CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Grooming => Topic started by: Pearly on February 23, 2013, 05:46:42 PM
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Pearl has a long top knot that has never been cut - she's almost 2.
At times she looks like Kevin and Perry with quite a defined parting but I've noticed it is becoming really long and very fine fur.
She was spayed in July last year so I've been expecting her to get woolly which she doesn't seem to be.
Also, the top part of her ears are the same - its more like cotton wool than fur and gets rags every day - which she hates being taken out. I generally wait til she's sleepy on the settee next to me, letting me play with her ears, then sneak the matt spitter out ;)
So the question is: do I persevere and wait for another couple of months to see if its winter fur / shedding [do dogs do this or is it just cats?] or go for it and give her a proper show cocker clipped head and 1/3 ears? Would really appreciate your views/ thoughts on this, thank you,
Jayne
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Hi Jayne, the smooth domed cocker top does it for me every time, it's nothing to do with winter and I don't think it will change naturally.
You will have the opportunity to compare the two styles on Sunday, when William will show you his super smooth dome. ;)
cheers,
M
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I must confess I am a topknot fan, would love to seea photo!
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I would also love to see the said top knot !! I think I like these :) ...
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I must confess I am a topknot fan, would love to seea photo!
have a look on the "Today I haf bin a silly girl" thread, think its page 6 - photo was taken just before posting the picture!
Maurice, thank you, will have a good look at William on Sunday! Best excuse ever for a cuddle ;)
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:luv: aww Pearly you are gorgeous, my vote is for the top knot to stay. Molly agrees with me but she says she'll leave home if I make her wear a jumper :005: :005:
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Smooth head for me, but as a show person, it needs to be
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I'm a huge fan of top knots :luv:. I have the best of both worlds, as Brodie's gets shaved off every six weeks. It soon grows back though!
Before:
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr257/jennybee_brodie/a7f70fd0.jpg)
After:
(http://i489.photobucket.com/albums/rr257/jennybee_brodie/TCF3/788401731c1eab0718c1d255b79dc2c4_zpsefdd4b75.jpg)
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Oh my Brodie your top knot is utterly gorgeous :luv: :luv:
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I love these pics and the one of pearl - think I'm going to let Hudson have a top knot !
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I don't think she'll shed it Jayne. I have the same dilemma with Ruby (2 years old) I have trimmed it myself a couple of times as she had a definite parting and it was starting to get in her eyes. She goes to a groomer about every 8 weeks, but I have always told her to leave the top knot. I am thinking that next time I might ask the groomer to take it off :dunno: She looks so cute with it :luv: OH thinks she would look like a proper Cocker without it :huh:
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Smooth head, showing the dome, is what it's all about for me Jayne. Pearl is a gorgeous girl, top knot or not. :luv:
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Awe I love top knots :luv: Wish Cupar had one instead of his smooth dome heed :005:
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I maybe speaking out of turn ph34r but i find top knot lovers are "generally" new cocker owners,i was one once that hung on to Rubys top knot even when she was cut quite short and i must say she looked quite ridiculous :009: as i just couldn't bare to part with it.It's rather like taking your first born child for it's first haircut,you just don't want to do it :P
I bit the bullet when she was around 2 i think and have never let it grow since although i do like her shaggy look before she is clipped, to me a cocker should have a smooth head BUT this is only my opinion and each to their own.
I will try and find a photo of Rube with a short back and sides but long on top....
(Though there is something about princess Brodies top knot that just brings out her diva-ness :005:)
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I maybe speaking out of turn ph34r but i find top knot lovers are "generally" new cocker owners,i was one once that hung on to Rubys top knot even when she was cut quite short and i must say she looked quite ridiculous :009: as i just couldn't bare to part with it.It's rather like taking your first born child for it's first haircut,you just don't want to do it :P
I bit the bullet when she was around 2 i think and have never let it grow since although i do like her shaggy look before she is clipped, to me a cocker should have a smooth head BUT this is only my opinion and each to their own.
I will try and find a photo of Rube with a short back and sides but long on top....
(Though there is something about princess Brodies top knot that just brings out her diva-ness :005:)
I must confess that my Rusty's top knot wasn't cut in her entire life - she passed away at the grand old age of 15 with her top knot intact ! Hopefully my sweet Molly grows a lovely top knot too! :005:
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Off! Off! Off! ph34r
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I'm a smooth head fan too. I dont mind a curly top knot that much but I'm really not a fan of curtains over their eyes. ph34r Pearly is beautiful either way of course. :luv:
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Must admit I liked riley,s top knot until he had it all off a month ago, now its growing I'm desperate to have it all off again . I love the smooth domed look.
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I'm a top knot fan, as you know Jayne,
But then I like hairy dogs, Brodie has his top knot, Ugg boots and his dinner jacket :005: xxx
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I prefer the smooth domed head, and ears trimmed at the top ph34r, but everyone has different taste.
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Dennis did have a "top", but now his puppy fur had game, we have managed to slick it down and he looks really great.
Photos to follow
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I much prefer a smooth head but im sure Pearl will look great either way! :luv:
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Thank you everyone for your replies. Much as I love Pearls top knot it is getting in her eyes and the tops of her ears worry me when they get so matted - but then its part of her character :luv:
I've just come in from an evening out and she has yet another matt in her ear.....Looks like Pearl is about to be all "grown up" when she next goes to the groomers :shades:
Would love to see some more photo's though :D
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I'm not a fan of the shaved skulls or the floppy wig top knots. Either a nice and naturally stripped head or a goofy but controlled top knot.
