First Haircut

[AliceB]

I have just booked my dog for his 1st visit to the groomers & she was not keen to trim him the way I wanted.
I have never owned a cocker before & my book tells me that hand stripping or at least not clipping is best. She very much wanted to clip him.
So then I found this forum & have spent most of this afternoon on it instead of working!
I have ordered a Coat King & a Spratts 76 from Diamond edge.
My question is this - is it true that you can't hand strip castrated dogs? & why is this? (My dog is 9mths old, not a show dog, a blue roan & he's just been booked in at the vets for the chop!)
I don't think his coat is ready to strip yet - not much comes out when I groom him with an ordinary dog brush, but he is so fluffy - something needs to be done. Any advice gratefully received.

[Gilly]

Hi Alice and welcome to the forum  

If it was me I would certainly be asking for a coat king to be used rather than clipping, saying that though, you can still clip a pet cocker and get a nice finish, keeping all the feathering a reasonable length and not going for the shorn sheep look.
Handstripping is different to brushing so you might not notice the hair is ready to give, basically handstripping is plucking the hair out between finger and thumb so can be quiet a labourious task to say the least   If you want to have a go at this yourself try using some marigolds so you can get a better grip.
Another good tip for getting rid of puppy coat is to feed an elastic band through the teeth of a metal comb and hold it at a slight angle as you comb against the coat.

[AliceB]

Hi Alice and welcome to the forum 

If it was me I would certainly be asking for a coat king to be used rather than clipping, saying that though, you can still clip a pet cocker and get a nice finish, keeping all the feathering a reasonable length and not going for the shorn sheep look.
Handstripping is different to brushing so you might not notice the hair is ready to give, basically handstripping is plucking the hair out between finger and thumb so can be quiet a labourious task to say the least  If you want to have a go at this yourself try using some marigolds so you can get a better grip.
Another good tip for getting rid of puppy coat is to feed an elastic band through the teeth of a metal comb and hold it at a slight angle as you comb against the coat.

[snapback]111961[/snapback]

Thank you, I shall give the marigolds a go.
Does having a dog castrated make a difference to the condition of his coat or is that just hearsay?

[Jane S]

My question is this - is it true that you can't hand strip castrated dogs? & why is this? (My dog is 9mths old, not a show dog, a blue roan & he's just been booked in at the vets for the chop!)

[snapback]111928[/snapback]

Yes it is generally true - often after neutering, a Cocker's coat becomes thicker & woollier & it no longer comes out easily by hand-stripping. These changes don't happen immediately after surgery (it can take many months to be noticeable) & are less noticeable in Cockers  who have very fine, sparse coats to begin with. Hormones have an influence on the skin & coat as well as the reproductive process which is why neutering can affect how the coat grows & what texture it is.

Jane

[taniac]

I have 2 dogs who are 3 and 1 year old, neither dogs have been neutered, as I don't have any behavioural issues and I didn't want their coats to change or gain weight.

When got my first cocker I was going to have him neutered, but have since learnt alot and decided not to go ahead with it.  The vets obviously want to avoid unwanted puppies, which I agree with, but my two are not mad for female dogs, unless one in season is waved under their nose.  I haven't had any issues with roaming on this account!!  

Vets also suggest it is better from a health perspective, however I have read  veterinary articles that state in male dogs that it is less likely for an intact dog to get prostate cancer (which isn't immediately obvious), and testicle cancer isn't that common, and if it does occur then you are likely to spot it!  

There is alot of information out there, so I would make sure you are certain you want to neuter before you go ahead, after all you can't put them back on, but can always have the operation done later if you feel it is necessary.  

[AliceB]

I have 2 dogs who are 3 and 1 year old, neither dogs have been neutered, as I don't have any behavioural issues and I didn't want their coats to change or gain weight.

When got my first cocker I was going to have him neutered, but have since learnt alot and decided not to go ahead with it.  The vets obviously want to avoid unwanted puppies, which I agree with, but my two are not mad for female dogs, unless one in season is waved under their nose.  I haven't had any issues with roaming on this account!! 

Vets also suggest it is better from a health perspective, however I have read  veterinary articles that state in male dogs that it is less likely for an intact dog to get prostate cancer (which isn't immediately obvious), and testicle cancer isn't that common, and if it does occur then you are likely to spot it! 

There is alot of information out there, so I would make sure you are certain you want to neuter before you go ahead, after all you can't put them back on, but can always have the operation done later if you feel it is necessary. 

[snapback]112146[/snapback]

Thank you, that's very useful, certainly given me something to think about!

[Louis]

Hi

I had my cocker louis neutered when he was 6 months on advice from a trainer and the vet, and i must say i really regret it  since joining this forum and finding out a lot more info on the subject.  Louis is now 19 months and he has a fine coat, but you can tell the difference.  His legs are quite wooly and his head and neck need to be clipped as the hair won't come out by hand stripping.  I use a coat king and thinning scissors.  He does get quite a lot of mattes in his feathers which i try to keep on top of.

All i would say is make sure you are getting your cocker neutered for the right reasons.  I have found out the hard way that you shouldn't just listen to one or two people's opinions, but try and do some research yourself and then decide  

Hope this helps, good luck with the grooming.

Gemma&Louis