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YOUNGSTERS BRUSH WITH THE BEST

Young Kennel Club entrants will compete for the prestigious title of Wahl’s Young Groomer of the Year at this year’s Crufts.

Here, over 20 of the best under 25 year-olds, who have qualified in heats from all over the country, will gather in the YKC ring between 8.15am and 10.30am on Thursday 6^th March to demonstrate their skill and knowledge of grooming on a range of dogs in six age categorised ‘groom through’ and ‘clip, trim and strip’ classes.

All handlers must be aged at least six years of age and up to 24 years of age and, in the ‘groom through’ class, are required to show the understanding and skill required to remove all dead hair and tangles from the dog’s coat. A small amount of trimming to tidy the feet, ears and tail is allowed but the class is mainly judged on the handling of the dog, cleanliness of the ears, eyes, mouth and sensitive areas, no loose hair or dirt should remain in the dogs’ coats or signs of shampoo or conditioner in the coat.

In the ‘clip, trim and strip’ class competitors need to demonstrate their skills in coat removal by stripping, trimming and / or clipping the coat. Competitors need to use one or all of these skills in this class.

The classes are open to any dog providing it is registered with the Kennel Club in accordance with their regulations. This includes rescue or crossbreeds who do not qualify under the breed register but can instead be included under the ‘activity’ category.

The Young Kennel Club Grooming competitions are being judged by international grooming champion and author of Grooming Your Dog, Peter Young and renowned dog groomer, Fiona Brook. An overall champion will then be chosen.

One of the judges of last year’s competition, Eileen Geeson, commented: “Having been involved and passionate about grooming dogs since about the age of 13 when I had my first Standard Poodle and decided the artistry of clipping was for me, it was a tremendous pleasure to be asked to judge the Young Kennel Club members Groomer of the Year competition at Crufts 2013 along with co-judge Kitty Deersgieter.

“We were both enthralled by the standard of presentation as well as the dedication that these young groomers show towards their dogs. Taking the crown was 18-year-old Sophie Wing with her Miniature Schnauzer.

“Without doubt the young groomers are a dedicated bunch of enthusiasts and their obvious rapport with their dogs is a joy to behold.  It inspired confidence in me that our dogs will be in capable hands in the coming years. This competition will continue to grow as more and more dog owners come to realise the importance of dog care and enjoy precious time with their dogs. The ringside was packed to bursting with interested spectators, often intrigued at the professionalism demonstrated by the young groomers. Crufts is as popular as ever and I am sure with competitions such as these the interest will continue and we may see the need for an even larger ring to accommodate our young enthusiasts.

As international leaders in the manufacture of clipper products for the animal grooming sector, Wahl has been sponsoring the competition since its conception around eight years ago.

Nicola Darling of Wahl UK, said: “Our business is grooming and we are passionate about our equipment being used correctly. Sponsorship of the Young Kennel Club grooming competitions provides an opportunity to support young people as they learn the important elements in taking care of their dogs.  Some will go on to be groomers of the future and we value the opportunity to encourage the best and most appropriate grooming techniques at a young age. We are delighted that the competitions continue to inspire youngsters to develop their grooming skills and we look forward to continuing our work with the Kennel Club in the future.”

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by mike

Where East meets West

In this article Pammie Carmichael-Hogg, the creator of Asian Fusion grooming reveals how it all came about and offers a few tips for those wishing to try it themselves.

A fascination for how a messy dog is transformed into a work of art at a grooming salon is something that has always fascinated Pammie and is probably what sowed the seeds for the eventual development of her own unique style of Asian Fusion. It was later on in life when she had a show dog, a Polish Lowland Sheepdog, that she really appreciated the skills of a professional groomer.

