Working cocker grooming session booked ..............

[debbie321]

........ but not until July 3rd    The groomer is quite popular and this was the first appointment available.

What do I go for?  I told her what breed Ben was and how his coat was and she has suggested thinning rather than clipping.  I told her that I would take in a pic of a working cocker to show what I wanted.

Over to you guys!  I need a pic of a working cocker that still has a little feathering ....................... please post pics that I could print off and use as an example.

I love Wrenside's Bella as that is the look that Ben used to have - also the lovely Jarvis 

Here is a pic of Ben last summer - he is slightly hairier now     His true colour is his head - all the blond fluff is down to castration    I've managed to trim paws and defluff the strip down his back but the rest is beyond me!

[Nicola]

I hate to break it to you but his sides look very similar to how Tilly was. Her coat was ok at the base but totally dead at the ends due to the double whammy of spaying and previous clipping and it couldn't be stripped or coat kinged out so the only solution was to clip the dead ends off, Ben's probably isn't as bad as that. She has been done really well and she looks great and still has her long ears and feathers but I wouldn't recommend clipping unless as a real last resort.

She now looks like this... 





As opposed to this... 



The light wasn't great when I took the first two pics, she's actually nice and shiny now as well.

I luff Ben, I think he's gorgeous. If you're not happy with how he turns out after his session just send him to me 

[Rhona W]

I love Wrenside's Bella as that is the look that Ben used to have

I love Bella too  She is the female equivalent of Reuben. 

I also love Ben.  And if that is what effect castration has had on his coat, then remind me never to have Reuben done.  (Casper's coat is thick and wooly anyway.  )

[Helen]

he's never been clippered before has he deb?  there may be some hope for thinning....

i'm lucky (now he's past the fluff bucket stage) with jarv, his back and sides are quite short haired now and all i do is use a metal comb with a rubber band through it to get the dead fluff out (mind you is he moulting madly at the moment...so there is a lot of it around) so i'm no help with the curse of the  fuzzy cocker.  His back is too short to coat king, but the comb/rubber band combo really gets out all the dead gingery stuff.  Try the comb, at least if Ben's fluff seems easily removed by this method then that it would look hopeful for the groomer.

and jarv is  an awful fidget so his legs never get properly done (fluffy elbow syndrome)

[crazyspaniels]

Deb, thats a Coat King job if ever I saw one, save yourself the grooming money and spend the money on a coat king - well actually the Simpsons copies as they are just as good.
Treat yourself to 2 of them with that coat
the 12 blade coarse rake or the 13 blade coarse wide rake will take loads out and give you a head start, then maintain the coat with a fine 20 blade.
Would love to get my hands on that coat as its just gonna fly out (take him to the park and do it under the tree's cos otherwise you will fill your garden)
http://www.simpsons-online.co.uk/acatalog/coat_kings.html

[caro]

This is Fern, working cocker, after coat king as she was fluffy on her back,

[Krisdt]

When I took Loki to the groomers (he was mega woolly and it was so warm he had to be done) she actually told me what she would recommend and asked if it was ok. She only used the clippers as a last resort but he had to be clipped. I would have thought a good groomer would be able to know how a working cocker should be done.

[sharesy]

Debbie I have a coat king if you want to borrow it you are more than welcome.  Where were you going to take Ben?

[Cob-Web]

Having met Ben in the flesh, I certainly think the coat king is worth a go first, Debbie - he may never look quite the same as he would if he was entire, but as he has never been clipped, you may well be able to tidy him up  yourself 

There is definitely a difference between a clipped coat and one that hasn't been - Molo was clipped for the first time last week, and even though it was clipped long, it is already growing back far curlier than before 

[crazyspaniels]

Debbie I have a coat king if you want to borrow it you are more than welcome.  Where were you going to take Ben?

if its a 20 or 26 it will take ages to take that full coat out, might be worth getting a Simpsons 12 or 13 coarse to get the coat out and then borrowing Sharesy's coat king to see if you can keep on top of it and that means you won't have to shell out on 2 straight away.

[wrenside]

Hi Chaps,
 afraid I can't help you here with grooming as we don't groom Bella, she does it all herself (obviously we brush behind her ears and sometimes brush her feathering on the legs and tummy to keep grass seeds out).
I'll go and ask Bella what secret products she uses 

Debbie, I think Ben looks absolutely gorgeous  sometimes I wish Bella was a little fluffier!!

Best wishes

Mary

[debbie321]

Thanks for all your tips guys!  Ben had a lovely coat like Bella once - not a good pic, he's trying to open a raw egg!



Castration has had a huge effect on Ben - I love my fluffy teddy bear but getting all the twigs and matts out is getting too much!

[wrenside]

wow, that is a big change in coat. Bella is not speyed so maybe this is why her coat is not fluffy like Bens. I still think that Ben is absolutely beautiful though! I would love a little chap like him 

Best wishes

Mary