CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Grooming => Topic started by: Eljay on April 18, 2003, 10:35:18 PM
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Can I have some advice on grooming for a show.
I'm not sure whether I can use thinning scissors on the front of the legs or do they have to be hand plucked? And do you hand pluck the back legs? Also can you use thining scissors on the ears at the top? I'ts difficult to see from a lot of the pictures in the books as they are all taken from the side view. ???
Sorry to appear stupid but I've never done this before so it's all new :-[
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Hi Lou
In the old days, you handstripped everything including legs, tops of ears etc but that was when coats were finer & not as heavy as they are today. Nowadays, there are some coats you can totally handstrip & some you can't - it all depends on the coat eg I can handstrip the tops of the ears on Ruby but wouldn't attempt it on some of our heavier coated dark blues. So basically, you handstrip as much as you can but where you can't, you carefully use your thinning scissors :) When you say about the back legs, do you mean the stifles or the rear pasterns? Stifles you would try to handstrip but pasterns would be neatly trimmed with scissors.
Jane
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Hi Jane,
Thanks very much. I will try to trim him up a bit now, as I have not wanted to use the scissors in case I was wrong. He has quite hairy legs so I think the thinning scissors will help.
Lou.
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Good idea - just use the scissors lightly to begin with & brush out frequently with your slicker brush so you can see the effect you're having & not take too much off by mistake. You don't have to take all the hair off on a puppy's legs - it's normal to see puppies at shows with "puppy trousers" which have just been tidied up a little to make them look neater :)
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Thanks again Jane ;D Will keep trying.
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Any Advice Please :D
Buttons has what I would call a very light coat and not heavy at all...I seem to be getting on quite well handstripping her back and head....do you think that I might not need to use thinning scissors at all on her ??? she really doesn't seem to mind the handstripping at all, so would I just need to use scissors to tidy up her feet and handstrip the rest????
Thanks
Gilly
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Hi Gilly
I would say that you are ok to keep going with your handstripping on Buttons :D :D
I made the mistake and got caught out by Douglas' Breeders by using my thinning scissors on his front legs as he has so much hair there :D :D The first thing they said to me was you've used thinning scissors on his legs haven't you :-[ I know use my good old rubber gloves and take my time and handstrip all of him apart from the chest, throat, tail and underneath his tail where I use thinners.
If you just do a little at a time it will come out and not hurt Buttons.
HTH
Dessie :D
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Any Advice Please :D
Buttons has what I would call a very light coat and not heavy at all...I seem to be getting on quite well handstripping her back and head....do you think that I might not need to use thinning scissors at all on her ??? she really doesn't seem to mind the handstripping at all, so would I just need to use scissors to tidy up her feet and handstrip the rest????
Thanks
Gilly
You'll have to use your thinners a little to trim down the throat, inside the ears, around & underneath the tail etc - these are areas where it is too painful to pluck & everyone uses their scissors here :) You should be able to handstrip Buttons' legs as she has a lightish coat but on heavier coats, it is considered acceptable to use thinners lightly in this area :)
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Thanks for that Dessie & Jane :)
Now I'm about to become even more of a pain (is that possible ;D) anyway...I have 2 slicker brushes which I use at the moment and have now aquired ;)some thin rubber gloves which I think might be easier than the marigolds...my next question is: where do I get the right thining scissors? and do I need anything else....do I use the thining scissors for the feet too?? or will normal hairdressing scissors do for that (I already have these)..
Thanks ever so much all your help is really appreciated and helpful to a complete novice like me ;D
Gilly Willy
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Hi Gilly
I bought my Thinning Scissors from a Champ Show - Diamond Edge, not sure if they are on the web or not. I think JaneS knows of a company that is on the web.
Hair dressing/flat scissors are fine for trimming the feet.
I use the thin latex gloves and they work really well.
This is what I have in my grooming box 3 x wire toothed combs (1 with an elastic band wrapped through the teeth), 4 x slicker brushes (different sizes), 4 x scissors (2 x thinning, 1 x rounded, 1 x flat), 5 x show leads, ring clips, 1 x bristle brush, tick remover, tweezers, nappy sacks, wet wipes, antiseptic cream (for dogs), thornit ear powder, hound glove (I use the velvet side to give the boys a final gleam before going in the ring) and pens.
Dessie :D :D
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I ordered the coat king, spratts and thinning scissors off the diamond edge web site only last week and they were really good and came within a couple of days.
www.diamondedgeltd.com
- Spratts 76
- Mars Coat King Super Fine 26 Blade (I remember seeing somethere that it might not be a good idea to use this if you're planning on showing but I'm not and I was most impressed with how it worked on Jazz)
- Gotta 65 Thinning Scissors
I picked these up from this thread which Mike started on 'what is handstripping' and I found very useful!:-
http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic (http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic) . php?t=71
Hope this helps.
Louise and Jazz.
PS - Can anyone advise me on which 'normal' scissors are best to use from the Diamond Edge site?