This was when she met Kim Mason of the Grooming Parlour in Doncaster and where the mystery of grooming was unravelled. Pammie was smitten! “As my grooming developed,” says Pammie “I would stumble upon pictures of dogs in styles that I had never seen before. They were all from other countries. I remember seeing a poodle that had been trimmed to look like a bear, not a standard ‘teddy trim’ but a proper teddy bear and I was shocked. I spent ages trying to work out how it had been done.” With her own Lhasa to work on and some willing customers Pammie began to practice creating something similar and started to develop her own unique style. Soon after other customers were asking if they could have the same styles. “I realised a need a name to call it so customers could identify it and, more importantly, to be able to tell other dog owners that they met,” says Pammie. “This was the birth of Fusion Grooming – East meets West.” Already, Fusion Grooming was starting to earn Pammie a reputation with the likes of Barbara Bird in the USA who asked her to co-demonstrate with her in Scotland. Her skill was beginning to flourish but for Pammie she still didn’t feel it was good enough. Her search for some proper instruction took her to Canine Design in Somerset with her Lhasa Mimi where Colin Taylor was doing a workshop. “I was terribly nervous trimming in front of spectators,” says Pammie. “It came to Mimi’s head and Colin asked how I would like it. I hesitated for a moment because I didn’t know how he or the spectators would react to my request.

I asked him to do a ‘Japanese face’. Colin’s response was to give one of his trademark grunts and gave Mimi a pretty face but it wasn’t what I wanted. At lunch he pulled me to one side and recommended that I go to the Starwood Academy in Bangkok! It took me two years to get in and I found some of the styles I learnt there too severe. As a result I have developed my own technique for leaving the character of the dog alone and adding my own personal style.” Since then Asian Fusion as it is now known is brewing up a storm. “Groomers can see the benefits of adding this string to their bow,” says Pammie. “For the vast majority, it fuels and fulfils their creativeness. Most importantly it pleases customers. I get stacks of mail every day from groomers here and all over the world giving testament to the difference it’s made in their daily working lives and their profits.” “The most common style I get asked for is the ‘Mimi face’,” says Pammie. “It seems to have become a titled style that I am asked to demonstrate to other groomers. Customers love it and of course Mimi is a great ambassador and model.”

1) The biggest tip is not to try to rush. Like all new things, it takes a little time to learn the new techniques. The second biggest tip is not to be scared. You simply need to get your scissors into the coat and let your heart take over. Quite often a style will just develop as you go on and you begin to see the anatomy underneath. And of course, because this is not prescriptive, you can’t make mistakes! I tell people that we only have happy accidents and from those we can learn and grow.

2) Try to remember that Asian Fusion Grooming is a balance between two opposite ends of a spectrum. Traditional breed trimming that we are taught in schools and the (often) very severe Asian styles. It is a way for us to offer something new and different whilst keeping in touch with the familiar. How far you tip the balance in one direction or another is entirely up to you. But remember, coat preparation is a key factor. The coat should be completely clean, knot free and dried correctly according to the
breed and coat type you are working on.

3) The absolute best breeds are the smaller ones and obviously the ones with plenty of coat hair to play with. The mixed/designer breeds that the industry has been at a loss to know how to style are quite often ideal. On these, where there is no breed standard, we can really exercise our creative natures and make something special and unique. The drop coats and wool coats make great artistic canvases too. There is no reason why the larger breeds cannot share in the fun, and I am receiving more and more pictures of standard poodles and other large breeds on a daily basis. Even the shave offs can have a teeny bit of this styling. Many times, just the face made uber cute can convert owners into regular brushers when they see what can be achieved. These styles are ideal for owners who don’t like or don’t have time to brush regularly, because mostly there is very little long hair to care for.

Pammie and some of her styles from STARWOOD

 

 

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by mike

Grooming down under

On June 6th I took off to the amazing city of Sydney, Australia with my partner Coleman. After a very long flight and me dying for a fag we finally landed and were whisked off to the hotel. I went to bed straight away as I had to be up early bright-eyed and bushy-tailed in the morning to judge at a show.

