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The Australian home of K9 Competition!

 K9 Competition! Yippee!!!

We're so very happy to once again make the entire K9 Competition range available in Australia! We missed the amazing coat quality that comes from healthy, moisturized skin. We missed the brilliant shine, the fantastic volume & the perfect texture. We missed hair that looked & felt just like beautiful, healthy hair (not sticky, stiff or 'producty') We missed glossy. smooth coats with no flakes. We missed improved hair growth. We missed less tangles... less hair loss & breakage... more length & volume. And (let's face it...) we really missed better coats with less time & effort. If you're nodding your head, you'll also be liking our new pricing, making K9 Competition even better value. And if you don't understand why we're getting so goddam excited about shampoo, perhaps you should try it...!

January 22nd, 2022

22/1/2022

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Happy New Year (...& Better New Year...!!!) The good news is Nine of Hearts has a new home... & our new salon & warehouse is going to be amazing. The bad news is there are some Issues atm (!)... like, no wifi... limited phone... & a delayed shipment. We're hoping to be our remarkable self again by 1st week of February. Thank you & we're so sorry.
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Fabulous Feathers 101

26/2/2019

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 No. We're not talking about birds. Or Mardi Gras costumes. We're talking about those gorgeous, icing-on-the-cake fringes of hair that adorn ears, belly, back of legs & tail of various breeds -  like Setters, Spaniels, Papillons & Salukis.
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Supreme Champion Talkabout Son Of A Gun
 Feathers are generally fine and/or silky in texture, and are often quite delicate. The trick is to keep the hair moisturized to prevent tangles, breakage & hair loss (and staining! Hair with optimized moisture balance is less porous & less likely to absorb unwanted pigments from urine, dirt etc) WITHOUT weighing the hair down with heavy, oily products. That's why top breeders & exhibitors all over the world love K9 Competition! Like Tony Kyman & Allan Wishart - owners, breeders & handlers of Australia's Number 1 Saluki for 2018 -  MBIS Supreme Champion Talkabout Son Of A Gun. Congratulations to Tony & Allan on Usher's success! Usher also finished 2018 #1 Hound in Victoria, & #4 All Breeds in Victoria. We're so proud you trust K9 Competition to make this very special dog look his best! 
Here are our 4 Must Haves for growing Fabulous Feathers...

1. Keratin+ Shampoo

 To optimize length & volume, coats need to be kept clean & conditioned. Keratin+ Shampoo is perfect for frequent bathing. It's mild & gentle formulation is based on an ultra-restoring blend of Keratin Protein & D-Panthenol to make coats look & feel healthy. It smoothes & nourishes right to the ends, without weighing down the coat. It delivers an incredible shine (look at Usher!) while boosting strength & elasticity. Repairs  damaged coats in just one bath. And if all that isn't enough, it also reduces your drying time (calling all Spaniels...!) and is super-economical, diluting up to 1:20. White feathers? K9 Competition Sterling Silver Shampoo is the same fantastic formula, with an optical brightener specifically designed to effectively target yellow stains. (And as it contains no bleaching agents, it's perfectly safe to use all over on parti-coloured dogs)
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2. Keratin+Conditioner

Please use conditioner! (& not just because we want to sell it to you...) Shampoo & Conditioner are different pHs - shampoo opens up the hair cuticle, conditioner smooths & seals it. Sealing the cuticle means 1. it won't dry out & be prone to sun damage, tangles & breakage...2. it will be less porous & less vulnerable to staining... 3...it won't absorb as much water & will dry faster. Our Keratin+ Conditioner has the added bonus of Keratin Protein & D-Panthenol to boost the strength, resilience & elasticity of every hair for maximum length & volume - but without making the coat heavy, oily or dull. Dilutes up to 1:40  - adjust according to the amount of Love required. White Feathers...? Yep. There's Sterling Silver Conditioner - same formula with the added performance of our brilliant optical brightener.

3. Nanomist Spray

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Ever heard the old chestnut "Never brush a wet coat. Never brush a dry coat. Never brush a dirty coat"...? Mist this magic spray over dry coats to cut static, detangle & make brushing a breeze. For maintenance brushing, tiny nanoliposomes penetrate the scales of the hair shaft to keep coats healthy & moisturized. Which means less breakage & hair loss. Doesn't build up, so can be used daily if needed. Won't leave coats greasy or oily... which also makes it perfect for show-day brushing. Eliminates static & makes feathers sit beautifully without making hair dull, heavy, oily or sticky. Just healthy, smooth, shiny hair!

