Curly and wavy coats have a special charm. They also need specific care to keep them soft, defined, and free from tangles. The right routine helps maintain their natural bounce and prevents frizz or dryness. This guide walks you through the Stunning Curls routine, designed to hydrate and enhance your dog’s beautiful curls.
Bathe for Moisture
The first step is a gentle bath that focuses on hydration without stripping the coat. For curly and wavy coats, you can use Deluge, an all-rounder shampoo that provides moisture, mirror shine, and balanced volume. It is safe for all breeds and ages, including puppies.
Another excellent choice is Arrogance, an extreme-hydration shampoo designed for deep moisture with a straight, silky, natural fall and no added volume. Arrogance suits puppies of every breed and coats that tend to break or shed. For extra moisture, you can even mix Deluge and Arrogance together. You can compare these shampoos on our shampoos page to see which best suits your dog.
Deep Hydration Mask
After shampooing and rinsing thoroughly with warm water, gently blot the coat with a Big Size Microfiber Towel until it is damp. Now it is time for a mask. The ‘queen of hydration’ mask, Fortaleza Treatment, offers maximum nutrition without changing the coat’s natural volume, an extraordinary shine, and it seals dry or damaged ends. Apply it in three zones—chest, front legs, neck and head; back and underside; hips, skirts, tail and rear legs—massaging it into the ends.
As an alternative, especially for dry coats, you can use Insolence, a botanical rinse-out conditioner. Leave the mask on for at least 45 minutes. For optimal results, wrap your dog in plastic, then a towel and a warm blanket for 20 to 30 minutes. Never wrap a coat in an absorbent towel while a mask is working, as it can pull the product out. After the time is up, let your dog cool for five minutes, then rinse the coat with plenty of cold water to seal the cuticle and lock in moisture.
Immediately after the cold rinse, while the coat is still wet, spray Jealousy generously. Jealousy is the most concentrated hydration spray in the line, perfect for curls.
Gentle Detangling and Styling
Curly coats need careful detangling to preserve their natural pattern. Use a wide-tooth comb from our Professional Combs set. This will define curls without breaking them up. As you comb, lightly re-spray Jealousy to help glide through the coat and maintain hydration. For show days, if you want extra control, a very small amount of Pride can be worked into the coat. Remember, Pride is very concentrated; a little gives control, but more can weigh the coat down.
Drying with Care
Curly coats are best dried without a force dryer, which can disrupt the curl pattern and cause frizz. Instead, use a diffuser on a low setting or allow the coat to air-dry naturally. This helps keep the curl pattern intact and promotes healthy, defined curls. Before entering the ring on show days, a touch of Envy can be sprayed on for a glitter-like radiance.
What you need
- Deluge: for gentle, hydrating shampooing.
- Arrogance: for deep hydration, alone or mixed with Deluge.
- Big Size Microfiber Towel: for blotting the coat before masking and after rinsing.
- Fortaleza Treatment: for maximum hydration and shine as a mask.
- Insolence: as an alternative botanical mask for dry coats.
- Jealousy: to spray on wet coat after rinsing and during detangling for concentrated hydration.
- Professional Combs: specifically a wide-tooth comb for detangling curls.
- Pride: for control on show days.
- Envy: for a radiant finish before the ring.
For a routine built specifically for your pet, visit our Grooming Advisor.