The grooming show was put on by the Australian Pet Trade Association and was held in Luna Park. The contest was full of very talented groomers and I had the hard task of picking out the winners. But I pulled in Pammie Carmichael-Hogg to assist as she was there also, demonstrating her Asian Fusion grooming which proved to be very popular. It was a long day and we finally crowned the best in show at 9.30 pm which went to a young girl with a lovely groomed Springer.

After my time judging I spent most of my fun time in Darling Harbour which is just a ferry ride across the water from Luna Park and while sitting with my partner at a bar or a cafe I saw many dogs walking around. All were sporting nice haircuts, most of which were long and not the typical shave-offs. I asked a few dog owners how much they paid their groomers. All three said the same, which was in the 75-dollar bracket (about the equivalent of £43 in the UK). I found Australian groomers all have the same issues everybody else does, which is pricing and getting the respect from their clients.

My seminars consisted of promoting my book ‘What Would Colin Do?’ as well as talking about the importance of good customer service and how to create the easy pet trim so that you are working smarter not harder. The crowd was eager to learn and asked many questions. After three days of talking I was starting to lose my voice but all the groomers seemed to get a lot out of the seminars. I hope they use the tips I showed them to make their passion easer to achieve.

After my 10 days in Sydney it was time to do the pain-staking trip home and yes it was a long one but I was excited as I got to return to my well-missed Jigsaw who most of you know.

Over the year and with all the travel I have began to understand that no matter where I am in the world groomers all have the same issues. And one groomer said something that stuck in my head: “We all are different but no matter what sex we are or colour, we all share one thing and that's the passion to groom dogs so instead of working against each other we should help one another out and come together more.”  Wise words. Colin x

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by mike

British Dog Grooming Championship – the results are in

Mike Wildman secured his second Best in Show win in a year at the British Dog Grooming Championships at Bingley Hall, on Sunday 6^th October. Following on from his success at Premier Groom and with new dog Violet (a Cocker Spaniel), Mike demonstrated his skill in handstripping to produce another showstopper. For the first time he also competed at the show with his own homebred poodle Norris in the scissoring class.

‘This is just amazing,’ Mike said. ‘I owe a huge thank you to Michaela Burns who owns Violet and also to my friend Shirley Jones who helps prep all my dogs for shows. I have been handstripping for a long time so I’m used to it, but scissoring was a new experience for me and I look forward to doing more. Both dogs are only 12 months old but they behaved impeccably and I’m so proud of them.’

The Championship went with a bang at its new location of Bingley Hall in Staffordshire. The light and airy annexe at Bingley Hall provided an exciting new venue for the competition, which was constructed in the round, with the judges elevated on a raised platform in the middle of the ring. Seven classes were available to each group to enter, as well as the Junior Competition. The new Pot Pourri Clip & Scissor class proved popular, allowing groomers to demonstrate more of their salon skills in a competition environment.

The prize fund was bigger than ever this year. In addition to his prize money, Mike won a trip to the USA to compete for International Groomer of the Year compete at Intergroom. He will be joined there by Shaun Leach from Scruffy Pups Grooming and Training Centres, who won the draw from the Pet Industry Federation Accredited Training Centres.

 

 

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by mike

The highs and lows of working abroad By Sarah Furneaux

Groomer and teacher Suzi Clark gives a personal account of her experiences of working abroad – be warned, working in sunnier climes may not be all that it’s cracked up to be.

Suzi started dog grooming when she was 10 on a Bichon called Souness – her dad was a huge football fan and that was one of the conditions if he allowed Suzi to have a dog was that it had to be called after the famous footballer Graham Souness. Her interest in grooming began when she entered Souness in the local companion dog show and won. She was hooked on showing though she admits that Souness wasn’t really a show dog and so started showing for other people. In 1993 she became the top toy junior handler at only 15. She admits boys became a bit of a distraction after that but a few years later and with a couple of Bichons needing to be prepared for the show ring she decided to become a professional groomer and went to Agnes Murphy to train. She opened her first grooming salon in Dumfries in 2002, which she ran for five years.