4. Silk Shine Serum

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...and the finishing touch...? Rub just a couple of drops of Silk Shine between your hands & smooth over the body coat for extra shine, & down into the feathers for extra control.
Shampoos & Conditioners available in 300ml. 2.7l & 5.7l
Nanomist available in 250ml Spray Bottle, plus 2.7 l & 5.7l refills
Silk Shine available in 30ml pump pack

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Poodle 101 - 4 Maintenance Must Haves

30/10/2018

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 I can't sing. I have no sense of direction. There isn't an indoor plant (fomerly...!) alive that I can't kill. But one thing I CAN do is grow coat on a Poodle.
What I love about the K9 Competition range is that it gives you more hair (length AND volume), better quality hair - with less work. The best coats are healthy coats. And healthy coats grow from healthy skin. The Aloe Vera, D-Panthenol & Wheat Protein in K9 Competition - nourishing, anti-inflammatory, anti-bacterial, repairing, strengthening - promote calm, moisturized skin and strong, resilient, gleaming hair. Long-lasting optimized moisture balance means coats stay tangle-free for longer - which means less breakage & hair-loss, with less coat maintenance. More hair, less work. Sounds good...? Read on!

1.K9 Competition Aloe Vera Shampoo

Okay. So my eye will start to twitch whenever anyone says they're going to get the dog ready the night before the show. Because it takes weeks, months & even years of consistent care to have ANY dog in peak condition (yes - even smooth coated dogs!) With a Poodle, maintenance bathing is critical. Clean skin is healthy skin. Clean, moisturized hair doesn't tangle or matt. Clean, neat dogs are comfortable dogs & don't scratch or rub. This shampoo gets the dog clean, leaving the skin calm & moisturized, & the coat nourished right to the ends, without softening the coat. Super-economical, it dilutes up to 1:20 in a squeeze bottle or I use 2 tablespoons in a full hydrobath tank. Always bath one day too early, rather than one day too late...! That way you'll never have to deal with Bad Things...I do adults in full coat every 7 days, and puppies going through coat change hell every 3 days (& if that sounds very time consuming, I've never had to punish myself with the agonizing process of dematting a dog. Just sayin'...) 
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2. K9 Competition Aloe Vera Conditioner

Okay. Chemistry was never my strong point, however I do understand that shampoo should always be followed by conditioner (yes. Even for smooth coats.) Shampoo is designed to open the hair cuticle to effectively clean it. Conditioner is designed to close & seal it. Closing the cuticle is important, as it helps the coat maintain moisture balance & protects it from dryness. Dry coats are more prone to damage, in terms of matting & breakage, and the unsightly sun-bleaching of colour (yes. Smooth coats too!) K9 Competition Aloe Vera Conditioner dilutes up to 1:40. For a Poodle, I dilute between 1;15 & 1:20 in a squeeze bottle. Massage through the coat & leave for a few minutes before rinsing lightly. The added bonus of effectively sealing the cuticle? Coats dry faster! The hair simply can't hold water - I find it reduces my drying time by an hour. And the brush glides through the hair with no effort at all - which means less time, less work & minimal hair loss. Winning!
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3.K9 Competition Nanomist

Nanomist is the most amazing grooming spray. It cuts static & adds moisture, but never leaves the coat feeling heavy, oily, sticky or stinky. Just beautiful, shiny, healthy hair. I mist it over topknot/mane/ears when banding & wrapping. I'll also use it mid-week if any wraps need to be rebanded due to Poodle Shenanigans (!)... or spritz over the ends if the coat is feeling a bit dry. It has a fresh, light, modern smell that makes it really pleasant to use.
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4. Dematter Instant Conditioner

So... let's talk about Bad Things. They still happen - even to the most diligent groomers. The most important thing is to always remove Little Bad Things before the turn into Big Bad Things. And to remove them without removing a whole lot of hair! Start at the outside (never at the skin!) & carefully pick it apart, one hair at a time working your way inwards towards the skin. I use either my fingers or a wide tooth Collie comb. I love Dematter because it makes Bad Things disappear with minimal time, effort & hair loss. I find I get 'cobwebbing' around bands - especially when the hair is thick, long & heavy. Spray with Dematter & very gently massage... and the hair will separate  so it can easily be picked apart without losing coat.
Every Maintenance Must Have available in 250/300ml, 2.7l & 5.7l bottles at   nineofhearts.com.au
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August 28th, 2018

28/8/2018

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... September means... ROYALS!

Just like there are hundreds of horse races, but only one Melbourne Cup, there aren't many shows on the calendar that inspire excitement, tradition & celebration like a Royal. Coming right up - Adelaide, Melbourne & Perth...!
Are your dogs Royal Ready...? Find out why they call K9 Competition 'The Best In Show Maker' - be amazed by the difference just one bath can make!
Best of luck to all of 'our' kids showing - we'll be holding our breath waiting for results.  But more importantly, we hope everyone has a wonderful day showcasing our beautiful purebred dogs & dedicated hobby breeders to the general public. Be humble in victory... & gracious in defeat. There's enough sun for everyone...
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    Author

    Helen Turner has been showing dogs for 35 years, & professionally grooming dogs for 20 years. Nine of Hearts makes her favourite products available in Australia.

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  • Home
  • how to order
  • Madan Brushes & Accessories
  • Shampoo
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  • Styling & Show Day
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