requirements for coat and texture and give you the opportunity to fill that required silhouette.

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