After breaking up with her long-term boyfriend she decided she needed a complete change of scene and lifestyle – Australia! She went out there with no intention of doing anything connected with grooming yet she soon found herself managing a salon called Bark Avenue in Willerby, New South Wales, which she loved. She also started studying at the International Grooming Company with Deb Ryan and Sharon Hall. After 18 happy months the issue of renewing her visa reared its ugly head. She had no option but to return to the UK but that was something Suzi really didn’t want to do so she stopped off in Dubai hoping to find some work there. And luck was on her side…she found a mobile grooming company who needed someone to build the business. The money was amazing and it came with free accommodation for six months. It all seemed too good to be true!

She returned to the UK for a couple of weeks to catch up with family and then off she went to Dubai full of excitement and anticipation. Just before she was about to leave she received an email from the business owner saying they couldn’t pick her up at the airport due to some family issues. She was told to get in a taxi and give the driver an address he provided. After a long day’s travelling Suzi was happy to check into a hotel for the night and go to the address in the morning. After over an hour’s wait in the concierge’s office of an apartment block a man turned up and indicated that she should follow him as he would show her to her accommodation. What he showed Suzi was the most disgusting flat she’d ever seen. She informed him that she’d not travelled half way round the world to stay somewhere like this!

 

She felt very vulnerable as her phone didn’t work and she was reliant upon the man to inform her new boss. After conversations with the boss he showed her another flat. It was cleaner than the first but every room was a bedroom including the cupboard in the hall! He opened the door to a room that he said would be hers only to find a bloke asleep in the bed, who was quickly ushered out. Suzi reluctantly took it – at least it had an ensuite bathroom and there was a lock on the door. She stayed for just two nights and then found her own serviced apartment close by which she paid for out of her own pocket. Having sorted out her living accommodation it was time to start work. And again the job description didn’t match the reality. She was sent out in the grooming van with the other groomers in soaring temperatures. On the bright side she became (and still is) good friends with the other groomers, nearly all from Asia. Suzi says they were lovely, hard working and really good groomers. However, they were paid a pittance in comparison to Suzi, worked long hours, were not given any holidays, given poor accommodation and, worse than that, the owners took their passports away so they couldn’t even leave. Suzi found it increasingly difficult to reconcile herself to the conditions of her fellow workers and was also being continually hassled to hand over her passport on the grounds that they needed it to sort out her visa. She worried she’d never get it back if she handed it over so after a few months she decided enough was enough. She booked a midnight flight from Dubai and left, texting her boss just before she took off to let them know that she wouldn’t be coming back.

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by mike

Premier Groom 2013 Results

Premier Groom 2013

The UK’s favourite grooming event took place at the Kennel Club Building, Stoneleigh Park on Sunday. With more entries than last year (and that was a record) organisers Groom Team England and grooming supplier, Redcape, once again put on a fabulous day for everyone.

The competitions during the day consisted of Handstrip, Pure Breed Scissor, Poodle, Spaniel & Setter and Workshop classes at Beginner, Open and Champion building to the climax of Best in Show and Reserve Best in Show won by Mike Wildman and Lesley Harpham respectively. There were also Groom Team England Special Award, Best Transformation Award, Best Preparation by a Beginner, Spectators Special Award and a Debutante class for the first time. All in all more than 100 dogs were brushed, scissored, clipped and handstripped to within an inch of their life to produce some stunning finished results. And from the photos taken on the day, some dogs were obviously enjoying the limelight more than others!

