Coat Conditioning and/or Protecting Products

[Seavee]

Hello All,

I am new to this board. I hope to engage in lots of poodle discussion in the future. For now, I would like to ask some opinions.

I am trying to decide what product is best for conditioning and detangling as well as coat protection. We all know how much work a poodles coat can be. Anything that makes combing long poodle fur easier would be greatly appreciated.

I am also concerned about protecting my poodle’s skin and coat. He is a parti poodle. I especially worry about his white fur since I know it provides less sun protection than the black. We spend a lot of time outside, bicycling, hiking and going to the beach. I would like to find a product that would provide some kind of sunscreen and maybe even help with tangling.

A couple of people have suggested a product called “Ice on Ice.” I have not ordered it yet. What do you think?

Destin
And The Poodle Named "Sioux"

[Karen]

I'll be interested to hear what people have to say too. Tia stays in fairly short coat all year round as it is most practical for us. We are about to start our obedience trialling career together this Saturday (final pass for her CCD -fingers crossed) & I am about to give her a tidy up clip this week as I want her to look well presented so will keep a watch on this topic as well.

[Michael]

I haven't tried Ice on Ice, but it's a Chris Christensen product, and generally I have heard nothing but good things about CC products.

I do know that I was recommended something called Cowboy Magic a little over a year ago. Since I didn't have a poodle at the time, I didn't get to try it out. But I got a little tube of it and sent to Zefi...and once she tried it, she said she loved it. It's called Detangler and Shine...let me find a link:

http://www.cowboymagic.com/

It was made for horses, but as many horse people know, sometimes horse hair care products work better on people than many human products, so it's become a multi-species product in the end. You can usually find it in animal supply stores.....particularly farm type places. Some dog or pet stores might have it too. The smallest container is a 4 oz tube and costs close to $10. But you only use a tiny bit at a time....work it into mats and work them out. They recommend a pea sized amount, but I have heard dime sized, etc....but it's all relatively small. I would gather you could dilute the stuff down with water and put in a spray bottle or even use as a conditioner. But we'd have to experiment with that. I did buy a bottle of the CM conditioner (different than the detangler) and have used that on myself....works fine, but I think I diluted it too much last time, so may try it more concentrated next time I use it on myself.

There are other products that may work, but I think you could get a million suggestions on all this. I know that a lady I worked for years ago swore by something called Happy Hair...made by Faberge. It's actually a human hair spray, but she'd spray it into a coat while brushing it out to help work *light* matting issues out easier. I still have a can of it...hate the smell...too perfumey, and not sure I'd brag it up so much, but I know she still uses it to this day.

Otherwise, I'll have to poke around and see if I can find other suggestions. I do agree on keeping his coat reasonable length just for sun protection purposes as well.....the coat does serve in that respect and a lot of people don't realize it.

But check back...hopefully we'll get more input on this in time.

[zefi]

Ah... the eternal question.

Ok. I love Cowboy Magic. Its great for working out mats. I do as it says on the label, put a bit in my fingers and work it through the mat, using my fingers to pull it apart. Its not easy to spread through the mat as it seems to just sit on the surface so you have to work it a bit. Then you can usually brush the mat out using a pin brush. Its great stuff.

I have also put a bit of it in a tiny spray bottle and diluted it with water to spray on areas where necessary. You have to keep shaking it as it doesnt seem to dilute well. Its oily but doesnt leave a slick oily feeling on the coat or hands so its good.

Ice on Ice is great. I dont think it works as well as Cowboy Magic on larger mats, but I use it a lot. I dilute it into a spray bottle and spray it on areas as I brush. Now, remembering I'm talking of show coats which are long and which need to be dampened to brush safely and to stop static buildup.

Other products which are good for dematting and protecting the coat from dirt - one is The Stuff. Its great, you can spray that on the inside of the back legs, under the chest and back of the front legs for dogs who tend to pee on themselves. It has silicone in it and helps dirt and pee and stuff slide off without getting into the coat. On the downside, it doesnt wash out as easily and lately I've heard its not recommended for regular use on show coats. I still have plenty of it left and I use it on short coats.

Conditioner wise, I tend to use human conditioners most of the time. I love Laserlites Silk as an afterbath rinse but its expensive so I only use it on a show coat and put it in the hydrobath with some conditioner and then rinse out well. I dont think leaving conditioner in the coat (or any oil products) is good. I used to do it all the time but it does tend to attract dirt and stuff and I think that its easier to keep a coat clean with les in it.

