Showing

Everyone has preferences when grooming their löwchen for show. Everything stated below is my preference and what has worked best for me. Links are included for any products mentioned.

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When looking to upkeep a löwchen in show coat, it is important to establish a regular bath schedule. Every time you bathe, you should dry your pup completely, paying special attention to the ears as leftover water can cause infections. A good general rule for bathing is once a week. You may want to increase the amount of baths you give through coat change, in order to keep matting under control. Between baths, there shouldn't be much that is needed. It is best to avoid brushing a dirty coat, but if you need to brush between baths, make sure to mist the coat with a brushing spray before brushing- never brush a dry coat. 

Along with weekly baths, nails should be done weekly at least. 

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My favorite shampoo and conditioner are Best Shot Ultramax, but the other best shot lines are good quality as well. I use the shampoo, conditioner, and the spray. I also enjoy the iGroom Squalane line (without the spray), but after continuous use, it does leave a buildup on the coat. With the iGroom, I try to clarify the coat with iGroom squeaky clean ever other bath (or any other clarifying shampoo). The last shampoo/conditioner that I want to mention is Hydra Moist with the Hydra Intense Repair Silky Smooth Mask.​ No matter which shampoo/conditioner combo you choose to use, it is always good to let the conditioner soak into the coat for 5-10 minutes during each bath. Rinse well, don't leave any residue in the coat.

For white coats, PSH White Titanium is a must have. It whitens and is safe to use every bath, without damaging the coat. Many whitening products make the coat porous and more prone to staining, PSH White Titanium will not.

As an every day brushing spray I either use Espana Silk or Best Shot.

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My favorite brushes are Chris Christensen Breezy Brushes with 22mm pins with either the green pad or the purple pad. Never use a slicker on the body, unless you are removing pin mats from the coat. For shows, I do recommend using a slicker on the bracelets.

For combs, I use Utsumi Eco Combs. 

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For drying, I like my Flying Pig Stand Dryer or Shernbao dryer. While drying, I like to put a Happy Hoodie on my dogs heads to protect their ears. After the bath, start off by blasting the dogs coat with the high velocity dryer to remove extra water, being careful not to tangle the coat in the process. In matted areas, you can use the force dryer to loosen the mats and break them apart before you start brushing. After you get about 60-70% of the water off, remove the nozzle and use the less concentrated air with low to no heat to finish drying with a brush, starting from the bottom of the dog and working upwards. While at a show, you can use heat to dry, it is just not something that I recommend for maintenance. 

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To clip the bum and front legs, I use a Wahl Figura 5-in-1, most often on the 10 blade setting in reverse, but at times I will go shorter. For the feet, I prefer to use a smaller trimmer so that there's less chance of catching the dogs skin. I use a Wahl Bravura Mini. 

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The Trim Pattern

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AKC Standard:

No scissoring or shaping of the unclipped coat is permitted. Puppies typically have a softer coat. Lion Clip - the coat is clipped to about ⅛ inch on the following parts of the body: from the last rib back to and including the hindquarters; the hindquarters to the hock joints; the front legs from the elbows to a point on the legs which is equal to the same distance from the ground to the hock joints leaving cuffs of hair on all four legs; the tail from the base to approximately one-half way to the tip leaving a plume at the end of the tail; and the feet are entirely clipped. The unclipped areas must be completely natural and untrimmed. On no account should the unclipped areas be smoothed, shortened, shaped or otherwise tidied with anything other than a comb or brush. Any clip other than specified or any shaping or scissoring of the long coat are disqualifications.

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Illustration:

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Pet Grooming

Löwchen in pet homes should be groomed every 4-6 weeks, if not more often. Nails should be clipped or ground at least monthly, but weekly or every two weeks is preferred. The löwchen can be kept in a variety of pet clips, some examples can be seen on the LCA website.