Cocker Specific Discussion > Grooming

Hocks opinions/advice please. ;0)

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6thSense:
Ok I am looking for some expert opinions from all the experienced Show people on here. I would like your opinion on my boys hocks and back end generally. Be honest, but please be kind.  :-\ When I do my other Cockers I can do them with my eyes shut, but when it comes to grooming Tally for show it's a completely different matter. I realise they could be neater and he had just been for a walk and quickly dried, so he is slightly damp in parts. Really I would just like to know if I've got the right general idea and if the shape is right. Remember as well, he doesn't have as much hair to work with either as some.  ::) Thanks so much for any advice. I do take it all on board.



http://i735.photobucket.com/albums/ww354/sarahp_09/2010_0115dogs0088.jpg
http://i735.photobucket.com/albums/ww354/sarahp_09/2010_0115dogs0073.jpg



http://i735.photobucket.com/albums/ww354/sarahp_09/2010_0115dogs0083.jpg
http://i735.photobucket.com/albums/ww354/sarahp_09/2010_0115dogs0079.jpg



http://i735.photobucket.com/albums/ww354/sarahp_09/2010_0115dogs0090.jpg

spanielcrazy:
Thank you for leaving the discrete tuft of hair in the last pic!  :lol2:

You're onto it in general, now it just needs some fine tuning  ;) I'd like to see more definition to his back legs all around, it appears he doesn't have very much angulation and I can't tell where the top of his hock is to know if it's set high or low. (Not a criticism, it's a question we have to ask ourselves when grooming for show--am I showing this off to the best advantage?)

Be sure to have someone  move him for you after you trim to make sure you don't have any flying hair making optical illusions  ;)

6thSense:
O M G!!  :o Thankyou I think.  :shades: :005: I think I'll be fretting about this from now until Crufts.  :shades: :005: At least I'm on the right lines. I'm much more confident doing my others as I don't show them and they also have so much more hair and I take there hocks quite short to. I am scarred to take to much off Tally I think as I'm worried how long it will take to grow back as it's taken nearly 2 years to get this far and it is way more important that he looks right.  :shades: I am also worried about taking to much off the hocks as I was told off for doing so before.  :shades: You can see his hock better on his right leg, but I really hadn't noticed before that you can't on his left, which is the side the judge sees as well. It does sometimes take a fresh pair of eyes doesn't it.  ;) I have a lot to think about now thanks so much for taking the time to help me.  :D I may well be back with more questions.  ;)

JaspersMum:
I'd just like to say thank you as well - someone demonstrated on Charlie how to pull the skirt on the hocks forward to trim but it helps to see it like this.  I've got the Cocker club booklet but the sketch drawings aren't the same as seeing the real dog.   I've just bought the Jackie M-B DVD too so will be watching that.

Like Sarah, it's taken 2 years for Heidi to get any coat and I can't afford to get it wrong in case it takes another 2 years to grow back   :shades:

SuperCat:
I have a quick question. If you don't mind...

The hair in between Tally's back legs is really long. Is this preferred? I was always told to cut it short in a straight line about the same length as his other dangly bits...!  :005:

But when I went to LKA ALL the puppies had long hair and I much preferred it so I've left Murphy's to grow now. But I've been worrying that I shouldn't. Is it 'more' correct to let it be long?

This is a huge help, someone should put a sticky on this post so it stays at the top, I'd really like to be able to refer to it when I trim!

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