Show Grooming and Classic Lines

The new 2024 standard… and the end of an entire era 😄

With the arrival of the new FCI 2024 standard,
many grooming techniques and styles that for decades were considered the absolute peak of grooming skill have slowly started disappearing.

The FCI idea is fairly clear:
dog shows should primarily be about the dogs themselves,
not a competition between groomers.

And honestly…
in some ways they are right.

But if I am completely honest,
I still feel a certain nostalgia 😄

Because behind many classic styles there were:

• enormous amounts of work,

• technical skill,

• precision,

• visual balance,

• and years of experience.

(The full explanation of the standard and the classic trims is already covered on the main page.)

Show grooming is pure visual correction

Here grooming is not simply about making the dog look pretty.

It is used to:

• visually correct,

• balance,

• highlight strengths,

• hide weaknesses,

• and control exactly where the eye looks.

Sometimes just a few centimeters of coat completely change how the dog is perceived 😄

Neck

Grooming can:

• visually lengthen the neck,

• open the throat area,

• create more elegance,

• and make the dog appear lighter and more refined.

Topline

With the correct transitions and coat volume,
grooming can:

• soften a weak back,

• create a more stable topline,

• or visually improve body balance.

Chest and body depth

Coat can:

• add visual volume,

• make the chest appear deeper,

• or on the contrary,
  visually lighten a dog that looks too heavy.

Angulation

At this point grooming literally changes how the eye interprets the dog’s movement.

Coat can:

• strengthen angulation,

• soften it,

• or even visually “create” angulation where anatomically it is not especially strong 😄

Head and expression

A poodle’s expression depends enormously on grooming.

Different lines can make the dog appear:

• more elegant,

• sweeter,

• stronger,

• finer,

• or even visually younger.

Tail and overall balance

Even the tail has a huge influence on visual balance.

Depending on shape and volume:

• the dog may appear more square,

• longer,

• more balanced,

• or more harmonious in movement.

Show cosmetics — small secrets behind a very carefully created “natural” look 😄

This is an entirely separate world.

Because show grooming includes products specifically designed to:

• visually improve,

• add volume,

• correct color,

• hide minor flaws,

• and make the dog look more spectacular in the ring.

People use:

• whitening powders,

• chalk,

• texturizing sprays,

• anti-yellow products,

• coat fixatives,

• volume sprays,

• and many other small secrets 😄

So do not be surprised if a white show poodle looks like it is literally glowing 😄

Sometimes people look at one and think:
“why is this white poodle shining like a refrigerator?” 😄

The answer is usually not magic.

The groomer simply knows exactly what they are doing.

Show grooming survives… until the dog decides to drink water 😄

With whiskers now allowed in the standard,
show grooming gained a new natural enemy:
the water bowl 😄

Because perfect grooming usually survives:

• until the first drink,

• the first humidity,

• the first walk,

• or the first moment when the dog remembers it is still actually a dog 😄

And then the real battle begins:

• moisture,

• saliva,

• rain,

• wind,

• and gravity.

What will happen to classic grooming now?

Modern standards are clearly moving toward:

• more natural presentation,

• less exaggeration,

• and less dependence on extreme grooming.

And honestly,
that is probably good for many dogs.

But there is also another side to the story.

If highly technical classic grooming disappears,
it is possible that within a few years there simply will not be many groomers left capable of creating:

• English Saddle,

• classic Continental,

• complex symmetry,

• and traditional high-level grooming architecture.

And honestly…
that would be a little sad 😄

Although I can absolutely imagine one day seeing:
a Japanese or Korean English Saddle 😄

And honestly…
I am not even sure I want to see that 😄

Without show grooming many modern styles probably would not exist

Because show grooming was exactly what taught groomers:

• to understand volume,

• to see lines,

• to work with balance,

• to control texture,

• and to use coat as a visual tool.

Many modern grooming techniques were born from that knowledge.

So even if standards become simpler,
and grooming becomes more natural…

a good groomer before a dog show is still never a bad idea 😄