Again there is the question of how much does one do to present a breed such as an Afghan and there are those countries who traditionally do less or more. Personally, I like to do as much as is allowed. This is one heck of a glamorous breed with a great air of arrogance required. I tend to think if he was human he would wear Armani.

The hardest coats to maintain as puppies will be your Blacks or Black & Tans. They can appear dehydrated before the golds and creams so may need extra assistance such as an application of Plush Puppy Revivacoat diluted in a spray bottle for easier dispersion onto the coat at a ratio of a golfball amount to 1 cup water. You can add Plush Puppy Blow Dry Cream at a ratio of 1 tbspn to 1 cup water to flatten the coat, when blow drying. Also add 2 tspns of Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil into the final rinse mix for a show bath.

However, most times the Afghan can be bathed with Plush Puppy Conditioning Shampoo with Evening Primrose at a dilution rate of 5:1. For extra shine use the Plush Puppy All Purpose Shampoo at 5:1and to minimise rusty tones on a black coated Afghan use the Plush Puppy Whitening Shampoo at a dilution ratio of 5:1. This shampoo will not lighten or bleach but adds a tonal effect to the finish, deepening and reducing the unwanted overtones.

The quest with this coat is that each hair should flow without clumping or gathering. Each hair should appear light and individual without being stringy. It should never look oily or heavy. It must never look “pasted” down. The coat must bounce and lilt. You want it to swirl, swing and float with the dog’s movement and then fall exactly into place as did Ginger Roger’s skirt when she danced with Fred Astaire. We all know she had lead weights in the hem of her skirt but a light application on show day of Plush Puppy Coat Balm smoothed through from the mid lengths to the ends with an extra amount clumped onto the very tips of the coat will allow this illusion to be a reality.

If I can share one great maxim with you for the Afghan - it is to MEASURE, MEASURE, MEASURE. Having worked out what worked, you will want to be able to recreate it again. Measuring allows you do it each time or be able to adjust slightly from time to time.

For maintenance bath, use 1 - 2 cups of the Conditioner and 2 tbspns of the Oil as a final rinse. Leave in to prevent matting. You can use the new Plush Puppy Coat Rescue at this point using 1 tbspn to the mix. You should wrap the ears using the Plush Puppy Revivacoat and a plastic bag and then a band or Plush Puppy Seabreeze Oil and wrap with a cloth cleaning rag such as a Chux and secure with a wide band. As Afghans like to dunk their ears into water bowls, an old hand trick is to have a loose collar with two elastic bands attached at the rear of the collar and once the ears are wrapped, attach the ends of the wraps to the collar elastics. Voila, no more chewed ear wraps or wet yucky ears.

There is a trend amongst some handlers to do a quiff shape on the top knot and to hold this raised up with one hand tilting it up when posing the dog. All things are personal choices.

Now it’s just the final titivating touches such as smelling good with Plush Puppy Odour Muncher, a light and judicial dusting of Plush Puppy Pixie Dust for subtle shimmer on the mid lengths and perhaps the saddle, and for some who are a little too aloof in the ring, at least an early morning dose of Plush Puppy Apprehension Drops. Can be used the night before as well.