Archived Message

ORIGINAL MESSAGE:
by Janis

I have read several references that refer to wrapping the hair. At the risk of sounding very ingnorant, could someone please explain wrapping to me.

DISCUSSION:

Wrapping is a process of sectioning off the long silky coat of a show Maltese and placing each section in long sheets of rice paper and folding the "package" up and banding it together, close to the body.

There are a different ways of wrapping; some people put coat oil on the dog, then wrap the hair up. Others, like myself, do not use oil, but simply wrap the silk coat. Some people use several large wraps on each side of the dog; others use numerous small wraps. I myself do not wrap two dogs the same way; you have to experiment and find a method of wrapping that the dog will tolerate and not scratch (causing matts) and is comfortable with.

Wrapping DOES NOT mean that you do not have to brush--the wraps must be taken down individually and brushed out and then put back up. (I have been wrapping Maltese for 6 years now and I cannot do one in less than 45 minutes minimum--every day when I begin wrapping the dog, and maybe every other day after the dog adjusts to the wraps.)

Why wrap? My dogs are show dogs but also pets--in fact they are pets first because they are show dogs for such a short part of their lives. Wraps let them run around the house, sleep in the sun perched on the back of the couch, streak across the carpet (without breaking off all that long coat) and sleep on the bed at night. That's the reason I wrap my Maltese coats.
-Linda (Snow Ange)

Is this wrapping you're talking about, also what you do for their top knots? I would like to know how to get my Scarlett's top knots to look neater. You mentioned rice paper. What is this and where do you get it? Does it work on their top knots?
-Pam

You can use rice papers for topknots. Rice paper is made from rice, is porous, letting the hair breathe. Some people use wax paper, bakery wraps, etc. Some use plastic wraps, which do not let the hair breathe. I like rice paper wraps the best.

If you just want something to keep the ends in when you do a topknot, you can use permanent end papers--yes what beauticians use when they roll your hair to give you a permanent. Try cutting them in half, wrap several times around the topknot hair, and fold in half and band.

If you want to purchase rice papers, I have the names and Email addresses of several vendors who sell them. Email me and I will forward the addresses to you.
-Linda (Snow Angel)

Linda, What a great suggestions--perm paper! They are cheap and not so hard to find. I will give them a try. Thanks!
-cathy brown