"Coat" question.....

[Scorpio118]

I have a question....... I'm assuming Messano will give me the right answer!!!! ;) :kiss1

I've read somewhere - probably in the millions of GR books I have at home or even somewhere on this board - that when showing a dog - they may be disqualified for having a soft coat????

Why is that? Why would a dog be "punished" for being extra soft and fluffy??? :204 wouldn't that mean they are well taken care of????

Not that I have any plans on showing my Maddie - but she's got a really soft coat - and she's fluffy too - I just thought it was that Zooooooooooooom Groom I used!! :jump2

I don't use anything special on her - i use puppy shampoo and conditioner. I have used like Suave conditioner a few times - but now I'm using a shampoo/conditioner combo that is for dogs - she smells like Herbal Essence. :032

[messano]

I couldn't resist....!

A dog would be very unlucky to be disqualified for having a soft coat, but it certainly is undesirable.

The AKC standard specifies the following description for the coat:

"Dense and water-repellent with good undercoat. Outer coat firm and resilient, neither coarse nor silky, lying close to body..........Excessive length, open coats, and limp, soft coats are very undesirable."

The reason for this requirement is that the Golden Retriever was originally developed as an all-terrain gundog. It is important that they have a coarser outer coat to protect them from undergrowth and the elements and a finer water-resistant undercoat to keep them warm and dry when in water or in a cold climate.

A soft coat is not in compliance with the standard and although the average pet nowadays is not worked, it is still important to have the correct coat to prevent getting cold when swimming and to be protected from the sun in summer and rain and snow in the winter.

A Goldens coat should also be slightly oily giving a glossy appearance. If Maddies' coat is soft and fluffy, she may benefit from the addition of oil into her diet. A small amount of vegetable or olive oil in her food a few times a week would probably show good results.

messano

[Scorpio118]

:029 thanks!!! :032