I also use human leave in conditioner spray when brushing too. They come with UV protection too so maybe they would be good for the white area. However, having had white dogs I've never had problems with sunburn or anything like that. And I had half my girls shaved off too! And out sun here is deadly.

Hope that helps.

[Karen]

A friend of mine uses Cowboy Magic on her scotties.. might have to investigate further myself. Thanks for the info.

[Seavee]

I will try some cowboy magic. I may be able to find it locally which is a big plus. I have used people conditioners on him before and that does seem to work well.

I am glad to here you haven’t had problems with sunburn on white dogs. I will worry less.

Sioux has had very long hair. It was at least 6 inches long until yesterday. I have always just shaved his feet, face, part of his belly and the base of his tail. Yesterday I gave him a real haircut. I am not quite done yet. It is taking forever. I don’t want to use my clippers because I could only find a 1.25 inch comb and I want to leave him at least 2 inches long. I have been using scissors. It’s hard to get him completely even but so far he looks pretty good. I still need to do his chest and neck.

He is still adorable of course, but I admit I am missing the longer hair already. It was so soft and cuddly.

I plan to let his hair grow back out but I felt that he needed to be trimmed. He mats up really fast. My Mom said the mix of grown up hair and puppy hair was more inclined to matting. When you add in all of our athletic activities he is doomed to constant matting. I am hoping the shorter hair cut will help decrease the matting.

Maybe using the cowboy magic will help as well. I would like to be able to keep him long all the time.

[zefi]

Your mother's right. Its the changing coat that makes it mat worse. If you were to clip him off at this stage and keep him short for a few months, then grow it back it would be easier to care for. And yes, the longer hair makes them so cuddly. I love the continental... you have a cuddly hairy dog up front and a nekkid butt and legs to caress as well.

[spoospirit]

I was told that I should never brush a poodle dry.  Do you recommended that the coat always be sprayed with a leave-in conditioner before brushing.  Zefi, what do you use for a leave-in conditioner?

[zefi]

I use a whole lot of different things. Ice on Ice by Christensen is good. Plush puppy products, often human leave in conditioners. Just a light spray as I brush usually. Stops static and helps keep the coat moisturised.

[spoospirit]

Thank you.

[Karen]

If anyone in Australia is interested I have just seen Cowboy Magic shampoo & conditioner available in Horseland. I haven't known anyone who has tried it but thought it was worth  a mention.

[zefi]

That figures. I forgot to mention I've seen Cowboy Magic products here in Tasmania at Roberts who sell all things related to livestock, farming, etc. They sell horse stuff, thus the products.

[Lesly]

My favorite product to use prior to brushing and/or to get out a mat is Survivor, made by EQyss.  Unlike Cowboy Magic, The Stuff, and others, there is NO silicone in Survivor, and, IMO, leaves the hair feeling clean, not greasy, and the light scent is absolutely devine!  A tiny dab in your palm, rub hands together, and then apply to your Poodle's hair. 

Another great product by EQyss is their conditioner, detangler - Mega-Tec Rebuilder.  Human cancer patients who've lost hair due to chemo use it for hair growth. 

I learned a neat trick for pesky matted areas using cornstarch!  It makes the hair slippery, so you can use your fingers to pull the mat apart as much as possible, and then using a slicker or comb.  If I hadn't tried it myself, I never would have believed it!  I have 3 Standards, and two of them just love to go after Lucia's ears.  Nothing like poodle spit glue to make it worse!  I really thought I'd have to cut off most of her beautiful (and long) ear hair, but the cornstarch saved the day. 

[zefi]

Funny you should say that. I just brushed and scissored Romeo and he had an area on the inner thighs where he'd peed on himself and had crusty bits. Yuck. What I used was a light spray of detanlger first but that didnt work so I used potato flour (in my grooming box for drying wet bracelets at shows). It worked great!

[Claudia]

Funny you should say that. I just brushed and scissored Romeo and he had an area on the inner thighs where he'd peed on himself and had crusty bits. Yuck. What I used was a light spray of detanlger first but that didnt work so I used potato flour (in my grooming box for drying wet bracelets at shows). It worked great!

Do you put it on when it is still wet? What are bracelets? I think the poffy wrisks by continental clip?
Sorry, english is not my first langues ;-)