First Grooming Session

[Woody's Mum]

Hi All,

This is my first question of the New Year!!  

When do I take Daisy for her first professional grooming sesh? She is six and a half months old now and is slightly hairy but not too bad.   How did your pups react when you first took them? How long does it take ... and last but not least does anyone happen to know a good groomer that hand strips in the South Wales area!!!

I'll attach a piccie to show how hairy Daisy is now .. if it works?? ....





 

[AmandaA]

Hi,
 Lennox was about seven months old and i had some one come out to give him his first hair cut when they came they shaved him right down it made me cry,  They told me that he had what was called a curly coat and its best to cut it off.   Not knowing alot about cocker coat i thought they new best. I never had them back after that i started to do him my self.
I got a job in the local dog parlour and that as helped me.I would never trust enyone to cut len again.{only karen as she keeps her cockers looking lovely}
what i'm trying to say is that don't do what i did and just let someone  cut her down unless that is what you want.
He loves having his hair done and as for baths i started bathing him from about 15 weeks old .
i have three cockers now and thay love the full works{bath,brush,cut} Jasmine is only four and a half months old and if you are in the bath so is she  
good luck in the grooming.  

[fudgesmammy]

Fudge LOVES going to the groomers. We have a few people who we use who all hand strip and do her beautifully. She even enjoys a bath at the grooming place but hates them at home!?!

She always comes back and prances about for us to show off her new 'do'!!
 

[lindsey]

We normally recommend that people take pups they get from us at about 6 months, then they should only need a little trim, usually just tidying up their feet and head.  This way it shouldn't take a long time to do them and they shouldn't get too worried by the whole process.  If you leave it till they are very hairy the whole experience could be too much for them.  By the look of your photo she shouldn't need more than a quick puppy trim.

Hope this helps.  

[scooby's mum]

I've been wondering exactly the same thing.  Scooby is now 5 months and the vet commented yesterday how scruffy he looks.  I've been trimming his feet and under his ears myself (I have to do one foot each session as he wriggles too much).

A friend of mine had her puppy done with clippers for his first cut and it's made his coat really fluffy and wild looking so she keeps having him re-done.  I've read that if you have the dog clipped even once that it can ruin the coat forever.

 

[Luvly]

 

[Cob-Web]

the vet commented yesterday how scruffy he looks.

Yikes! I would not thank my vet for such a comment, I can tell you!  

Molo went for his first grooming session when he was 5 1/2 months (his breeder is also a professional groomer, so I had no worries about how he would get on). He had got rather 'tufty', with very shaggy paws and legs, and curls of fur sticking up all over his body  

I specifically asked from him to be Coat King'd rather than clipped, cos I didn't want his coat going wooly and she also tidied up his feet, ears etc.

Since then, I have kept his feet and ears tidy by trimming them with some hairdressing scissors (from Boots) every two weeks or so, and I ordered a Coat King from Diamond Edge that I used for the first time a few days ago.

I am confident that I can keep him tidy with these, although it will take a lot of practice to even come close to the professional finish that he enjoyed from the groomer  

I will probably still take him to be professionally groomed every three/four months or so,  but its too expensive (unless I want him shorn) to take him every 8 weeks as recommended  

[paddys mum]

Glad you asked this question we have been wondering the same thing.    

[Curtisio]

...and the vet commented yesterday how scruffy he looks...

I know what I'd tell my vet...and it wouldn't be "thank you for your opinion"

[debrand]

Hi. I am just new to the site and to owning a Cocker spaniel. Barney is 6 months old and extremely hairy- he looks like a huge black teddy bear. I have no intention of showing him, and (so far) I have managed to keep him tat-free but should I start having him trimmed for health and hygiene reasons? I hate the thought of it. To be honest, he probably doen't look much like a cocker at all- he still has loads of puppy fluff, mad curly legs, hair hanging in front of his face (but we are keeping it back from his eyes) bushy eyebrows and a beard. To Cocker breeders he probably sounds like a real nightmare but he really is very cute and we adore him.

[Luvly]

 

[Colin]

Hi Debrand and welcome to the forum.

At the age of 6 months most Cockers are pretty scruffy with all their puppy fluff, even those belonging to breeders too probably.  It seems to vary how long before the fluff starts to come out, prior to this you can do little bits here and there to keep Barney reasonably tidy - such as trim the feet, the head, inside the ears and the tail. They need to get used to being groomed so this is a good way of easing them into it. As Luvly says, a read through the grooming section will give you an idea of how to do this yourself if you fancy giving it a go. It can be quite daunting at first but good fun ( I never thought I'd say that after my early miserable attempts ) and save you a bit of money in the long run too.

You'll see other threads referring to handstripping and clipping , something you need to consider when Barney's puppy coat is ready to "give", this could be any time in the next few months. Handstripping will give him a more natural sleek look, clipping is easier to do but the resultant effect can look quite harsh - a good compromise is to use a stripping tool called a Coat King. If you plan on going to a professional groomer I'd start looking for one that doesn't use clippers on a Cocker as it can ruin the coat for good.

Good luck.    

[debrand]

Thanks for the advice. I have owned dogs before but always rescue dogs. Barney is the first pedigree I have ever owned so I have a lot to learn about Cockers. I bought him because I have wanted a Cocker Spaniel since I was about 6 (and I won't say how long ago that was). As far as personality goes he is everything I hoped a Cocker would be. I just adore him and this site is going to be a great help in looking after him properly.  

[lorri]

Jarvis got a very small tidy up when he was around 7 months. Hardly looked any different but it was good for me and him to get him used to going. He hated the bath and the whole experience but i was allowed to stay with him which we both felt happier with and tomorrow his 3rd trip im going to leave him hopefully for a little while break it to him gently. Fingers crossed he's ok.

Lorraine
 

[Jessica's Mum]

Jessica is just coming up to 9 months old and to be honest I have been putting off having her professionally groomed due to horrible clipping experiences (15 years ago) with our previous cocker.

I didn't know the groomer would clip Holly when she went in for a tidy up and she NEVER looked the same again more like a shorn sheep.

This time around I know better and will not allow Jessica to be clipped. We are trying to keep her tidy ourselves but I must admit her paws have us beat. She will not stay still

A friend has offered to give us the number of a groomer who comes to the house and this sounds a much better idea, especially as this lady regularly grooms cockers. don't know the cost but for peace of mind I think this is the route we shall be taking this time.