CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Grooming => Topic started by: SJP on August 01, 2008, 06:43:16 PM
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In the great scheme of things its not that important BUT Lola's legs are very hairy and I just don't know whether to leave them, Coat King them (although I understand this might be difficult having read previous threads), send her to a groomer or what.
If I leave them (which is what I would really like to do) will they ever return to their normal sleek legs with nice fevvers or not?
I would love to know what you all think....
(http://file040b.bebo.com/15/large/2008/08/01/18/2686173830a8507967824l.jpg)
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The picture is very light so I'm not sure, but it looks like there is a line of short hair running down the front of the legs, and the stuff sticking out looks a bit cottony and corded. If that's the case, then yes, coat king, or it's a fairly easy handstrip :shades:
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Yayyy! A working cocker grooming thread :D watch out Grooming pro's you may get lots and lots of questions here!
Find the front of Jarv's legs a nightmare to coat king, and although the hair looks really dead (it's gingery and dull) it seems quite difficult to hand strip out (with the aid of rubber thimbles - remember I'm a total amateur so any tips are soooo welcome!) ...and he hates me doing it too (cos I'm rubbish, clearly!)
I was going to resort to a stripping knife - or will I be excommunicated?
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Livercake - Do Jarv's legs look like Lolas then?
Its been suggested that I leave hers alone to do "their own thing" - they will sort themselves out eventually.
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they're mostly ok on the front of the legs - up near his chest you can see they get a bit fluffy
*cough* brace yourself Groomers... the feet are criminal I know, they look fine for about 3 days and then when the fur grows back it comes back in chunks (and if I touch the tuft apparently that spells d.i.v.o.r.c.e :005: )
(http://i13.photobucket.com/albums/a266/jarvis_2005/IMG_4947.jpg)
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Alfie's feet do that too and since he was castrated the fur on his body has stayed nice and sleek but the black hair on his legs has gone mental and is all weird and fluffy and tufty, I've tried to strip it but I have no idea what I'm doing so some hints in that direction would be great for me too.
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I dont think you can ever get rid of every last bit of fluffy dead hair. I cant anyway! Krumble has started going a bit fluffier in parts. Coat kings works great over the back and sides and then I just pluck at the legs a bit. Its not very noticeable on him though with his loghter colouring. Tillys just been clipped and looks so much better without the entire body of fuzz! Alfie is in need of some stripping but I'm crap at handstripping so it'll be a job for Nicola to do next week. He's sprouting tufts everywhere at the mo! They are all definitely a million times easier to manage than Lily. I've given up keeping her tidy so she's going for the hippy wavy look all over for a while... ph34r
Helen, Jarv looks great, Its nice to have some fluffy bits left ;)
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Alfie's feet do that too and since he was castrated the fur on his body has stayed nice and sleek but the black hair on his legs has gone mental and is all weird and fluffy and tufty, I've tried to strip it but I have no idea what I'm doing so some hints in that direction would be great for me too.
ooh hello miss mcclure, good timing. Yup Alfie's legs are a mess ph34r Its going in all directions! His little cute tufts on his head are now major big fountains of hair!
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Alfie's feet do that too and since he was castrated the fur on his body has stayed nice and sleek but the black hair on his legs has gone mental and is all weird and fluffy and tufty, I've tried to strip it but I have no idea what I'm doing so some hints in that direction would be great for me too.
ooh hello miss mcclure, good timing. Yup Alfie's legs are a mess ph34r Its going in all directions! His little cute tufts on his head are now major big fountains of hair!
Oh dear... Chesney Hawkes eat your heart out ph34r
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Helen, Jarv looks great, Its nice to have some fluffy bits left ;)
awww fanks :luv: i am going to secretly get rid of his 'Mcirricks' ( his long sideburns on his neck ;) )
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Helen, Jarv looks great, Its nice to have some fluffy bits left ;)
awww fanks :luv: i am going to secretly get rid of his 'Mcirricks' ( his long sideburns on his neck ;) )
I love those bits, they always tend to stay nice and sleek too. Very satisfying to clip off though for some reason...
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Helen, Jarv looks great, Its nice to have some fluffy bits left ;)
awww fanks :luv: i am going to secretly get rid of his 'Mcirricks' ( his long sideburns on his neck ;) )
I love those bits, they always tend to stay nice and sleek too. Very satisfying to clip off though for some reason...
