Definitely prefer them in full coat Buttons is now clipped but in a show style which means I clip everywhere you would normally hand strip or use thinning scissors ans all the feathering is left intact but shaped accordingly.
Thats how Indie is done now too
I did for 3 years have her handstripped either by myself, but after each season she would drop her coat, especially her skirt! So she didn't always look right
I started having her clipped in a show style for a few reasons really, firstly, I could no longer handstrip her myself cos it made me ill (i'm allergic) shes quite an active dog too and spends a lot of time in the river, sea or trying to get down rabbit holes and in bushes, but the main one recently has been TICKS
I now live in a tick hot spot and found it quite difficult checking through a long coat to make sure she was clear after each walk
It really did become a bit of an issue with me, Indie also detests being groomed and really wasn't happy to sit daily and have me go through her coat with a detangler comb. So off it came, i'm happy and most of all Indie is happy, she has no problems now when she goes in the bushes, she doesn't bring all the twigs out with her
I can give her a quick brush over daily and can check her for tics MUCH easier
Theres also so groomer here, nearest being a 3 hour drive! So clipping her really is now the only option for me
I haven't had her ears clipped, I have had them thinned out though and they look fine, although the last groomer did trim the length, which I wasn't too happy about, but hey, it will grow back
I do love to see cocker's with the beautiful long coats though
, there is nothing nicer, but for an active dog like Indie, it wasn't working anymore, she was unhappy being faffed with, so I am happy I took the plunge with the clipping