19/08/2025
On 3rd August 2025, my Keeshond, Bear, and I competed at The Pup Cup @ Coffs Harbour, and were awarded 2nd Place in the Novice class under the 'Savvy Bitch' category!
It was our first grooming competition and I couldn't be more proud of Bear for being so calm and relaxed on the table!
I decided to participate in a competition with Bear because I wanted to improve in the art of dog grooming, to promote the proper grooming techniques for thick double coats and it was also a fun bonding and training experience for Bear & me.
Keeshonds have a thick double coat that requires specific grooming techniques as it is easy to damage the coat when using the wrong tools. Deshedding rakes are generally not ideal for their long, profuse double coat as they can tug painfully or cut the coat. Clipping or excessive sc******ng is also not recommended as it can damage the coat! (Bear has sporadic bald spots as he was clipped when he was younger)
During the competition, I demonstrated:
- deshedding via line brushing and running a comb through his fur to check for thoroughness.
- handstripping dead top coat from his outline, his foreleg furnishings and rear pasterns.
- sc******ng on his front pasterns and to sculpt cat feet for him.
- carding/stripping via a pumice stone on short/smooth coated sections like his head and legs.
In the 9 weeks leading up to the competition, Bear had fortnightly coat treatments using Iv San Bernard Caviar Green range and Mineral H shampoo to promote coat growth.
There is a huge community of trainers, mentors and fellow peers in the dog grooming industry, without whom I wouldn't be able to do what I do today. A huge huge thank you to:
- Jo Marsden who I've been going to for handstripping classes, giving me competition tips as well as for teaching me how to interpret and apply the Keeshond breed standard and profile. Also, for the legendary Deltas scissors!
- The team at Dog Diversity Dog Grooming School, who taught me to be uncompromising on 'Humanity before Vanity", and for a firm foundation in skills and theory. Special shout out to Nat, Anna and Colleen for your continued love, guidance and advice 🩷
- igroomhub.com.au for all the resources on grooming competitions as well as show/competition prep that made me so curious and interested in doing a competition in the first place!
- Jazz and Sophie who tirelessly organised The Pup Cup and made the event happen, as well as encouraging novices like me to take it easy and enjoy the process. Jazz for helping me find Lucy the Cavoodle and do *free* maintenance grooms for her leading up to the Teddy Bear competition!
- Jacinta Van Beek, judge for Savvy Bitch class, for her advice and encouragement
- Rymiska Keeshonds who made available to the public breed standards and resources that I could pore over and study!
- my dear husband who is my biggest supporter and cheerleader
- Jesus Christ who is the reason I live and whose infinite love I try to embody to all the doggies and humans who come my way.