Full results below:

Winners Premier Groom 2013

Hand Strip Beginner (sponsored by Pet Industry Federation)

1^st place  - Maria Tawse -  Border Terrier

2^nd place  -  Steph Kelly  -  BorderTerrier

3^rd place  -  Cara Tucker  - Border Terrier

Hand Strip Open (sponsored by Mikki)

1^st place  - Cynthia Rodrigues-Ponce  -  Scottish Terrier

2^nd place  -  Jessica Walker  -  West Highland White Terrier

3^rd place  -  Angela Flowers  - Welsh Terrier

Hand Strip Champion (sponsored by Red Cape)

1^st place  - Lesley Harpham   -  Norfolk Terrier

2^nd place  -  Ann Marie Burns  -  West Highland White Terrier

3^rd place  -  Klaudia Szonyi – LakelandTerrier

 Judges: Mirjam van den Bosch, Romana Kania and Paula Hull

Purebreed Scissor Beginner (sponsored by Canine Design)

1^st place  - Imogen Heaton  Pomeranian

Pure Breed Scissor  Open (sponsored by The ProGroomer)

1^st place  - Denise Westbrook -  Kerry Blue

2^nd place  -  Richard Smith  - Bichon Frise

3^rd place  -  Charlie Crowley -  Bichon Frise

Pure Breed Scissor  Champion (sponsored by Wild Wash)

1^st place  - Laura Campanella  -  Bichon Frise

2^nd Place – Sharon Smith – Bichon Frise

3^rd Place – Eve Somers – Kerry Blue

Judges:  Mirjam van den Bosch, Romana Kania and Alison Rogers

Best Beginner (sponsored by  Look North Grooming & Training )  -  Maria Tawse  -  Border Terrier

Best Debutante (sponsored by Groomers)  -  Lorraine Gavin  -  Yorkie Cross

Reserve Debutante ( sponsored by Groomers)  -  Lisa Langley -  Border Terrier

Judges: Diana North and Linda Barker

Spaniel and Setter Open (sponsored by Kenchii Shears)

1^st place  - Sheila MacKenzie  -  Cocker Spaniel

2^nd place  -  Aleksandra Bekker  -  Cocker Spaniel

3^rd place  -  Claire Barclay -  Cocker Spaniel

 

Spaniel and Setter Champion (sponsored by Grooming Vans 2 Go)

1^st place  - Mike Wildman  -  Cocker Spaniel

2^nd place – Debbie Aylmer – Cocker Spaniel

 Judges: Mirjam van den Bosch, Romana Kania and Alison rogers

Poodle Beginner (sponsored by Furst Class Lounge)

1^st place  - Brenda Furlong  -  Miniature

2^nd place  -  Cara Tucker  -  Miniature

Poodle  Open (sponsored by Hydrogroom)

1^st place  - Tanya Stevens  -  Standard

2^nd place  -  Julia Sue Pace  -  Toy

3^rd place  -  Becky Ross  -  Miniature

Poodle  Champion (sponsored by Pet Spa at Harrods)

1^st place  - Su Eld-Weaver  -  Standard

2^nd place  -  Chrisse Warwick  -  Miniature

3^rd place  -  Nike Elbertssen  -  Standard

Judges: Mirjam van den Bosch, Romana Kania and Linda Barker

 

Workshop Beginner (sponsored by Pets at Home)

1^st place  - Kristin Raag  -  Lakeland Terrier

2^nd place  -  Marie Chong  -  Lhasa Apso

3^rd place  -  Victoria Jones  -  Maltese

 

Workshop  Open (sponsored by Simpsons)

1^st place  - Sophie Evans  -  Airedale

2^nd place  -  Donna McGarry  -  Lhasa Apso

3^rd place  -  Verity Watts  -  Tibetan Terrier

 

Workshop  Champion  (sponsored by Ravenstein

1^st place  - Laura Campanella  -  Lhasa Apso

2^nd Place  -  Steven Gorman  -  Cross Breed

3^rd Place  -  Joanne Beddoe  -  Cross Breed

 Judges: Diana North and Paula Hull

Groom Team England Special Award  -  Cara Tucker, Kristy Worsell and Sarah Tulloch

Best Transformation  -  Joanne Beddoe

Spectators Special Award  -  Mike Wildman

Best Preparation by a Beginner – Brenda Furlong

Best in Show (sponsored by Aesculap)  -  Mike Wildman  -  English Cocker Spaniel

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Reserve Best in Show (sponsored by Double K)  -   Lesley Harpham  -  Norfolk Terrier

