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The largest and tallest of the galloping hounds, the Irish Wolfhound is an old soul dating back to the Romans and has been the inspiration for romantic adventure tales of poets to authors for their great majesty and strength. This gentle giant is commanding and beautiful with all the natural aspects of days gone by, yet able to fit todays home and family.
His coat is interesting as the standard requires the hair to be rough and hard and long and wiry over the eyebrows and under the jaw. The question for harsh coated breed people, is how to present the coat nicely and cleanly, yet retain that harsh texture.
The coat is not to be clipped, or scissored, but it is permissible to hand pluck just to tidy whilst retaining the natural aspects of the dog.
It is a large dog to wash and dry especially if you are doing this weekly for shows but there are quick techniques which I will outline for you and still enable you to present a perfectly harsh texture at the same time.
Around the head and face always use Plush Puppy Let’s Face It. This is a hypoallergenic sulfate-free, low foaming shampoo designed for faces. A small golf ball sized amount 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. Best used first and left on whilst using all other shampoos and rinsing off with the final shampoo rinse.
The perfect shampoo for retaining texture is Plush Puppy Texture + Shampoo. It thoroughly yet gently cleanses and deodorises the coat of harsh or coarse coated breeds without softening or compromising texture. It’s ideal for boosting body and coarseness in coats of all colours and coat types. Use at 1:10 (1 part shampoo to 10 parts water) or apply undiluted directly to areas requiring deep cleansing. Rinse thoroughly.
In your final rinse water, add 1 tablespoon of Plush Puppy Blow Dry Cream and 1 tablespoon Plush Puppy Swishy Coat to a bucket of water and liberally apply, saturating the whole of the coat.
If you have grey, black or white Irish Wolfhounds, use Plush Puppy Herbal Whitening Shampoo. It works brilliantly to intensify darker colours. It DOES NOT lighten or bleach but instead tones with optical brighteners. It reduces yellowing or warm tones in white coats or white areas of the coat and will negate unwanted tones from sun fading or reddening in the coat. Similarly for darker colours, it will reduce any warm tones to intensify the depth of colour by revitalising any lost cool tones.
Now, do not use conditioner at all. Conditioner is the bane of all harsh coated breeds as it softens and flattens. However you do need to hydrate this coat and keep it in great condition just the same. Use Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil as a final rinse after shampooing. This is the singular most valuable product you will ever use on your breed. It hydrates, keeps the texture, and is great for skin and hair. The more you use it, the better the coat gets. You can see dramatic results immediately, but like all good naturally derived pure organic products, this just keeps on working to attain fabulous results. I could not groom most breeds without this product. It is just magic in a bottle.
Dilute – yes I always dilute everything – especially important when doing a big dog. You need even dispersion, even results and why waste time and energy and product unnecessarily? So dilute 1 Tablespoon of Seabereeze Oil into 4 Litres of warm water. Squish this well through the coat with a large sponge if applying from a bucket. LEAVE IN – DO NOT RINSE OUT. Make sure you get the mix right through to the skin. It is calming and excellent for skin and hair growth.
Dry the dog using a force cool dryer. Just hit the coat with the dryer to get the shape you require using your hands to lift or flatten various areas to shape the silhouette to suit best. Drying also removes dead hair allowing the new hair to regenerate faster. No amount of brushing removes dead hair as well as a cool turbo dryer.
For weekly baths, once you have this coat under control with Seabreeze Oil routine, you don’t need to do an intensive bath unless the dog is a mud wrestler outside each day. Again, the less bubbles the better so use Plush Puppy Herbal Whitening Shampoo or Plush Puppy All Purpose Shampoo diluted 1:15 (1 part shampoo to 15 parts water). This will cleanse, but is really low foaming which is all you need for a weekly bath. Work the mix through the coat, then rinse. Follow with the Seabreeze Oil as outlined above.
You should use Plush Puppy Wonder Blok for hard to clean or stained areas. This is a gentle stain reducing natural soap which is mild but extremely effective. It is brilliant for stain reduction around the mouth or feet. Just do this while the shampoo is on the coat and prior to rinsing before applying Seabreeze Oil.
Now you need to apply as much texture as possible to the coat. Follow this whole routine as outlined and you will not need to bath this dog days or a week ahead. You will be able to do your Irish Wolfhound the night before the show if you wish and still have a fantastically correct coat.
When brushing and drying use the Plush Puppy Ultimate Anti-Static Porcupine Brush which is 1/2 dialon pin and 1/2 bristle enabling you to smooth the jacket of the coat. Aim the air of the dryer to follow the growth of the hair, not against the growth. For the face, legs and hocks use the Plush Puppy Ultimate Slicker Brush this is the Rolls Royce of brushes.
Finish with a Plush Puppy Professional Grooming Comb, built for absolute ergonomic comfort in various sizes. The lightweight oval shaped spine combining fine and coarse pins made of hardened stainless steel with anodic oxide finish that reduces drag and static to the coat. Perfect for use for this breed of dog.
To achieve that really harsh coat once the coat is washed and dried, there is no going past Plush Puppy Powder Puff Terrier which was made for all harsh coated breeds. Instant harshness! Once the coat is dry, just dip the tip of the head of your brush into the powder and then tap the excess into the side of the container before taking the brush out, and then flick through each area of the coat to be harshened. You may need to do this a few times as it is a large dog, but remember, this is instantly harsh. It works! A little goes a long way so don’t overdo it. You can always add more. Just work your way around the coat feeling with your hands until you are satisfied. Work well in and you won’t see or feel the powder.
At times due to various reasons including the weather static electricity can create flyaways even on harsh coats. If this occurs use Plush Puppy Anti-Static Coat Control. This is a lightweight spray is infused with organic extracts that offers a UV filter to stop sun damage and protect against heat strength for the perfect finished look of the coat.
Take along to the shows, Plush Puppy Wonder Wash for a quick, no rinse cleaning where required for those dusty or muddy shows, to keep your dog pristine. This may not be a “hairdo” dog but it still has to present majestically.
I also apply a touch of Plush Puppy Shine and Comb to the topline and head – not too much – just hold the spray about 30cm (12 inches) from the dog and spray up into the air and allow the mist to fall. Tousle the coat with your hands to blend.
To finish off, and to attract all senses of the judge to your dog, apply a spray of Plush Puppy Odour Muncher, which is a deodoriser and a soft fragrance. Kills all unpleasant smells as well and is very handy when on a circuit of shows.
Ringside just take along a spray bottle of Plush Puppy OMG Concentrate diluted as a grooming spray 1:40 (1 part OMG Concentrate to 40 parts water). You don’t need to disentangle as a rule but this is a good grooming mix to use to prevent static and for brushing. Use with the Plush Puppy Ultimate Pin Brush.
This amazing giant breed is an impressive sight in the show ring. One can envision him in full stride chasing down the old gigantic Irish Elks and the wolves without a bother. Just because his quarry is no longer there to hunt, it does not diminish his relevance and your quest to maintain and preserve this wonderful breed.
Who could not be taken aback by a magnificent specimen in the ring, of great size and power, exhibiting great movement and all with beautiful symmetry.
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