# Grooming your Cocker Spaniels



## overworked&underpaid (9 March 2011)

This is sort of a follow on from my post earlier this week..
I have recently put a deposit on a cocker spaniel, I have previously had springers whose coats just really seemed to look after themselves and I currently have a cockerdale who has a smoooth, lovely shiney coat.
As I am new to Cockers I was just wondering how much grooming they require.  
Do you have yours clipped out professionally?
Is it necessary to have them clipped?
Any suggestions would be gratefully received.
I am sooooooooo looking forward to getting her but have another 5/6 weeks to wait!  So thought I would fill the time with fact finding on them LOL!


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## Spudlet (9 March 2011)

It really depends on how you want them to look. Henry has a short back, sides, front, top and bottom courtesy of my clippers every few months which is fine for me and him as I don't really mind how he looks, so long as he is happy A groomer could also do this for you, it used to cost me approx £25 a time, every 8-12 weeks.

If you are getting a show type, expect a thick coat - you will need to brush every day to avoid matts and tangles forming. I'm not sure about workers, but I'd expect they'd need a daily brush too?

Try here for breed specific info: http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?board=9.0


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## poorchickens (9 March 2011)

One of mine is very 'show' type and he gets matted hair all the time. He's not even the most grubby spaniel around, but does like a soak in a pond / puddle and is attracted to mud. I try and brush him daily and he's happy to lie on his back and let me cut out the matted bits. I didn't have to do this until he was at least 8 months old and he now goes to the groomers every few months for a shave! Until then, I just let their hair grow - it looked so cute all long and curly 

My other one, despite supposedly being a show cocker (oh the joys of buying from a back-yard breeder), is much more 'working' and I have no problems with his hair getting matted. He dries off within minutes and can happily go to the groomers half the amount of the other doughnut. And he hates being brushed so I don't push it. 

It's amazing actually how different their coats are in texture. I would suggest a trip to the groomers when yours is still a baby so he gets used to it. Mine does a special puppy wash and brush up to help them settle into it.


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## Skippys Mum (9 March 2011)

If you want to show him, he'll need to be hand stripped.  Working cockers tend to have far less hair and are far more manageable.  To a large extent, the manageability of the coat is dependent on the colour and whether or not the dog is neutered.  A neutered red cocker is almost always a shaved red cocker as they just mat up.

They tend to be far higher maintenance than a springer


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## Slinkyunicorn (9 March 2011)

Sweep goes and has his all clipped off about every 3 months - he is a show type - and goes all curly in between. I never brush him as he is a right Grump about it and doesn't like to disturb the ecosystem, twigs, mud and assorted bits that he carries around of course his regular swims (nearly daily) mean he isn't too tangly


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## Llewellyn (11 March 2011)

I have a working cocker and have her professionally groomed every 10 weeks with a lady who charges £17 and does claws, checks anal glands and cleans out ears, parasite wash blow dry and trim. However after about 5 weeks I lop off the bottom of her ears with the scissors because they begin to drag in things. I groom her every night but she rarely 'needs' it just like the cuddles. We wash her if she is either really muddy and it won't brush out when dry or baby drops food on her or something. Just take her in the shower with me.

Before we got her she was not groomed and was so matted she had to be shaved in areas  and a month later when we went to pick her up she was matted again (had to be cut off) and had over 50 ticks in the mess. I know 'normal' owners would notice this but they are quite good at getting mats (and ticks) underneath the smooth exterior (no excuse I know) but having had a springer I'm sure you know this well. 

Ps. on special occasions she gets VO5 serum when her ears are a bit static.  Spoilt Pip noooo!


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