I've seen mousse (to give the appearance of volume), hairspray (to give the coat a harder feel), hair dye and Sharpie (to cover gray), scissors (to trim tail feathers, underbelly, and backs of legs). Didn't know I had to be a beautician to win.
But then, strong ethics get in my way...I'll take my dogs' wins with pride since they do it in all their NATURAL beauty!
I don't know what's worse, the grooming products or folks that just plain show their dogs DIRTY and then win. I've examined a potential stud at a show and has to run and wash my hands afterwards. I've patted dogs and watched the dust cloud rise. That should not be acceptable either.
If someone wants to tease and fluff their dogs tail- so what? Any good judge puts their hand on the tail and can tell if it's a good one or not... usually without even having to touch it. So it makes the owner feel better that the tail looks a hair bigger? Who cares- not me. If someone didn't have time to clean up their dog, well who cares-does it affect me in any way? Nope, I've got enough to worry about keeping my own dogs looking their best and don't take the time to worry about how others are presenting their own.