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Gilly, Diamond Edge do have a website & their mail order service is v good. Have a look here (http://www.diamondedgeltd.com/acatalog/Online_Catalogue_Thinning_Scissors_21.html) for their range of thinners. You need a pair with 1 side serrated (46 teeth). Their own brand is fine, though I like the Roseline make myself :) Gottas are also popular with many people.
Louise, re normal hairdressing scissors, that all depends on your price range & your own preference. I like to use a smaller scissors but other people I know like quite big shears - whatever suits you best. For normal trimming purposes, a pair of hairdressing scissors from Boots would be just as good as a more expensive pair from Diamond Edge ;)
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Thanks for that folks...I will order the ones you've recommended Jane...they don't do "smartprice" ones do they ;) ;D
Here are the contents of my grooming cupboard (not got a box yet) but next on my list ;)
2 slicker brushes...1 small, 1 medium
1 Comb....(minus elastic band....on my to-do list)
1 Soft Brush
Thornit Powder
Cotton Wool
Baby Wipes (for Private Benjamins ;) ;D)
Cotton Buds
An Aquired Box of Thin rubber gloves ;)
once again thanks to you all for keeping me right :D
Gilly
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Gilly you are more than welcome - that's what CockersOnline is all about isn't it ....... helping each other out !!!
So pleased to hear that Diamond Edge are on the web !!!
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I have just bought a mars coat king 26S for my cocker - it is absolutly fabulous - it basicly does what hand stripping does but in seconds! Mine was £25 and worth every penny!
If you need to know haw to use it email me and i will tell you.
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Yes Coat Kings are great for pet Cocker trims but it's not a good idea use one on a Cocker intended for show as the Coat King contains blades which cut the coat & can result in a thick, dull coat once regrowth starts. A lot of show people rushed out & bought Coat Kings when they came out last year but many don't like what they do to show coats so are v careful how they use them (if at all) on show dogs.
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I spoke to a number of exhibiters who use them to good effect. I was instructed, in detail, how to use it and sparcely - so not to chop at the coat.
You cant replace hand stripping but the coat king helps out.
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Yes you're right - there are no short cuts to a correctly hand-stripped coat ;) I have judged quite a few Cockers who have been stripped other than by hand & you can always tell - the coats just don't have the bloom of a properly handstripped coat. If you're happy using a Coat King, then that's great but I couldn't not point out the downside of using them ;)
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Appreciated. I am being very carefull!
My cocker has 'wiggy' patches at the top of her ears. How would you get rid of these, Jane, Thin or strip? and how far down the ear do you think i should go?
Clare
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Hello, as Jane is offline right now I thought I would answer your questions.
I (and I believe Jane does too) prefer to use thinning scissors on the ears as it is a sensitive area. It may be ok to pluck the hair on dogs that don't have a heavy coat, but generally scissors work best.
If you feel on the outer edge of the ear, you will feel a little knobbly bit. I use this as a guide when tidying the ears as it is about 1/3 of the way down and that is roughly how far you should go.
hth :D
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I do the same Michele, plucking just as far as don't hurt :)
I use the thinners under the top coat to remove bulk and then on the top of the ears as necessary to tidy up and give smooth look.
hth
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Great ;D i will have a go - watch out Holly Bot - Here i Come!!!!
Thanks both!
Anotherone for you - she has got hairy heel on her back legs - do i thin these out or leave them long - as you can guess i am attacking her in sections. At this rate it is going to be like painting the Severn bridge! I'll finish and have to start again at the beginning!!! :-
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Well here goes - the painfull evidence. This is holly after her grooming session last night
Please excuse the quality of the picture and stance i was taking it on a camera timer and only had 10 seconds to get her ready
Please nb she is not brushed in this pic and had just been running around outside.
Honest opinions please - and where am i going wrong?
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to be honest Clare - it's very difficult to tell from the picture :( Can you take one zoomed in on her head a bit more so we can see her head. You also need to try and stack her properly by making sure her rear is in the proper stance so we can see how she looks overall.
Can you get someone else to take the piccy while you hold her - I've tried doing the timing thing and it's a nightmare - so I sympathise :D ;D
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I was on my own :'(!
I can get pete to help me later! So be prepared tomorrow. ;)
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Well, after yet another unsuccessful grooming attempt this afternoon, I dug out my cocker grooming video and I now know what I'm doing wrong.....I'm plucking hair like a girl ;D That woman was getting it out in clumps :o I need to be more ruthless ::) Will get some chalk and try again. Really should have watched that to start with ::)
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We have found a Ring craft club and it is just in the next town!
We are going to our first session tomorrow night :-- wish us luck! :D
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Yes Clare, good luck & let us know how you get on :)
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So Clare... how did you get on at your first ring craft session? :D
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We are due to go tonight - but guess what holly has gone and done - you've guessed it! She has come in to season! Bummer >:(
But her mum - fern - has come to the rescue and has volunteered to go in Hollys place! Ok - so i had to bribe her with some chewies and promise to take her to the pub (where she has her own bar stool) for some porkscratchings after!
We are going at 8pm tonight - i will write tomorrow to give you the news. Bear in mind that fern is 8 and stubborn with it!
Hey ho! :D