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The French Bulldog. Reputedly descended from the “toy” bulldogs of the lace makers of Nottingham who went to France in search of work during the Industrial Revolution, this engaging and intelligent little dog is known for his trademark “bat” ears. He is a sturdy chap, exhibiting a silhouette that is compact and sturdy with a short naturally undocked tail.
Quite the little clown, yet courageous and alert, he is essentially a lap warmer though not one either to allow strangers unheralded access to your door. He is a great watchdog and full of curiosity.
The French Bulldog coat is a fairly easy one to maintain, but for the show person where every advantage is sought, the perfection to coat is paramount. As this is not a “hairdo” dog, it is up to the exhibitor to ensure that what they do have is absolutely bang on the money. No excuses with a coat that is not up to the level on a Frenchie.
The standard basically calls for a French Bulldog coat of fine texture that is smooth and lustrous, short and close. Relatively a low maintenance coat, nonetheless, the work for this coat begins many weeks before the show. It takes weeks to grow a hair from the hair bulb till it sees light of day and then has to grow length. So, what you see now is what you did many weeks ago. Feed well and treat well and the results will be there.
We are an advocate of bath, oil, and blow-dry. It’s really as simple as that. However, it has to become a mantra. Repetition and repetition. The more you do the better it gets. We were always pushed away from bathing too much fearing that the coat would dehydrate and rightly so. However, we now have better products and techniques available and Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil allows you to rehydrate that coat so you can bath and blow-dry. Blow drying gets out all the dead hair and fast. Of course one must use a cool force dryer. Just watch that dead hair fly even after you think you have brushed this coat till there could not possibly be any dead hair!
First thing when bathing is to start with its most important feature the head, use Plush Puppy Let’s Face It Shampoo. This is a hypoallergenic sulfate free low foaming shampoo designed for faces. It’s a nil fragrance, no tear formula with the highest quality Blue Cypress Extracts, Panthenol with Pro-Vitamin B and SugaNate. These special ingredients clean, soothe, add moisture, aid healing and have anti-inflammatory benefits. A small golf ball sized amounts directly to the face and eye area allows you to thoroughly clean without causing irritation. Can be used in and around ears also with the same benefits. Its low foaming design allows easy rinsing yet complete cleaning. Perfect for eye safety and the French Bulldog facial folds.
So, the routine should be, starting with the bath, the shampoo of choice is selected according to what outcome you want for that particular dog. Use all the shampoos at a diluted ratio of 1:5 (1 part shampoo to 5 parts water). Mostly for the French Bulldog, one would use Plush Puppy All Purpose Shampoo. We call this dog shampoo the ‘Shine’ shampoo as it features natural Henna extracts that impart a beautiful gloss and shine to your dog’s coat. Natural All Purpose Shampoo is primarily derived from organic sources and also features Alpine and Lichen herbs. It is wonderful to use on normal to slightly dehydrated coats.
For pied Frenchies, use the Plush Puppy Herbal Whitening Shampoo for toning white areas and reducing unwanted warm, rusty tones even in the brindles. Herbal Whitening Shampoo features Ginseng extracts, protein, and violet tone combined in a concentrated and rich formula. It works brilliantly in reducing yellowing or warm tones in white coats or white area of the coat without bleaching or lightening. Similar for for darker colours it intensifies colour depth by reducing warm tones.
For those Frenchie that can have skin issues use Plush Puppy Sensitive Skin Shampoo. Use at a ratio of 1:3 (1 part shampoo to 3 parts water) until the condition begins to clear, then dilute further down to as much as 1:10. Repeat at the stronger concentration whenever the condition reappears. This is a dog who has a few wrinkles here and there and humidity and environmental issues can be a bother to this dog. Keep on top of it before it becomes an issue.
For pieds that need extra whitening on stained areas such as feet and hocks use our vegan friendly Plush Puppy Wonder Blok. It helps to maintain a white stain free coat. It is not a bleach and contains no harmful chemicals but high amounts of naturally sourced vegetable surfactants and glycerin. This product is designed to remove unwanted warm or red tones in the coat. Best used on a damp or wet coat. Gently rub into the areas required allowing 5-10 minutes and rinse. For maximum effects repeat or allow a longer time for this amazing product to work. As with all products take care around eyes.
