When you have a show coming up, do you prepare your dogs in any way (food wise)?? Or do you just give the same thing you have been giving, with or with out a show coming up?
I have a show coming up in 3 weeks and they still get their normal food, but I add several time pr week a goose necks for them as it's rich of protein and goodies for them and it makes them more filled in body and their coats gets nicer.
Would be nice to have a nice discussing on this matter
TIA

Hi Hildur - It's Lucy :>) I don't feed anything different if my dogs are entered in upcoming shows. I see that you give your dogs goose necks; I feed my crew a raw diet and very much like how is "looks" on my dogs.

How far ahead do most of you bathe your Labs? I know some don't recommend bathing...if not, what do you do to make the coat look the best? Probably different for each color?

Oh hey Lucy!!!
Oh cool! Do you only feed raw diet? I give my dogs Pro Pac large breed adult and than from time to time some raw goose necks. It is the whole neck with bones and everything but with out feathers and skin. They love it!!! I also give them goose hearts.

Yes that's a good question... do you bathe your dogs before shows?? I normally don't but I am going to make an exception for our next show as the weather has been so bad, lots of mud and raining and my girls are very very light yellow in color so I want their coat to be clean and nice.

Here's a suggestion...don't use soap on the dog's back. It strips the oils that are necessary for that nice hard coat. Go ahead and soap the legs and underbelly to get rid of stains/dirt, but just use your fingers and lots of cool water to get rid of any sand/dirt on the dog's back.

Thank you for the advice! I will definitely do that!!! I usually don't use shampoo on my dogs but I will now and only on the legs and underbelly

I once read on this forum to shampoo with Murphies Oil soap. I just did that yesterday am before bringing my girl to the handler. She was so dirty/smelly I had to do a full body shampoo. Her coat felt/looked the same after the wash. The handler thanked me several times for bathing her and said she looks great. It is a week until the show - so if the coat is at all too fluffy/soft it has time to return to normal.

Yes, I had thought about giving her a bath about a week before the show so her coat would be able to go back to normal.

In the winter, we usually bathe our gang about a week before any show.

In the summer, we dont bathe them as they are either in the lake or our pool enough that they are pretty clean, and just need a towel wipe down.
I usually use a good show sheen squirt and just wipe down with a damp towel

Food wise, we dont change their diets before the show as the last thing we want is the runs on the way there

Good luck at your show

I bathe my dogs the day before the show .. don't have issues with their coats - they are fine. also don't change their diet, but am intrigued by "raw" and have considered going there, but with dogs out on the road with handlers, it makes it hard ...