The hair of the dog called Waffle was all people could talk about at Crufts, and today we reveal the poodle parlour secrets that turn him into a “little ginger cloud”.
Waffle is pampered for the show ring with an hour-long wash and blow dry, using an organic, cruelty-free shampoo.
Breeder Michael Gadsby, whose partner Tom Isherwood grooms Toy Poodle Waffle, said: “It takes about an hour shampooing and blow-drying him.
“It takes a lot longer than humans because they’ve got more hair.
"Waffle goes to sleep while being blow-dried. He’s very chilled, it’s therapeutic.
"They’re not like a child in a beauty pageant, being terrorised by a mother.”
Waffle – kennel name Ch Afterglow Agent Orange – stole the show, drawing cheers from the Crufts crowd as he cheekily cocked a leg during the final parade at Birmingham NEC on Sunday.
He was named Reserve Champion, beaten to the Best in Show title by a flat-coated retriever called Baxer.
Waffle, from Preston, Lancs, celebrated his runner-up position at the aftershow party with “two British bangers”, said Michael.
And yesterday Waffle was looking forward to letting his hair down with a muddy walk on the beach.
Michael said: “I know he looks like he’s pampered to death, but he’s not.
“Between shows, his hair is pulled back into pigtails with rubber bands.
"He goes on Blackpool beach, he gets muddy. He doesn’t have particularly expensive tastes, he’s just happy running around.
"He doesn’t need expensive toys – he loves a stick.”
But his shampoo for show time is from Plush Puppy, an Australian brand with a £29 bottle in its range.
Michael said: “It’s a lovely shampoo that suits his hair, and he has conditioner.
“If you’ve a lovely thick coat, it’s much easier to scissor and look fantastic.”
At just a year old, Waffle can still be a “little terror” at times, but his little accident in the ring is not thought to have cost him the title. Michael said: “They’re going to behave like dogs.”
Waffle’s rightful owner is Michael and Tom’s good friend Trish, and he will return to her, and her kids and grandchildren, when his show days are over.
Michael said: “He won’t have a long career, but he’ll be shown this year.
“Then he’ll go back to the kids, back to being Waffle. He’s such a funny little dog.
"That personality and happiness is really infectious – he makes you smile.
“At the moment there’s a lot of doom and gloom, he’s a little bit of light relief. He’s like a little ginger cloud.”
