so we are entering Logan & Arya into their fist show next week, they are being professionally groomed the evening prior to the show. Just wondering is there are particular brush or method more suitable for making the coat appear better for showing. Both coats are healthy but i am new to show, someone mentioned brushing the coat up from the back...?

any other tips would also be very welcome, we are attending a show but only as spectator to expose the dogs to the atmosphere

Bump maybe Lani or Megan can help you out sorry I have no idea when it comes to showing.

You want to blow the coat up with a high velocity drier. Siberians are very much wash/blow/go when it comes to showing. You'll want to take a slicker brush and brush the back of the legs (front and rear) up to make it stand, you can use a holding cream or spray to keep it fluffed up. The top line needs to be level, I'll run my hand lightly over the topline after blowing. The bloomers (pants, fluff butt, whatever you call it) Brush down. Sides of the body brush up. Coat conditioning should have started weeks ago for show, lots of line combing prior to show day to separate the hair, make each hair stand out on it's own instead of in clumps.

Example- Not show groomed:


Show groomed:

Coat conditioning should have started weeks ago for show

What kind of conditioning?? I am not sure I am doing line combing correctly....takes forever, as I am not that good at it yet. But, I am confused as to what to do with her topline. I use a K9-II to blow her dry and use a brush to kind of brush the spot I am on out. (make sense?) But, should I blow the top line in the same way or "slick back" towards the tail. If I just leave it and do the sides, her topline looks all mixed up. ??

I have also heard you can use a flea comb to brush up the leg hair. Thanks!

Say, Colin, best of luck to you!

When I know I have a show coming up, which is usually about a month in advance, I start the grooming process then. Denali will be cold bathed and blown at least twice a week from that point on. This stimulates coat retention if he's still in good coat, and growth if he happens to be naked. If he is naked he will be cold bathed without shampoo every day and dried with a high velocity drier, I can get him back into really decent coat within that time period.

The coat, like any other aspect of a dog, needs 'training' so to speak to separate and stand out away from the body. The more you line comb and use the high velocity drier the less work you'll have to do come week of show. I do not touch a brush to coat until the dog is dry, unless there are tufts of hair that are trying to come out. I blow the topline toward the head from the tail, that hair needs to seperate also...though I do not leave the hair in a 'mohawk' but rather lightly even it out with just my hand or light combing, just about a mid way depth on the hair not a slicking back to the skin.

Grooming is something that is harder to put into words, it's almost something that done enough your hands just know what do to without you having to think about it LOL sorry I can't just show you- If you can go to a show and just watch someone groom out a Siberian, if you can ask questions.

Thanks for that. I did not know that about the baths. She has a show in a few weeks. Better get crackin! I think I can got to a friends house and watch her.

It would be great if there were some good Vid Tutorials on grooming!!!

If I think about it I will bring my Contour camera with me and film Denali's handler prepping him for the ring- I never have the hands when I'm grooming at home- Which just gave me another idea- filming him in the ring too!

yes you should do just that!!!!!!!! Please!

To the OP, be very careful taking your dog to a normal groomer! Normal grooming and show grooming are very different. I know a lot of groomers like to shave down dogs for some reason and that would be terrible for a show Siberian! I've heard of a few horror stories about people taking their show dogs to regular groomers. I suggest giving them a bath yourself with a good shampoo a day or two before the show and blow them out with a HVD. At the show look for other people with Siberians or similar breed and ask for grooming tips. Many are more than happy to help you. That's how I first learned!

Here's a video, but I warn you it's LONG!
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U4_Xk1xuwP8

I don't have any tips, but I wanted to wish you good luck at your first show!

(The last dog I groomed for a show was a lab, and I did nothing other than trim nails and whiskers... maybe a bath if he was too stinky from being in the field)

hey guys thanks for all the tips, Arya got first in her group and is in another show tomorrow, its a big week end over here shows.