Witches brew for shiny coats and rich color

[Dobs4ever]

I stumbled across this old receipe that I used to use. I am dragging it back out because REDS are so hard to keep a show coat on. Plus with the apple cider vinegar it is a great antioxidant.

I put it in a squeeze bottle and just squirt on a little at each feeding. Enjoy!

WITCHES BREW:
1 cup Flax seed oil (from health food store)
1 cup buckwheat honey
1 cup crude molasses
1 cup apple cider vinegar
Put 1 Tbsp. 2 x's daily in dogs food

This makes for lovely shinny coats. It also gets rid of dry flaky skin and enhances color in coats making them a richer deeper color.

[Rich S]

Thanks for sharing. I'm going to make up a batch for Magnum...and maybe put some on my salad.

lol

[tidibole]

The only issue I feel that reds (and I am a RED FAN above all colors) have in comparison to blacks is the potential of bleaching if kept out during what I call the burning hours. I don't let my boys out in the afternoon when the sun is the worst for any period of time with the exception of doing their business. They go out in the AM and then again in the PM. Although I am currently feeding a supplement as a diet stimulation I just honesty feel that proper food takes care of the coat...and as a result I have never had issues with my past BLUE or my current FAWN or RED..Neither of which recieve excessive bathing or supplements. I do however use BioSilk very lightly before showing and a human grade conditioner after bathing. Perhaps I have just been fortunate but I did write down the recipe. Thanks..

[Dobs4ever]

Well good for you. Last year I kept Shrock in the DARK all summer- He did not go out during the day at all unless in shade - I spent over $120 on sun screen and of course he got hives finally from too much Sun screen. This year I am letting him go out try to stay with shade and he is always inside during the heat of the day. Some reds and a lot of the Euro breedings are very dark and don't bleach if that is what you had then that is good - I have also found if you are not showing then you don't pay as much attention to a little fading. In the ring it is glaringly apparent. So I am back on witches brew - it is an old time tried and true show recipe.

[tidibole]

Yes, I currently have a Euro Red..but the blue was a Prince Kuhio grandson in the California sun, he lived to be 11 with a FULL, RICH coat and absolutely NO special attention except for an occassional warmed OLIVE OIL light rub which was recommended by M. Cox..and he was shown for a short period of time. My FAWN??? well that is open to discussion..LOL.. and my other reds were respectively, Damasyn, Boo Radley and Cryptonite..My old red girl (Cryptonite grandaughter) is not faded either although her coat needs a little help but at 13 I am just glad that she is still spry. This red is my first Euro and I turly don't see a darker red coat but PERHAPS richer rust markings... I pay attention to FADING whether showing or not...I want my dogs to look (regardless of breed) if for nothing else like they could go into the ring even if conformationally speaking that is not the case. I have always felt that a rescue dog, stray or the "show dog" deserve the same attention. I have seen people over-do with coat conditioners, food additives and unless you are EXTREMELY knowledgeable can very easily throw off the balance of the system. Conditioners, sprays, etc can clog the pores as can over zealous scrubbing or over eagerly "grooming" the coat, which ultimately can and generally does produce hives of a sort on sensitive skin/coat.. Especially in the blues, not so much in the fawns. Even when grooming, I use a WOOL sock (regardless of the color of the dog)over my hand and caress the coat but never any heavy brushing!!! I can only imagine the cost of SUNSCREEN..I suppose that a light mesh sheet as is used in horses would also be a valuable alternative. All my dogs get used to wearing BLANKETS of one sort or another if needed from a very early age.

[RKCM]

Witches brew....what a name but i have heard it works. thanks for that post.

[freeze3kgt]

could anyone tell me what crude molasses is or where i can buy some?

every where i search for it on the internet all i get is book titles when i look on amazon

[RKCM]

Sorry Freeze, just never used this....

[Hall's Dobes]

Crude Molasses is a very sticky like substance that is black in colour and to be honest is a by product of sugar cane refinement.It is extremely sweet and very hard to handle on the knife or spoon,very similar to treacle but a lot sweeter.We English used to use it during the war to make sweet alcoholic brews a sort of rum.But also we use it to spread on toast.It is readily available here in England in the Supermarkets so if your struggling finding some i am sure i can help.:D
Oh the sunject of shiny coats, as you know i have just got myself a red bitch who is 7 weeks old called Purdey, my recipe for a shiny coat is plenty of fresh tuna with virgin olive oil mixed in,but my show reciepe is easy.....Cod liver oil and baked beans,it works a treat and there coats shine!:D

[RKCM]

I'm with you, Chris. Don't want sticky on my dogs. A baby whipe with Allo works a great. Reds can get bleached out by the sun if left outside for long hours, but if they r house dogs they should be fine. We give Norweign Kelp and it will brighten any coat...blacks or reds. Really am not sure on the deluted colors.