Traditional conditioners are not required for Frenchies, however hydrating the coat is beneficial. Use Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil as a rinse after shampooing. Seabreeze Oil is excellent for maintaining a healthy vigour to the skin and coat and features nourishing Evening Primrose and Calendula Oils. It is non greasy and totally water soluble making it easy to apply without the worry of build-up. Dilute 1-2 teaspoons in 2 Litres of water and work well through the coat with a large sponge. LEAVE IN – DO NOT RINSE. It gives incredible sheen and finish to the hair. This will not soften but retains the correct coat texture. We cannot stress enough the wonderful attributes of Seabreeze Oil.
Now blow dry, using a cool force dryer. This removes all the dead hair with the theory being, that the quicker it comes out, the quicker it grows back. Thus one can minimise shedding. You can reduce that horrid stage of looking moth-eaten or patchy. You will tend to “roll” the coat rather than dump the coat and be able to extend the show season for your dog. I swear by this routine.
You can mix a 1 teaspoon of Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil with 500ml warm water into a spray bottle for extra protection during the period when not showing the dog. It doesn’t take the place of the saturation routine after the bath, but does assist between times. Shake before use.
Once every few weeks, it’s not a bad idea to give the coat an extra-deep treatment with Plush Puppy Coat Rescue. This is especially brilliant for a bitch that has had a litter, or if the coat has got away from you and looks dehydrated and in desperate need of moisture. Mix a good dessertspoon of Coat Rescue with a cup of warm water to a slurry then apply the treatment evenly and thoroughly on the coat. Leave on for a minimum of 10 minutes, or as long as you can, then rinse off. Plush Puppy Coat Rescue is the ultimate intensive conditioning treatment that will bring a dry or damaged coat back to life. It is a restorative treatment formulated with a natural blend of oils and pure plant extracts that works to restore strength and elasticity to damaged and dehydrated coats. It is exceptional on brittle coat hair.
For mid-week brushing and grooming, you can’t beat an application of a good leave-in moisturiser. Plush Puppy Reviva Coat is wonderful for rehydrating the hair, keeping the scurf at bay, plus retaining texture but still adding moisture. You can’t slather too much of this product on. It never gets greasy and is great for your breed which is ostensibly an indoor dog who loves lounging all over the sofas. All the mixes I have given for this breed, are with the lifestyle of this breed in mind.
Your Frenchie is about routine and persistence. You don’t have to sculpt nor shape, but you do have to work at the condition. Being an indoor dog can often lead to dry, scurfy skin from air conditioning or heating. The above routine will minimise the problems.
On show day you can still do a bit of fluffing about. Use on whites of pieds Plush Puppy Cover Up Cream applied in thin layers to white areas needing cover. Apply with a barely damp sponge and allow 5 seconds or so between applying the next layer. Then dust with chalk or powder and allow to finish drying and brush with a soft brush just prior to ring time.
Keep on hand Plush Puppy Wonder Wash which is a no-rinse instant cleanser. With Wonder Wash, you spray the area then lather up with your hands and towel off for instant clean. Dogs do have accidents and for spot cleaning such as a mishap or for cleaning feet, this will really deodorise and cleanse. Wonder Wash does lather well.
Spray prior to ring time with Plush Puppy Odour Muncher which is also a deodoriser and a light fragrance. I love the dogs to smell beautiful.
You can add a touch of Plush Puppy Pixie Dust sifted with the fingers sparingly to the topline or just a tiny bit onto a brush and flick the brush through the area you want to accent. This gives a lovely shimmer. Don’t overdo it – this dog is a dog, not a Christmas Fairy!
Then, last but not least, spray with Plush Puppy Shine and Comb. Hold the bottle about 12 inches or 30cm away, lightly mist into the air and allow the mist to fall on the top line. Run your hands over the coat and look at that incredible sheen.
Thinking ahead and well ahead, is the answer for this coat. Your hard work is all done long before the show and is basically routine by the week of the show and for every show thereafter once the coat is at peak.
You have a darling dog. The French Bulldog is quite special, and they are well behaved, adaptable plus makes a very comfortable companion. In the ring, his free and vigorous gait and unrestrained action is a joy. His lovely even disposition shines like his coat as he presents on the stack. What an adorable breed! One finds it hard to go past a good one and even harder when it is presented to its best.
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