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Best in Show judged by: Mirjam van den Bosch, Romana Kania, Alison Rogers, Linda Barker and Paula Hull

 Gallery:

 

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by mike

Preparing for your City and Guilds practicals

Getting through yourLevelThreeCityand Guilds practical assessments can seem like a daunting task. Students must complete grooms on a short-legged terrier, a spaniel and either a miniature schnauzer or a poodle. Nichola Moore of SmartpetsInternationalAnimalCareCollegehas put together some notes on breed standards to help you prepare.

Bedlington terrier

1 The head is clipped with a fine blade on the cheeks and the entire bottom jaw to the Adam’s apple. The head is scissored into shape, domed from occiput to nose. The sides of the head are no wider than the cheeks. Be careful not to hollow out the eyes the head should look like a roman arch.

2 Ther ear hair is cleared with a fine blade leaving a tassel on the ends. 15/10 can be used.

3 The neck and chest are cleared of hair with no chest furnishings.

4 The back is either clipped or scissored to a medium length giving a neat finish. The dog should appear narrow and have slightly more coat scissored into a curved shape over the spine.

5 The legs are scissored to cylindrical shapes tapering to the foot. The back legs show natural angulation following the body shape and tapering to the foot.

6 The feet have all of the toes are clipped to the first knuckle to show a hare-like foot shape (not a poodle foot shape). The coat is blended into the legs.

7 The tail is cleared. Care should be taken not to remove too much hair from the base of the tail and must later be scissored so there is no ugly "bump".

Lakeland terrier

1 The head has a neat centre fall eyebrow and beard. The ears, top of the head, cheeks and under the jaw to beard are clear of excess coat. A 7f in reverse or 10 can be used.

2 The chest is clean and clear to the breastbone. The front of the leg furnishings are blended at the top with no excess coat protruding.

3 The back is blended into the sides with a neat tuck up. A 7f or 5f can be used dependant on the thickness of the coat.

4 The fore leg furnishings are straight. There is no excess hair at the top of the leg and the coat is blended and flush with the body.

5 The hind leg coat is blended into the body and trimmed to show natural angulations. The back legs should look like a gothic arch when viewed from the rear.

6 The feet are trimmed round, neat and angled to give a tiptoe appearance.

7 The tail is short but padded close to the body.

8 The anal area is clear of any excess hair.

Welsh Terrier

1 The head top and cheeks are clean and blended into the beard. The ears are clean on both sides. The eyebrows are short and split. The beard is blended well and shaped forward.

2 The chest is clear to the breastbone. The front leg furnishings are blended at the top with no excess coat protruding.

3 The fore legs are straight and blended into the chest.

4 The back is blended into the sides with a neat tuck up.

5 The hind legs are blended into the body and the furnishings are trimmed to show natural angulations.

6 The feet are trimmed round, neat and angled to give a tiptoe appearance.

7 The tail on the body side is short but padded.

8 Anal area The anal area is clear of any excess hair.

Miniature schnauzer

1 The head top, cheeks and ears are cleared of hair. The throat area down to the chest bone is clear of excess hair. A 7f in reverse or a 10 can be used.

2 The eyebrows are centre parted in balance with the natural head furnishings and breed profile.

3 The back coat is of medium to short length. The chest area has an inverted V-shape between the fore legs. The anal area and under the tail area are clean of any excess hair. Normally a 7f is used on the body.

4 Fore legs are trimmed to a tubular shape from the elbow to the foot.

5 The feet are trimmed round and blended with the leg furnishings. The underside of the pads is clear of excess hair.

6 The back legs are trimmed in a gentle curve following the body shape and the hock is trimmed in an upright shape.

7 The skirt is trimmed at an angle so that it slants up to the tuck up.

8 The tail underside is clear of any hair, in a docked tail, and the top is clipped to the same length as the body. The underside of an undocked tail is clear of hair near the body and the top and furnishings of the tail are either blended to a flag shape or removed completely to balance the overall shape of the trim.