[Dale]

why are so many of the people that seem to be truly posting good discussions and advice on this board banned??
It seems everytime I read one of these threads and am getting valuble information or the such, I look at who wrote it and it says banned under their name.
That just seems like a waste to me, especially on a forum that is trying to get more people posting and joining.

Just an observation.

[Dale]

RKCM, has helped me tremendously with coat issues, my male that i have, when I first got him had a terrible coat, he is a black by the way, and she gave me norweigan sea kelp, and it has worked wonders, and as a matter of fact, I need to stop by her house and beg for some more.

[BiggESmalz1]

I stumbled across this old receipe that I used to use. I am dragging it back out because REDS are so hard to keep a show coat on. Plus with the apple cider vinegar it is a great antioxidant.

I put it in a squeeze bottle and just squirt on a little at each feeding. Enjoy!

WITCHES BREW:
1 cup Flax seed oil (from health food store)
1 cup buckwheat honey
1 cup crude molasses
1 cup apple cider vinegar
Put 1 Tbsp. 2 x's daily in dogs food

This makes for lovely shinny coats. It also gets rid of dry flaky skin and enhances color in coats making them a richer deeper color.

Thanks so much for the tip!!!

Does anyone know if feeding eggs to your doberman is a good idea?

I grew up on a farm of sorts and we would give our dogs eggs because it made their coats really shiny.

I don't really know why that worked but it seemed to. Anyone know why or better, if it's a bad idea?

[RKCM]

RKCM, has helped me tremendously with coat issues, my male that i have, when I first got him had a terrible coat, he is a black by the way, and she gave me norweigan sea kelp, and it has worked wonders, and as a matter of fact, I need to stop by her house and beg for some more.

Glad that it has helped with the coat issues and call us anytime. I have a gallon of it!

[freeze3kgt]

thanks for the help all ... and how do you apply sea kelp? is it a pill?

I am all for trying new things... i've heard adding fish oil and flax seed oil together and spraying it on dog food helps also.

[RKCM]

Here is what we do and all of our dogs coats shine like new money and do not have skin problems......we wash them in Mane and Tail shampoo about 4 times a year. If they get their feed dirty we wash that. We wipe them off with Baby Wipes with Allo if they look dirty. And we feed them well with a little Norweign Kelp. We use Frontline and they are wormed.......so basically their coats r shinny..........They r housedogs so they really don't get that dirty.

I think if you do too much with bathing etc.....you take out the natural oils which are to make the dog shine. If you put too much stuff on them, you clog the pores and cause problems.......Shinny coats r a sign of a healthy dog and the artificial stuff won't last long. It shines because it's healthy....if it doesn't they have a problem, worms, allergies, or more......a dobermans coat should shine. Coats r a look at health but the cause is from within.

Good luck and hope it works but wouldn't want that much sticky oil on my dogs...

[BiggESmalz1]

I think if you do too much with bathing etc.....you take out the natural oils which are to make the dog shine. If you put too much stuff on them, you clog the pores and cause problems.......Shinny coats r a sign of a healthy dog and the artificial stuff won't last long. It shines because it's healthy....if it doesn't they have a problem, worms, allergies, or more......a dobermans coat should shine. Coats r a look at health but the cause is from within.



That's a really good point RKCM!

I was also wondering if the kelp is sufficient if given in pill form?

I found some on amazon.com in both pill form and in a 1lb bag.

Or do you know of somewhere cheaper to buy it?

[RKCM]

I just bought it from where another breeder did. It may or may not all be the same- not sure. I'd buy a smaller amount and try it. Here is where I order mine:

http://www.kelpproductsofflorida.com/

It is a granular and we put it over the food. I had to wet the food for them to eat it but it works immediately....and improves the shine, richness in color for sure. Not sure if it does all the things it claims....? I forget to add it but it does work really well and it helped Dales dog he said.

Best.....

