chocielab Posted November 3, 2011 Share Posted November 3, 2011 hi all i am new to this so please bear with me we are new to the show world just this year we have been exhibiting due to increased work commitments we took a break but want to get back into it now my concern is my liver dog likes to lounge in the sun when we are at work and has begun to bleach i would like to know if judges take this into consideration are dogs penilised because of sun bleaching or is the overall dog judged accordingly? i have heard that some people dye their dogs should i be considering this? and is there anything i can do besides locking her up in the shade( which we don't want to restrict her during the day)to reduce the sun bleaching eg doggy sunscreen or something lol. thanks for any replys Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
pebbles Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 (edited) I showed a chocolate Miniature Pinscher and sun bleaching was a problem as she loved lounging in the sun. I was home and spent a lot of time calling her inside lol. I've heard of different things to feed which is supposed to help but I think the sun always wins. Would your dog wear a light coat? That wont protect the other bits, head etc, though. Can you set up a spot in the shade? Shade is the only guaranteed answer IMO. ETA - All else being equal, Judges shouldn't penalise this but a gleaming coat always looks better. Dyed coats - getting exactly the right colour is hit and miss and it doesn't do the coat any good besides being illegal! Don't know about sunscreens being effective over a whole day and they can collect dirt. Edited November 4, 2011 by pebbles Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 While I was showing one of my black pugs I used to put one of the kids sun block t shirts on him, you know the sort that is uv protection and they can swim in them. Worked a treat. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaar Posted November 4, 2011 Share Posted November 4, 2011 Dying is a big no-no, it's essentially cheating and if you get caught it won't end well. Color enhancing shampoos are good, they don't contain any dyes, they just bring out the natural coat color, you can get them from horse supply shops. I would be putting a thin cotton coat or t-shirt on him when he's outside to prevent the bleaching. Poodle people wrap the ends of the hair with cotton or wraps to prevent both breakage and bleaching. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocielab Posted November 4, 2011 Author Share Posted November 4, 2011 hi guys, thanks for the replies got some good suggestions shazzapug i love the idea of putting a kids rashie on her that would effective not to mention adorable lol, i didn't know that dyeing was illegal i have heard in passing some dog people talk about it and have always wondered about the ethical nature of that so thanks for clearing that up its a lesson i do not want to learn the hard way! An in response to the shade we are fortunate to have a large yard surrounded by big leafy trees so there are plenty of nice SHADY places that she could lounge but she prefers to sprawl out on the deck in the sun and sunbake my human boys are up for new rashies this year so i think i will try that suggestion, i wonder how she is going to look running around the yard in a red spider man top! otherwise it will be investing in a light summer jacket for her to wear Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaar Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 I have heard all sorts of fantastic yet 'illegal' things people have done to their dogs in the show ring from dye jobs the false topknots in poodles (not anyone I know personally). It's better to be known as an honest exhibitor than a cheat, I would rather see a dog out there with a bit of sun bleaching than a solid chocolate dog dyed up to the eyeballs, and trust me you can quite often tell what dogs have had a dip in the dye. Would you consider setting up a shade cloth over the area he likes to lay? You can get the triangle or square shaped ones you just attach to the side of your house and a pole, then you can put a comfy bed under it to encourage him to stay in the shade. Apparently there is a spray on SPF for hair (made for people) but I can't vouch for how well it works. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Missymoo Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Yes Plush Puppy do a spry with SPF I believe Also Livermol in food will help darken overall pigment Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shazzapug Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 You might have to cut the skinny kid sleeves off...so dont pay too much for it. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Alyosha Posted November 5, 2011 Share Posted November 5, 2011 Adding Livamol or seaweed meal to the diet will often assist long term with bleaching. Excessive bleaching can be a sign of copper deficiency. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headmaster030 Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 any of the livamol or seawead meals are a natural way of coloring a coat, also beetroot, carrot & pumpkin can also colour a coat. any one who thinks the horse colour enhancers are not a dye is severly delusional, i showed horses at the top level for many years & if a product can change an animals colour in an hour its a dye. WAKE UP Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
flatchat Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 We have put shadecloth over the spot where all the dogs like to gather. The liver flatcoats at this time of year go into a roofed (laserlite) run that also has shade cloth under it. They still bleach a little but not as bad. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiesrule Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 I have chocolate kelpies and honestly the best way to look after their coats is to keep them out of the sun all together. No matter what you feed them or put on them nothing works as well as keeping them out of the sun. Mine are locked up during the day and out at night. Sprint Oil is also fantastic for putting a sheen on their coat, and a good quality diet. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Bisart Dobes Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 Good natural diet helps to maintain healthy coat and colour depth. With the dobes I use Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil over summer to keep their coats from getting sunburnt / bleached. But to recondition a coat I add Vit E to their diet for about a month and deep condition about twice a week - I use Showsilk Protein Conditioner for my deep conditioning treatments with a hot towel laid over the dog in the bath while I do their nails etc - about 10 mins. And I often get accused of dying my brown dobes coats . Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Tambaqui Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 (edited) I showed a chocolate Miniature Pinscher and sun bleaching was a problem as she loved lounging in the sun. I was home and spent a lot of time calling her inside lol. I've heard of different things to feed which is supposed to help but I think the sun always wins. Would your dog wear a light coat? That wont protect the other bits, head etc, though. Can you set up a spot in the shade? Shade is the only guaranteed answer IMO. Like Pebbles, I also have a Chocolate and Tan Min Pin, and he has bleeched in the sun, but he hasn't lost his colour as bad, but then again he is a 4 times winner of Best Chocolate and Tan in a row! He is almost 3 years old, and probably one of the very few, Min Pin that still retain his dark chocolate coat! He has a preference to be indoors anyway, so he doesn't sunbath but I have found when playing with him that he had like a winter coat that was falling off in a sense, so I stripped him with a stripper and he seems to still has his dark chocolate coat on him, but you can still see his pale bleeching through his back but it's not as noticeable! No special diet, or anything, just the same meals as our other dogs. Edited to add: Forgot to add, to help keep his coat dark for the shows, I used to spray a bit of water on his coat, and then put a bit of Chris Christensen Silk Spirit on him, as it helps make their coat look fresh and brings the colour up and makes their coat look great! The bottle sizes for the silk spirit probably may not be enough for your Lab, it'd probably take 1/2 a bottle to do the job! Edited November 6, 2011 by Tambaqui Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Beth24 Posted November 6, 2011 Share Posted November 6, 2011 The Cresteds are the same, love to sunbake. I know we have to be careful with coats on them though as the skin can fade under the coat meanwhile the skin exposed to the sun darkens leaving them looking like they have a permanent coat on! I would imagine similar would happen with your dog and coat? So be careful Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaar Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 any of the livamol or seawead meals are a natural way of coloring a coat, also beetroot, carrot & pumpkin can also colour a coat. any one who thinks the horse colour enhancers are not a dye is severly delusional, i showed horses at the top level for many years & if a product can change an animals colour in an hour its a dye. WAKE UP Some of them do contain dyes, some of them don't, when I come out of my 'dilusional' fantasies I read the bottles and make sure I buy a color enahncer, not a dye. It's like purple shampoos, they do not contain dyes, they merely trick your eye in to thinking the hair is whiter by the way the light reflects. Are you going to tell me products like Cowboy Magic contain dyes? That changes my boys feet from gold to white and his crest from dark grey to black with one wash, it just reflects the light better and your eye sees a more pleasing color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
headmaster030 Posted November 7, 2011 Share Posted November 7, 2011 & I REPEAT ANY PRODUCT THAT CHANGES THE COLOUR OF THE COAT IS A DYE. MAJIC SILVER WHITE IS A DYE, IF IT TURNS WHITE HAIR BLUE ITS A DYE. DONT FOOL YOURSELF. any of the livamol or seawead meals are a natural way of coloring a coat, also beetroot, carrot & pumpkin can also colour a coat. any one who thinks the horse colour enhancers are not a dye is severly delusional, i showed horses at the top level for many years & if a product can change an animals colour in an hour its a dye. WAKE UP Some of them do contain dyes, some of them don't, when I come out of my 'dilusional' fantasies I read the bottles and make sure I buy a color enahncer, not a dye. It's like purple shampoos, they do not contain dyes, they merely trick your eye in to thinking the hair is whiter by the way the light reflects. Are you going to tell me products like Cowboy Magic contain dyes? That changes my boys feet from gold to white and his crest from dark grey to black with one wash, it just reflects the light better and your eye sees a more pleasing color. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kelpiesrule Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 & I REPEAT ANY PRODUCT THAT CHANGES THE COLOUR OF THE COAT IS A DYE. MAJIC SILVER WHITE IS A DYE, IF IT TURNS WHITE HAIR BLUE ITS A DYE. DONT FOOL YOURSELF. any of the livamol or seawead meals are a natural way of coloring a coat, also beetroot, carrot & pumpkin can also colour a coat. any one who thinks the horse colour enhancers are not a dye is severly delusional, i showed horses at the top level for many years & if a product can change an animals colour in an hour its a dye. WAKE UP Some of them do contain dyes, some of them don't, when I come out of my 'dilusional' fantasies I read the bottles and make sure I buy a color enahncer, not a dye. It's like purple shampoos, they do not contain dyes, they merely trick your eye in to thinking the hair is whiter by the way the light reflects. Are you going to tell me products like Cowboy Magic contain dyes? That changes my boys feet from gold to white and his crest from dark grey to black with one wash, it just reflects the light better and your eye sees a more pleasing color. Whoa ! No need to shout ! Yes anything that contains a colour is a dye to a certain extent. 'tricking the eye' is not magic. A colour enhancer is still a dye but it is not permanent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Shaar Posted November 8, 2011 Share Posted November 8, 2011 Anything that washes out is not a dye. My boy has gold flecks on his socks, by using the white shampoo it really brightens up his legs and almost makes the gold dissapear, but after a few days they are back to their grubby gold color again. If it were dying or bleaching the hair his feet would not go back to normal after just a day or 2 with no bathing in between. The whitening shampoos have that blue tinge and yes it does stay on the hair but it's no different than using chalk... both fade away fast and aren't permanent. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
chocielab Posted November 8, 2011 Author Share Posted November 8, 2011 hi all, whoa i am overwhelmed with all the replies you all obviously know your stuff shaar i totally agree i definitely want to be an honest exhibitor and in response to the shade sail we have thought about it but our back veranda is actually encased in shade cloth but she chooses to lay in the spot where the sun goes so i think that it maybe more the sun that the spot The shaded run is a good idea but in regards to locking her up during the day we don't want to do as we are out of the house most of the day with work ect and don't think that would be fair on her The diet aspect of things is interesting as we feed her mostly raw food loosely following the BARF diet with chicken, veges ect and supplement with optimum but i would like to try adding the livermol where would you get that??? And bisart i am definitely going to try your routine give our already spoilt dog some pampering and see how we go :D where do you get the show stars stuff ect from? would a pet stock have it or can i get online? BTW can some one plz clue me in on how you all quote each other lol it looks much easier and i am a forum newbie Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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