A dog park rant of a different nature
So, we get there and everyone starts playing and having a good time. I went later than I normally do so there was only one person there that I knew, a couple of people I had seen maybe once and one woman I'd never seen at all. Bear always gets a lot of attention, followed by lots of questions from those who haven't seen him before or even heard of the breed. I don't mind talking about him if people are interested-- I always surprised that so many people have never heard of the breed. Anyway, I was verbally abused and berated by a woman today that refused to believe that Komondors were meant to dreadlock. She informed me, "I'd hate to be your groomer. Your dog is all matted and you aren't taking care of him. You need to shave him like the other one." Assuming that for some reason, she hadn't heard me when I was explaining to the other people that she was hanging out with earlier, that he was a Kom and what his coat was like and other stuff, I patiently explained the whole thing again. As if she hadn't heard a single word, this dialogue took place: Her: Well, I've never heard of that so it's abuse in my book. How do you get a brush through him? Me: You don't brush a Komondor that you're trying to cord. Here, look at his head and you can see what I mean by cords. (shows her Bear's head which is cording beautifully) Her: Yeah, his head is terrible, it's all matts. Me: No, his head is good. This is exactly what's supposed to be happening. There are cords. Her: Cords, whatever you call it. Those are matts. It's terrible. How do you get a brush through that? Me: No, we don't brush him, we want the cords to form. We tyear the matts to shape the cords. Her: Well, he's just going to be more and more matted-- don't you realize that? (Another lady I know interjects): It's a characteristic of the breed, look up some pictures. He's supposed to look like that. Her: No dog should look like that. I don't know how your groomer is going to fix him. They'll probably charge you a mint. Me: Have a good evening. You ever have those days where you feel like you're in the Twilight Zone? |
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How do you prevent the mats -er- cords  from pulling the skin?
If they are small enough they won't? |
| You ever have those days where you feel like you're in the Twilight Zone?
_________________ YEP !! 
Gosh some people are ignorant are'nt they  I say take a picture of a Komodor in Full Dreadlocks!! to the park next time and if that ingnoramous!! comes up again and makes a comment, show her a photo of what you are aiming for with bears coat and also see if you can get a printout of the "Kommodor standard" and in BOLD HIGHLIGHTS
emphasise that part that explains how the coat is 
Mmmm people are amazing arent they, they will not listen and have very closed MINDS 
Anyway I think Bear is wonderful and to see him grow and bloom is just amazing, can't wait to see if you do achieve the DREAD LOCK look to him and admire all the hard work that does go into achieving that wonderful look too. If you don't see her there again, never mind, just enjoy the fact you have one big super fun bear who is quite unique 
Ron it is very hard work to achieve the Dreadlocks. It is all done by hand and as the cords are forming the matt area is seperated by hand into cords. I have a friend that has Pulis similar look to the Komodor coat and it is extremely labour instensive hand grooming, especially at this stage of the cords forming. ALL Done by hand. |
| This reminds me of the idiot that hubby met last week who was arguing with him over OES and would not admit to being wrong and kept telling hubby that HE was wrong. You know...like this woman who thinks she knows everything.
I really hope she gets home and looks up the breed. Boy, will she feel stupid. |
Jill, on an upnote you came away uninjured  |
| I would have laughed in her face.
What a maroon. |
| Excuse my ignorance. What or cords? I've never heard of the breed? Can you point me to a picture or site for the breed? |
| Great pic on the front page of this site: http://www.komondor.org/
and the site for the Brits: http://www.komondor.co.uk/ Think rasta! |
| LOL! What a great picture. You should print it and carry with you...LOL. That lady at the dog park would have had a heart attack. |
| That's a great idea on the picture. Perhaps I'll even make up a little informational brochure.
Lisa's right, at this stage, it is pretty intensive because it is all done by hand. The matting isn't uniform and the matts don't all form the same-- some areas form natural cords, others form wooly giant matts at the skin that have to be split and shaped. Luckily, as the coat transitions, it kind of does it in pieces so I can work on an area at a time. He keeps growing and giving me more and more to work on. Ron, as they're separated, they're spread out uniformly so they don't pull. It's a dense coat but at the same time, not super heavy either, if that makes sense. |
| That is the wildest picture I have ever seen! I have seen Kom's before but that photo looks like an abstract of a huge mop being thrown in the air- too cool |
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