I love those bits too, Betty has them but they don't hang down noticeably. I took Betty to the groomer a month or so ago to be handstripped which they did in parts but then just cut the rest. She had lots of fluffy, lighter coloured hair along her sides and looked like she was wearing trousers as her feathering is really thick. They got rid of most of the fluffy stuff but it seems to be growing back in again and really I want her legs thinning out as well as cutting so not sure what to do now. I'll try and find before and photos and hopefully someone can tell me what I should do ;)
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Sally - Braan's front legs look exactly like lola's :D
I just brush with a normal brush at the mo and they are getting less fluffy (he's now 14 months old )
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Can't find a decent before but this is Betty the day she was cut.
(http://i209.photobucket.com/albums/bb24/Milliethemutt/IMG_9927.jpg)
She looks ok but I was expecting her feathering to be much lighter and probably a bit shorter. could I do that with a Coat King?
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You'd be better using thinning scissors on Bettys fluffy legs ;) It will make the feathers thinner and shorter. If she gets fluffy elsewhere the coat king would be useful
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I was going to resort to a stripping knife - or will I be excommunicated?
Since you have a working cocker you don't have to play by the "rules" :005: That;s just for show competition. Stripping knife or thinning shears will do a nice job on what little bit he has there (and you can use the tooth side of thinners like a stripping knife, just open the scissors and drag the toothed edge over the coat ;)) Thinners would go the fastest, just cut in the exact direction the hair is growing in
the feet are criminal I know, they look fine for about 3 days and then when the fur grows back it comes back in chunks
I think that what is happening is more likely that after 3 days of running around and getting wet, all the little stray tufts that were hiding between his toes, and other hiding places that hair finds, have come up where you can see them. Feet are usually an ongoing project; I have 4 days of shows this weekend and have had to trim Brackens feet every day ::)
They got rid of most of the fluffy stuff but it seems to be growing back in again and really I want her legs thinning out as well as cutting so not sure what to do now. I'll try and find before and photos and hopefully someone can tell me what I should do ;)
Yes, it usually requires at least monthly maintenance. You can do this with the thinning shears, like I said, point the thinners in the same direction as the hair lays and make a few cuts and brush. How deeply into the hair you cut depends on how much you want to thin out, but if you make a few cuts, brush out the hair that's been cut (otherwise it stays in the coat) and look at it you'll be able to tell as you go.
(and if I touch the tuft apparently that spells d.i.v.o.r.c.e :005: )
I can understand that-- I could never cut off that tuft if he were mine! :005:
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Thanks so much Michelle :-* :-*
really helpful tips :D he'll never be the neatest boy in the world (which is fine with me) but a little bit of tidying up is necessary :lol2:
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Sally - Braan's front legs look exactly like lola's :D
I just brush with a normal brush at the mo and they are getting less fluffy (he's now 14 months old )
I think I'm going to leave Lola alone then - perhaps I am expecting the impossible.
(and if I touch the tuft apparently that spells d.i.v.o.r.c.e :005: )
Livercake I cut off Lola's topknot/tuft :o and it sticks up all over the place now - looks cute (on a girl).
She looks ok but I was expecting her feathering to be much lighter and probably a bit shorter. could I do that with a Coat King?
I think Betty looks great, but I do agree that I would want her fevvers to be "lighter".
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I love Roxys topknot and said i would never get it cut however it now gets so long that it starts to flop over her eyes like curtains so it will be going next week!
:blink:
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Not showing in working trials competition? I would go with the thinning scissors, hold the leg out in front of you as straight as you can with these fidgetty cockers! then scissor down the leg in the direction of hair growth starting on the top ridge, slicker the cut hair as you go then you can move around the leg in bits to get straight short / feathering lines.
If you coat king it will take longer but also depending on the size of the teeth you might catch some of the bumps of the joints on the leg I would trim some away first then coat king out the last bits when you can see a bit more leg definition.
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Not showing in working trials competition?
You can still groom them any way you like, in trials they are not interested in how the dog looks ;) :005:
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Sorry, I ment at some champ shows and Crufts they have a working trials show class, which some owners feel is a working dog in show groom. this trails and showing lark can be really confusing can't it? Hair grows back give it a go!
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:-\ Sorry to bring this thread up again but......
...now that autumn is upon us Lola's body hair has become a broom! She's not keen on me brushing/combing her (I think since she has been spayed she's become hairier - but fortunately not all over - just her legs and belly) so tonight whilst she snoozed I cut out all the knotty bits (particularly under the arm pits and on her legs) - it's getting ridiculous and I've decided to take her to the groomers and get the lot cut off. She's far too hairy to leave all winter and it takes a long time for her to dry once I've hosed off the majority of the mud she brings home.
As suggested on this thread, I was going to leave her and let nature sort it out, but I'm not sure even nature will be able to find its way thru all that tangled dead hair :005:
My question now is.....once I go down this route will I always have to do this do you think?