Grooming Tips

[Olallie]

If we could gather a list of good grooming tips other people could use who are just getting into showing. I think it would help if they knew something before going to the show with an unprepared chin, like I did.:dance3:

I got this idea from last year, however I was so mad about it i never put it to words.

If i had known this back then maybe my little guy could have gotten more than a second place at the California State show (ecbc)


Ok so here is my tip.

If a month before showing or just be fore showing, (and correct me if im wrong, but this is the impression I got), your chinchilla slips an awful lot of fur and you see a sizable dent, that while you are grooming them, you should pull out the fur that is growing back (the short hairs) so it doesn't look like he's been chewing, and also when you are combing that spot be sure to comb upwards to "fill" in the spot. This is to show the judge that the chin sliped the fur and did not chew it down.

I hope this helps someone avoid a potential heart break and bad reputation. :tissue:

 

[SunshineChins]

Good idea.. we are not showing any chins anytime soon but would love to see tips and tricks to grooming.

 

[6Dusters]

Thank you. I was not going to show one of mine due to a slip. Perhaps I will. Anyone else had something similar and this worked????

 

[MerrittChinchillas]

If you are wanting an opinion on your animal, show it with the fur slippage. If it has a sizable slip I don't see how combing the fur upwards is going to cover that. The judges are going to see the slip, probably even a small one, so be prepared for the animal to not go real high in the awards. We had one of our best females slip fur about a week before the Bonne, Iowa show and it was barely detectable, knowing it would be seen we chose to leave her home. It is grown back now and she is going to ECBC nationals. Our tip would be to not overgroom your animals. Everyone grooms differently, find what works best for you. Dick miller gave one of the best grooming seminars I have ever seen at the ECBC Annual Meeting, we have shown for a long time and we still learned some new tricks from him. When you go to shows try and watch people who have shown for years and even ones who haven't. Go home and try different things you have seen, take what works for you and practice grooming. Good grooming takes patience.

 

[Silverrose]

I agree.. just show the animal! I have a stunning beige female that I showed last year. Her only flaw was that when she was born, her mom tore a piece out of shoulder, causing the hair in that spot to grow a little funny. I didn't pull out any of the fur cuz I didn't want to leave a big bald spot, so I left it as is. It's not incredibly noticeable, but of course, it poofed out as much as ever when she was on the judge's table. I can't complain about her placing a 1B at all. :thumbs:

My grooming tip is to make a grooming tool kit (so you don't get to a show and go oh bollocks I forgot to bring X). Combs, towels, lint rollers, scissors, tweezers. And I will definitely agree that practice makes perfect. Feel free to go around at a show to watch the grooming and ask people what they are doing. You can learn so much just by watching other people groom their animals.

 

[Cory]

My grooming tip is to make a grooming tool kit (so you don't get to a show and go oh bollocks I forgot to bring X). Combs, towels, lint rollers, scissors, tweezers.

Don't forget bandaids- accidents happen

 

[SunshineChins]

How about Kleenex for all the chin hair that goes up your nose?

 

[Olallie]

Omgosh yes band aids, i had a tan bite the heck out of me once. Hurt bad too.

Well i was told to kind of comb up on the spot where the slip was, she showed me afterwards how to do it.

I also think having a grooming kit is good because then you don't have to go around bothering people for a comb. whahahah, I did that. >.< And I forgot the lint roller. *sigh* I only had one chin with me so I thought It wouldn't be a big deal. Which it wasn't really, but i was embarassed.

OH, one more trick. My boy hates being combed, just loathes it. So someone at the ECBC show i went to clipped a wooden clothespin on my towel and he chewed on that happily for a bit, but once i started in with the #1 comb (i think) he went back to attacking it.

 

[rcr]

Buy professional grooming combs! Not pet store versions.

 

[chin-nw]

There is a really good DVD on Chinchilla grooming. It's sold on Chin World website. It's about $20 and worth every penny.

 

[Olallie]

Some chins like to be groomed, like my sister's girl hates being handles but will sit there real still while being groomed.

 

[Vyxxin]

My best tips would have to be:

First time showing, have all of your own supplies and ask an experienced show goer BEFORE the show date if they can help groom your animal(s)

If you are a slow groomer, try doing your grooming at home the night before the show if possible and then just touch up at the show (this has saved us SO much time at the show)

Know what the judges look for beforehand that way you can assess whether or not a particular flaw will or wont hurt your chances at a nice award

Finally, one thing I have found to be more useful than anything else...my carrier! First year at show we had a few near disasters with leaky water bottles and pee that didn't soak up quick enough. After that I got smart We use the Ryerson type carriers now AND we've installed grates in the bottom. These are 1/2"x1" grates that are elevated 1" with the bedding UNDER the grates. Droppings and urine fall through, chins stay dry...bedding stays in the carrier better too

 

[razberry224]

There are a few different size combs you will need. I think there are four sizes.

 

[MegFarris]

I was told to do a great job grooming your animal about 4 months before the show season so you will get all the new fur growth possible. Then, I groom the day or two before the show, at home, so the day of the show goes quickly, and I don't have to upset the chins as much. Working out a tough area is so much easier in your own home.

Putting a kit together is a great idea too... there's always a few people that forget some of the tools and it's only been luck that I haven't.

 

[designer chins]

I try to trim tails at home the day before I leave. Less pressure at the show, since I'm usually a wreck when I get there! And hopefully a bit less stress on my animals the day of the show.

 

[corneliuschins]

I haven't shown animals but found the grooming seminar the day before the show so incredibly informative. I do kind of wish that I would have brought a few of my own animals, but I wasn't sure what needed to be done and thought it would be better to gain the knowledge without worrying about my animals too. I was also completely blown away by how friendly and helpful the more experienced people were. I was obviously new, but had every question answered and just wish that circumstances were different right now, because i'd be using everything I learned to show my own animals. The idea of having a kit works in every situation that you find yourself under stress about, because you don't have to go around searching for this and that. It's always good to know where everything is. The other main point of the grooming seminar was that the only good combs are the ones made for grooming chins. Spend the extra money and it will definitely show on your animals. If you can find an experienced groomer to help you, take advantage of your time with them, it's definitely not easy grooming a chin for the first time. And last but not least I had completely forgotten about the clothespin, that was such a cool idea. - Jessica

 

[Spoof]

I'll mention this since it hasn't come up - make sure you pull the dust 4-5 days before the show. Chins with thick fur will still have dust particles hidden in there.

It isn't as important with whites, but it makes a big difference on anything black.

Learning how to shake properly is also very important. If you shake them out correctly you can mask a crappy comb job. =D

 

[Ash]

If you get to the show and are still unsure of your grooming habits, don't be afraid to ask for help. Most anyone will help you with your grooming if they have the time.

 

[oxchincerelyxo]

I'll mention this since it hasn't come up - make sure you pull the dust 4-5 days before the show. Chins with thick fur will still have dust particles hidden in there.

It isn't as important with whites, but it makes a big difference on anything black.

Learning how to shake properly is also very important. If you shake them out correctly you can mask a crappy comb job. =D

What does this mean, shaking them out???

 

[Silverrose]

What does this mean, shaking them out???

It's a little hard to explain...but I'll try. When you shake out a chin, you hold them by the base of the tail, letting their front paws (and sometimes all four feet if the chin isn't squirmy) onto a surface like the floor or a table, then shaking them gently but firmly side to side, emphasis on the rear end. This evens out a comb job and "poofs" their fur out evenly.