Cocker spaniel

1 The head and cheeks are clear of all excess coat.

2 The throat is smooth and clear of excess coat with furnishings extending from the breastbone.

3 The ears inside are clear of all excess hair. The base of the ear is clipped clear of hair and furnishings are tidied to a natural rounded shape.

4 The back coat has a smooth finish. The sides are blended into the skirt to give a natural flow to the coat.

5 The chest furnishings drop from the breastbone and follow the line of the skirt. The skirt line is almost straight.

6 The feet are round to give a cat-like appearance. The under pads are clear of excess hair.

7 The fore legs are clear of excess coat on the front with sides thinned.

8 The hind legs are clear of excess coat bur left with a padded finish. The area under the tail is clear of excess coat and flowing into the back leg furnishings. The rear furnishings are trimmed in an inverted V-shape ending at the hocks.

9 The tail is clean and tidy with all excess hair removed. This will be the same length as the body. If the tail is undocked, it is in balance with the rest of the dog and not left over long or scalped.

Springer spaniel

1 The head and cheeks are clear of hair.

2 The throat is clear of excess hair to the chest bone.

3 The ears are clear of excess hair on top, allowing the hair on the ears to flow into the furnishings. The ear furnishings are left natural or given a rounded shape.

4 The back coat has a smooth finish. The sides are blended into the skirt.

5 The chest furnishings drop from the breastbone and follow the line of the skirt which is almost straight.

6 The skirt falls straight from the chest furnishings to the tuck up.

7 The feet are round to give a cat-like appearance. The under pads are clear.

8 The fore legs are clear of excess coat on the front and sides. The furnishings flow from the side of the leg in a gentle curve from pad to elbow.

9 Hind legs are clear of excess hair in the middle, leaving furnishings flowing from the front and back. The furnishings on the front of the leg follow the shape of the leg and the rear furnishings are shaped like a theatre curtain from hock to under tail.

10 The tail is clean and clear of excess hair, if docked. An undocked tail is trimmed to balance the overall appearance of the dog.

 

Cairn terrier

1 The head is well coated and finished with a natural appearance with the

ears peeking out. The ears are cleared of hair fully at the back but are partly hidden in the furnishings of the head.

2 The back has shoulders blended with the hair on the top of the legs and excess coat removed. The sides blend into the skirt. The skirt line is graded slightly towards the groin. The chest is clear with furnishings from the chest bone cut in a v-shape between the front legs. The coat on the hips blends to the hind leg.

3 The fore legs are straight and the coat is trimmed to give a rounded tube like leg.

4 The hind legs’ coat blends with the body coat. The front of the furnishings are

shaped to follow the curve of the body shape. The foot and the hock are rounded and shaped to follow the shape of the leg. The rear furnishings are shaped to theatre curtains from hock to under the tail.

5 The tail is carrot shaped (broader at the bottom. The underside of the tail is shorter than the top.

Wire haired fox terrier

1 The head top and cheeks are clipped smooth and blended into the beard. The ears are clipped smooth on both sides. The eyebrows are small and split, neat and forward facing. The beard is trimmed into a forward facing point.

2 The chest is clipped clean to the breast bone. The shoulders are clipped smooth.

3 The back is clipped short to medium and blended into the sides.

4 The fore legs are trimmed straight and blended into the chest.

5 The hind legs are blended into the body at the top to show rear muscle. The featherings on the front of the back legs are trimmed to show natural angulations. The hocks are upright.

6 The feet are trimmed round, neat and angled to give a tiptoe appearance.

7 The tail underside is short and the top of the tail is scissored to the same length as the body.

8 The anal area is clear of any excess hair.

 West Highland white terrier

1 The ear tips are just visible above the head.  Clip just the tips with a 10/15 blade. The hair on the head is the same length all over to give a round appearance and the corner of the eyes are clear of excess hair.