[Hall's Dobes]

why are so many of the people that seem to be truly posting good discussions and advice on this board banned??
It seems everytime I read one of these threads and am getting valuble information or the such, I look at who wrote it and it says banned under their name.
That just seems like a waste to me, especially on a forum that is trying to get more people posting and joining.

Just an observation.
Dale you will find that the people that are banned have alterior motives for joining this forum,most of them are members of other so called forums that genuinely try to play silly buggers with this site and then go running back to the others to tell them what they have done.Childish? Yes! Immature? Yes! Dale i am not a mod and not on here as much as i would like to be,but one thing i have learned the world of Dobermann Forums can be a minefield full of jealousy and embitterment........i always say..stay the hell out the politics or my fingers will get burnt.I hope i have explained enough for you.:)

[RKCM]

Has anyone used this "witches brew?" Just wondered....

[freeze3kgt]

thanks again for the help... i am going to try the kelp pills and i'll get back with you guys on the difference.

i'm not really one to want to put products on the outside of the coat, but i have been trying recently to get a show coat shine with better quality foods, and am trying to go a natural route by adding to her kibble different oil's like flax seed and fish oils but i am scared of giving my dog something thats bad for her so i've been trying to do some research and thats why i've asked about this "witches brew" and what products you guys and gals use.

I think our Nyx has a healthy coat with minimal shedding * only use furminator once a week if that and don't get to much hair out since switching foods* but her coat doesnt have that mirror shine on it and i want our little girl to shine :D

[gtjblloyd]

Hmmm...the way I read that post, the witches brew was supposed to be sprayed on the food, not the coat. I can't imagine putting anything with molasses on a coat - our local fire ant population would eat him alive!

[Shadowlands]

I too understood it to be sprayed on the food not the coat. I would not want to put anything on the coat either. They should have a healthy glow from within, not manufactured. :)
I am looking into having a go at the brew but first the Norwegian kelp. As she is still a baby, I am starting with that first.

[RKCM]

Sure read that one wrong.....LOL. Oh well.......it is over the food. LOL. Been a busy week.

[nupe]

Dont worry RK...all the knowledge you share in here with us...you get a Pass,,,,,,,,,THIS TIME!!! LOL

[RKCM]

Thanks nupe. I share what I learned and the bottom line is someone helped me. Dobermans are a hard breed and we all are always learning. The forum helps us all.

Felt pretty stupid though when I read that wrong. Drop in and out, busy season at school and at home. Teresa, our handler is coming for Christmas so we will have the Dog Days Holidays. LOL We'll have fun though. Lots of dog stocking hung already. LOL

[Hall's Dobes]

Yes my Furkiddies have there stockings hung up! But it all depends wether they will let Santa come down the chimney!:D

[freeze3kgt]

update....

I did some research and found that regular honey is not so great for dogs.. but the unprocessed organic or raw honey with honey combs still in the jar are ok for dogs, I couldn't find buckwheat honey locally and online its a tad expensive

also i've been giving our Nyx some Fish oil pills 1200mg and a teaspoon of flax seed oil in her kibble once a day and i've noticed a dramatic improvement in the last week, but note i also changed dog foods 2 weeks ago now to Blue buffalo Wilderness salmon which also has lots of omega 3 and 6 fatty acids which are also suppose to help aid in shiny coats.

still not the "mirror" like coat im looking for but we are getting there! :D

thanks again for all the advice on diffrent products like the sea kelp which i ordered a week ago but still have not received :S

[von Cosack Dobermann]

Hey sorry guys if I answered this thread already to lazy to back track! The Dobermanns coat should not be glossy or smooth, it should have a coarse feel and a sheen look. Its in the Dobermann Standard, thats our blue print to how the breed should look and act, check it out its great reading and knowing the breed is important along with companionship from the breed. Von

[RKCM]

I have found for showing that those baby wipes with allo do the trick. It removes the dirt, cleans, and puts a natural shine to the coat. Dobes can pick up dust etc. that can dull the coat. Not bad for cleaning pads etc on raining days either......

[lewisipso]

Not bad for cleaning pads etc on raining days either......

Ain't that the truth.

[Paul]

We give our Dobes their usual dry food from www.bestformydog.com . But my Wife balances them up and maintains them with Pasta, Natural Yogurt, Cheese, Tuna, these additions keep my Dobes in very shiney coats.