Best time to start grooming a pup

[Mjjackson43]

Hello all. I have a 9 week old show type blue roan and wondered when is the best time to start handstripping/ clipping? Can anyone recommend whats better of the two? I would like to eventually have her hand stripped but her head, chest and behind clipped but not sure when the best age to do this or at what age her coat will be ready to be hand stripped/clipped. She is my first cocker so any advice would be great. Thank you


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[Barry H]

Hi - I have the same problem, though Jack is now 9 months.  I'm sure someone far more knowledgeable will be along shortly, but my researches suggest NOT to clip/cut the coat.  Handstripping only is the way to go for a classic Cocker look.  Trouble with this is that you have to wait until the adult coat comes through - I'm still waiting and Jack has looked like an exploded cushion for months.  It's frustrating not being able to tackle him with the scissors (though I do tidy his feet), but I'm hoping fighting back the urges will pay off in the end.  Not saying you can't clip, lots of folks do, but I'd be a bit wary - lots of Googling and reading the Grooming section (a gold mine of info) will pay dividends.

I plan to hand strip myself.  Time consuming, but don't want to rely on someone else and finding a reliable groomer can be a PITA.

In the meantime, daily grooming and fiddling with head, feet, tail etc is the way to go, so she'll get used to being 'messed about'.   Jack still doesn't like his front paws being touiched - I have to do them when he's half asleep!

Good luck!

[lescef]

Hi! Puppy coat usually isn't ready for stripping out until at least seven months of age. By then she might look like a woolly ball! Once it has been stripped out, areas like the chest and bottom can be shaped using thinning scissors. While she's still growing trim her paws and round the ears/head area which will get her used to being groomed and keep her matt free.
If you are intending to have her spayed after her first season, it then becomes difficult to hand strip as in most cases the coat changes texture and won't 'pull' anymore and then owners choose to have them clipped.
Hope that is helpful.

[elaine.e]

How did we all miss your post until today Mjjackson43? . Well spotted Barry H

Good advice already given, get her used to being handled all over (which is good practice for vet visits and if you need to apply eye or ear drops etc.) and brush or comb her daily, just very short sessions to get her used to being groomed.

Her puppy coat won't start coming out for a few months and she may look like a woolly mammoth or mini Afghan Hound by then if she's naturally heavy coated. So you need to be patient in the meantime and just keep her paws tidy and all of her tangle free. You could take her to a groomer for a bath and a paw tidy up, but if you do make it very clear what you want.

[Mjjackson43]

Thank you all! She has her second vaccination tomorrow so a few weeks after that she will be at the grooming parlour getting used to the sights and smells and sounds. I have bathed her once in the last 5 weeks and she HATED IT even though we were very gentle and reassuring. She is actually very light coated so may not be as bad after all. Just glad most of the hot weather has now passed so if she does turn into a wooly mammoth she won't get too hot


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[Mjjackson43]

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[bluegirl]

You usually decide to have all hand stripped or all clipped there is generally no inbetween. If she is to be spayed then hand stripping will be difficult if not impossible. Handstripping is left until the coat is ready which is usually 7 mths plus but there is no reason why you can't book her in to a groomers for puppy trims which will mean that she gets used to bathing and drying and feet are tidied up and lines will be set in her leg feathers for when she is ready.