We tame our spaniels' top knots by stripping and thinning them. Even our show girl who is active in conformation grows a bit of a top knot when she hasn't been to her breeder for a grooming in a while. Of course the breeder hates them.
The bleached blonde mohican was part of the reason why we were drawn to our older spaniel when we first found him at the pound. Now it's just a part of him and his life at the beach. We would be horrified if it were to be stripped completely away.
(http://i14.photobucket.com/albums/a310/boo_kah/herohawk.jpg)
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Charlie has a nice stripped head, it's down to what you prefer/find easier to manage. If you did get it cut, it will always grow back if you didn't like it short
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Thank you!
I have been trimming the fur over her eyes to keep it under control and using thinning shears to get the front bit to stand up but it's all getting very fine, fluff like, especially on her ears ph34r
Much as I love Pearl's top knot, it is irritating her and she hates it being groomed by me. I'll ask the groomer to strip it rather than clip and see how we get on with that. I've given up this morning and got the scissors out to a subborn strand that was hanging over/in her eye - poor dog now has a half curl sticking out at right angles........ need to book a professional grooming session!
Really appreciate everyones thoughts,
Jayne
x
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Personally I like a smooth head on a show cocker. I don't mind top knots on pups or workers (only a small one mind on workers). There is a woman near me who's cocker is the same age as mine (6yrs) and they have always insisted his top knot was left, to me it just doesn't look right on him, he just looks like he's wearing a wig.
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A woman near me uses a tiny little clip on her show cocker's top knot - it looks a bit ridiculous! It's one of those tiny clips you get on orchids to keep them attached to a spike to keep them upright.
Henry has a bit of fur still on his head, but I stripped out all the bulk at the back of the head (near the top of the ears) with a coat king and it makes so much difference. He looks so much better with less mess, but would look a bit odd if I got the whole lot off.
How about a compromise and leave a little?
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On the meet today there were all different lengths of "top knots" from Baileys very long, through Brodies curls and Tobys very sleek look! All the dogs looked gorgeous except Pearl who looked like a real scruff bag with fly-away hair!
After all your comments and the research today I think we'll go with the Jinley look - which is just as well as we have the same groomer ;)
Jinley has her top knot hand stripped and isn't too short but at the same time gives the "domed" look....
Thank you!
Jayne
x
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I used to love a top knot but once I've had smooth down the top 1/3 of their ears I prefer the whole expression. You could always have smooth and grow it out ;)
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Yes Brodie has a Fro hee hee, the wetter he gets the curlier the top knot :005: xx
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I used to love a top knot but once I've had smooth down the top 1/3 of their ears I prefer the whole expression. You could always have smooth and grow it out ;)
On the basis it can always grow out.....the clippers have been out......on their longest setting just in case ;) and the stripping knife......so that's it, Pearl now has no top knot :o
Have to say she didn't like it happening but seems much happier with no hair dangling in her eyes......
I'm giving her a break for the rest of the day but will start again tomorrow with the thinning scissors to even it up a bit and will post a photo once I'm happy with the result [which may be the weekend after an emergency trip to the groomers ph34r]
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Aw bless Pearly P, she now is topless :fear2:
I bet she still looks gorgeous, I can't wait for piccies of the little Lady.
Tell Miss P, she can still sit on my lap even if she is Nakey :005: xxx
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Rip top knot :o I'm a total fan of them!!! Just so cute :005:
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end result although it looks better now she's slept on it for a while so it's lying flat...didn't help that she is full of static so the top knot was vertical before the clippers came out :005:
(http://i1252.photobucket.com/albums/hh562/Chestergirlj/Pearltopknotnot_zps48c2f584.jpg)
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I like the new look Jayne, Pearl looks very smart.
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You look proper grown up and no more hair falling in your eyes. I like them both ways but Penny has her short on top.
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Miss P looks beautiful Jayne, you have done a lovely job.
Gorgeous xxx
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oh no more quifftastic
top-knot :016:
but she does look so sweet :luv:
steffxxx
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Gorguss :luv:
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She looks absolutely gorgeous with her new haircut but I have to confess I much prefer the smooth look on Spaniels. :luv:
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Ah, she looks lovely :luv: you've left her ears high set iyswim so i don't think she looks so "domey headed" therefore she still looks puppyish to me. :D
I have been having the same problem with Rubys' coat being static,and i am sometimes too.I find a rub down with a tumble dryer sheet helps....(not on me,on Ruby :005: )
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Ah, she looks lovely :luv: you've left her ears high set iyswim so i don't think she looks so "domey headed" therefore she still looks puppyish to me. :D
I have been having the same problem with Rubys' coat being static,and i am sometimes too.I find a rub down with a tumble dryer sheet helps....(not on me,on Ruby :005: )
thank you for all your kind comments...I've only left her ears high set as she was really fed up with me messing around with the scissors :shades: that and I really didn't have a clue what I was doing :005:
Great tip about the tumble dryer sheet thank you :D
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Good job done there, she looks so cute. :luv:
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As promised - the photo after professional grooming
(http://i1252.photobucket.com/albums/hh562/Chestergirlj/IMG-20130318-00030_zps40ba23e3.jpg)
I did make the mistake of asking for a show-cocker-head though.....she has no eyebrows and stubble for whiskers.......they'd better grow back before Archie arrives for his holiday, he may think she's a boy! :005:
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Awwww she looks gorgeous Jayne. :luv: She's got a lovely coat, so silky. Gorgeous girl xxx