Whiskers and eyebrows?

[merrysmum]

Hi everybody,

I took Merry back to his breeder the other day for his first trim (he's 6 months). I was a bit apprehensive as I loved his fluffy look but as he's a black and white ticked I was getting a bit fed up with daily washing!! 
I didn't say what I wanted when I took him as I've never had a cocker before and as his breeder only breeds and grooms cockers I didn't want to teach my grandma how to suck eggs!

Anyhoo, I was very upset when I collected him as he's soooo short. Now I know it'll all grow back and it's all a learning curve (I'm going to try (gulp!) to do it myself from now on), but I've just noticed that she even took off his whiskers and eyebrows!! 

I wanted to ask everybody - is this normal?

[CarolineL]

some breeders do take whiskers off   

when we picked up Hurley from the breeder before i could say 'leave them on' she'd whipped out the scissors and lopped them off. It did take quite a while for them to grow back.

I think it is all down to individual preference and when I take H to the groomers now I specifiy EXACTLY what I want (an am learning from my own mistakes now too.....)

Cx

[merrysmum]

  Poor little monkey - he's got a stubbly little snoz now! 

You're right Caroline, from now on I'll either specify exactly what I want or learn to do it myself.
I find it difficult though as I'm not the most assertive person in the world and when I took him there she said 'you're not one of these silly people who likes to keep the top knot are you?' I didn't have the heart to say yes!!

I have to say he doesn't seem to care and I think prefers being shorter, especially on his legs. He did look a little bit like a piglet though, with chicken drumstick legs and a little pot belly   

Love Emma and Merry x

[Neacy]

When we got Harvey we took him to the breeder for grooming, she always took his whiskers off, her saying was, "whiskers are for cats, cockers are not cats" even though I no longer take him to her, I still remember this saying and have a little chuckle to myself.

[Joules]

I always take Coco's whiskers and eyebrows off - leave her eyelashes though    I think it looks tidier when they have had a trim.

It is a shock when you see their first haircut but I also learned the hard way to explain exactly what I wanted them to do.  They may be an expert on cockers but people still have very different ideas of what looks right and it is really up to you to make it clear 

[Annette]

Buddy has had two different groomers. One who grooms for showing and the other who shears (!).

They both did    when I asked them to leave his whiskers and now his eyebrows too (he didn't always have eyebrows).

I am told; "he's a dog, not a cat".

[Karma]

I love Honey's whiskers and eyebrows, and would be gutted if anyone trimmed them!!
 

[Michele]

I don't like top knots, whiskers or eyebrows left on and even the eyelashes to be kept a reasonable length, but as a groomer my view on it is, it's your dog and you'll have to look at it after I've gone, so my opinion doesn't really matter - I don't mean that to sound harsh or rude, to the contrary in fact.

I'd think it rude of anyone to make that kind of comment, especially if you are paying. If you want anything left speak up, it's your dog!

[LurcherGirl]

In Americans, whiskers are taken off, but then they tend to be a bit more furry than English cockers as their whole face/muzzle gets shaved (if it wasn't for the shaving, I'd leave the whiskers on... I love them on all of our other dogs). You are also supposed to take the eyebrows/lashes off, I trim the eyebrows short, but I love the long eye lashes and they are therefore kept on.

Vera

[KellyS]

Of the cockers i groom I have one that I am under strict instructions not to trim his eye lashes or eye brows- which is fine but difficult to remember when your used to taking them off, once i forgot and trimmed them off - luckily the owners saw the funny side - i felt awful but they soon grew back