2 The back hair on the shoulders blends with the hair on the top of the legs and excess coat is removed. The sides blend into the skirt. The skirt line is graded slightly the groin. Suggested blades are 4F/5F. The chest is clear with furnishings from the chest bone cut in a v-shape between the front legs. The coat on the hips blends to the hind leg.

3 Fore legs are blended into the coat on the top of the shoulders. The fore legs are straight and the coat is trimmed to give a rounded tube like leg.

4 Hind legs blend with the body coat. The front of the furnishings are

shaped to follow the curve of the body shape. The foot and the hock are rounded and shaped to follow the shape of the leg. The rear furnishings are shaped to theatre curtains from hock to under the tail.

5 The tail is carrot shaped (broader at the bottom). The underside of the tail is shorter than the top.

 Sealyham

1 The head is the main feature as the eye brows are not separated but fall as one centre furnishing. The top of the head is clipped clear and the ears are well trimmed. Normally a 10/15 on the ears and 7f reverse on the head.

2 Throat and chest are clear of excess hair and the tops of the legs are blended into the top of the shoulder. 7f reveerse on the neck is suggested.

3 The skirt is long and trimmed straight.

4 The back is clipped to a medium to short finish and blended into the flowing furnishings all round. A 7f/5f dependant on how thick the dogs coat is is best.

5 Front leg furnishings are of a good length, have a tubular shape and are blended into the shoulders. Feet are neat.

6 Rear leg furnishings are of a good length to show the breed profile. The legs are shaped to follow the natural shape of the dog and blended into the hips and body. Feet are neat.

7 The tail underside is trimmed short and clear of excess hair. The body side of the tail is short and padded giving the whole tail a tapered shape from base to tip.

 Scottish Terrier

1 The head is clipped at the top. Cheeks and under the jaw clipped to the corner of the mouth. A reverse 7f is best for the head. The eyebrows are long and split. The beard is trimmed to flow forward.

2 The ears have short tufts in the corners of the front of the ear. The ears are clipped and trimmed to have a clear outline. A 10/15 is suggested for the ears.

3 The back coat is clipped medium short and blended from the fine clipping on the head to the furnishings around the body. A 7f/5f dependant on dogs coat is suggested.

4 The hind quarters are blended flat and clean of excess hair under the tail. The hindquarters are flat when viewed from behind with no protrusions from the side.

5 The chest is clear of excess hair from the throat to the breast bone. The front of the chest is blended into leg furnishings.

6 Front leg furnishings are of good length to show the breed profile, tubular shaped and blended into the shoulders. Feet are neat.

7 Hind leg furnishings are of good length and shaped to follow the natural shape of the dog and blended into the hips and body with neat feet.

8 Tail underside is trimmed short clearing it of excess hair. The body side of the tail is short and padded giving the whole tail a tapered shape from base to tip.

Poodle – toy or miniature in a blended lamb trim

1 The head – the face is clean of any excess coat. There is a clear line from the far corner of the ear to the corner of the eye (clearing the front of the ear canal). All hair from the front of the eyes including the muzzle and the bottom of the jaw to the Adam’s apple is clear. If the dog has a beard and moustache, both sides are in balance and even. The top knot is in balance with the tail-pom and the whole dog. 2 The feet are clipped to the wrist removing all excess hair from the top, pads and between the toes, showing the foot clearly below the furnishings. A 15/30 suggested blades for feet, face and tail.

3 The tail-pom is in balance with all the body furnishings and the top knot. If the tail is undocked, it is in balance with the rest of the dog.

4 The back is clipped and the dog does not have shoulder pads. 5f/4f are suggested blades.

5 Front legs are scissored in a tubular shape and blended into the body so as not to give shoulder pads.

6 The hind legs are scissored to give an angulated shape following the body and are blended into the body coat so as not to give hip pads.

 

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by mike