Puppy grooming

[Bettylove]

Hi everyone,
Sidney is a 12 week old blue roan show cocker. He had his first puppy groom this week, just a bath and dry and nail cut to get him used to going to the groomers. The groomer commented on how beautiful he is but said she can tell already he is going to have very thick fur. She grooms a lot of cockers and came high reccomended. I asked her about hand stripping and she said in her honest opinion that if I don’t intend to show him (he is a pet for us) then once he gets his adult fur she would go for a clip/scissor in a show style. So clipped along the back then scissored everywhere else (feathers longer etc). She said she does handstrip but that most people who don’t show go for this as it’s a lot cheaper not quite as frequent and the dog is often cooler in hot weather. I am a bit concerned about ruining his beautiful roan pattern as I have read clipping can alter this and I don’t want him to look like a Dalmatian! So I was wondering if any other cocker owner had made this compromise with the grooming and your thoughts. I am happy to regularly brush at home but can’t handstrip due to arthritis and I would rather he was groomed at the groomers . Thanks 😊

[Emilyoliver]

Hi, and welcome 

I’ve not clipped my show cockers – ever.  I showed them to start with so couldn’t.  However, I personally don’t like the clipped look, so have always kept them in full coat.  In between clipping, many of the clipped ones I’ve seen get quite scruffy and the coat grows back curly and thick.  I didn’t/ don’t hand strip mine, though once I stopped showing.  I use/d a combination of comb with elastic band, coat king, spratts 76 comb and thinning scissors.  Now with my last show cocker at 14, I only use the coat king and thinning scissors to keep the sessions short.  I do this every 2-3 weeks and it really doesn’t take long.  It’s more of a tidy.  He’s blue roan.  Your dog’s coat should be manageable unless you have him neutered.  Whereabouts are you?  There are some good videos on youtube showing use of the coat king – you should be able to use that easily enough.  And the groomer could tidy the rest monthly like clipping the face, and thinning out the legs and shoulder and tail end.

[Pearly]

Good advice above

Please don't clip, its just lazy grooming IMO! At 12 weeks your boy is no where near developed and until he is fully grown, with all those hormones, it will be difficult to tell what his coat will be like.

It is really easy to hand strip, do a little every evening when you settle down and it also helps with bonding/training.

Jayne

[Bettylove]

I live in Lincoln. I think it’s tricky weighing up practical etc.. with beauty. There is no contest in terms of hand stripping giving the best look, but I just wondered if any owners had compromised with clipping the back and any thoughts on it? I could speak to the groomer about using a coat king and then asking her to do the rest. 

[Emilyoliver]

I have a friend who has started clipping recently because her bitch was spayed and the coat became really thick.  She's using a comb attachment on the clipper blade which doesn't cut the coat as short as with a usual No 7 blade.  You could ask your groomer about that maybe.

[lucybennett]

Hi! I have never had Bailey clipped. He is nearly 5.  Only combed and scissor cut and I love his soft, thick and curly coat. It’s not that more expensive or time consuming in my experience. He constantly gets comments on his lovely coat and whilst I understand the ease of having a clipped coat- especially now we are in grass seed season requiring constant checking! - his coat is so lovely shiny and fluffy that I will stick to hand cutting x


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