CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Grooming => Topic started by: saffy1 on March 14, 2003, 11:55:58 PM
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hi there,
saffy..or scruffy as we DID call her went for a trim......she is only 7 mnths old and her hair was getting a bit long.We took her to a groomers.(crufts breed runner up),and naturally we were a bit scared of what she would end up looking like.The groomer said she wouldnt cut her short..but when i picked her up she looked like a shaved lamb with BIG ears!!!!!!!!!.She hasnt been shaved really short but enough short ti give us a shock.Her legs look so skinny now.compared to her "snow boots" she used to have.I will post some pics for u to see what i mean...but is this normal for a cocker to be cut this way...i like it better when she has a bit of hair!!!!!!!!!!!!!! see ya soon..........mark
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Hi Mark
Sometimes if you are used to a hairy looking puppy with a lot of fluff, then when you get them back minus fluff with neatly trimmed feet etc, it can come as a bit of a shock :) Having said that, if you asked for your puppy to be handstripped & specifically said that you didn't want the coat to be cut short, then she shouldn't have been shaved off like a lamb, unless the coat was very matted & tangled up in which case a fairly close cut would be justified. It all depends on what you asked for & what state Saffy's coat was in as to what you could reasonably expect her to look like after a trim. Cockers with "snow boots" may look cute but they shouldn't really look like that - they should have neat, tidy feet (much more practical too as they don't bring nearly so much mud in as big, hairy feet ;D)
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Mark - it would be good to see a picture of Saffy so that we can see what has happened.
I remember when Jaspers feet were trimmed for the first time. I was there with the breeder as she was showing me what to do. He went in with huge fluffy pancake things on the end of his legs and came out with the most dainty looking tootsies that did make him look a different dog. It took us a while to get used to it too. She stripped his head which made him look such a grown up boy - no longer the great ball of fluff we had got used to ;D. It is usually just the visual shock of never having seen them look like that before. :)
The slightly worrying thing with your case is where you say "The groomer said she wouldnt cut her short" - unless, as Jane says, you specified a hand strip - and talked about cutting then it seems a clip is what was expected by the person doing the grooming as opposed to a hand strip. Either way - it will grow back. :)
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OMG!!! Monty is going for his first haircut tomorrow. Veteran COL ers will have seen that he is a 7 month old ball of blue roan fluff. This thread has worried me now.....I'm going to make sure I say NO clippers......
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...I'm going to make sure I say NO clippers......
The groomer took one look at Monty and said she would HAVE to use the clippers to "skim" him as he's so hairy :o.....
I voiced my concerns of him looking "sheep like" - but she has reassured me that will not happen and that I should calm down & trust her (so I must have sounded like a neurotic nutter!)......as I post this...he's there being done....roll on 1.30pm. Will I pick up a cocker or a sheep???? Watch this space :-
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Oh Jen - sorry but I've never looked at a hairy puppy & said I would have to clip him or her :( Cockers puppies are hairy & anyone used to handstripping them knows that you can't do it all at once & you just have to be patient & wait until the coat is ready to come out naturally, not just get your clippers out. I don't think you were being neurotic at all - you know what you wanted but unfortunately, this isn't what you are going to get :(
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Jen - I do hope Monty is OK.
What is is with all these commercial groomers who don't think the owners know anything >:( When you are paying for a service you have the right to say what that service should be. If they then don't want to do it that way - as is their right - then so be it - but it's the attitude that gets me. I bet they wouldn't let a hairdresser take clippers to their head willy nilly!!
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Echoing what Jane and Pam say - dont want to add to your probably growing concerns Jen, but it sounds like she might not have much experience with cockers. Is Monty's puppy fur still not giving? If that's the case, I hope that by 'skimming', she just means lightly touching the surface to tidy him up A LITTLE, rather than getting rid of the whole coat before it's ready to be stripped.
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You lot are making me cak myself now...I am going to pick him up with my eyes shut! :'(
I searched for a reputable groomer - this one is experienced - she's been doing it for 30 years! .....and there is a gallery in the foyer of the reception area that had pictures of loads of dogs in breed 'sets' - one of the collections being cockers....all of which looked alright to my untrained eye. I don't want a show dog - but I don't want a sheep either!
I don't know anyone with cockers who could recommend a groomer in my area.....so I was kinda stuck really & went for one who was experienced AND had done cockers.
From the comments I am getting from you guys though - looks like I'll have to rename Monty "Larry the Lamb" :-
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Sorry for getting you worried Jen - I'm sure this groomer is highly experienced, most commercial groomers are very experienced at doing Cockers but only using clippers. I'd guess your groomer doesn't offer handstripping for Cockers (which incidentally is not just for show dogs!) but as long as she doesn't cut him too short & you're happy with the results, then that's fine ;D
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Does the gallery show dogs that she herself has groomed?
She may well be an experienced groomer of 30 years, but cocker coats are quite unique.... however, if the groomer told you to relax and trust her that he wont end up like a shorn lamb, then I'm betting that she's just going to tidy Monty up lightly as he's not ready for real stripping :)
To be honest, I decided to try and maintain Daisy's coat myself with the various grooming tools we mention regularly on this site, because I wasnt confident of finding a good cocker groomer in my area and I wanted Daisy to keep a full cocker coat. Might be soemthing for you to consider, Jen? ;)
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Does the gallery show dogs that she herself has groomed?
To be honest, I decided to try and maintain Daisy's coat myself with the various grooming tools we mention regularly on this site, because I wasnt confident of finding a good cocker groomer in my area and I wanted Daisy to keep a full cocker coat. Might be soemthing for you to consider, Jen? ;)
Yes Mike :)......I assume it is a gallery of the dogs she has groomed over the years.....as she did say she had done many cockers and gestured towards the pics.....
I take my hat off to you MIke for your dedication with Daisy's coat - on your own...alas - my already hectic life would not allow for me to spend more than the 20 mins a-day I already dedicate to the ordeal of brushing.....plus if I'm honest...faffing about with a dogs coat isn't really my thing ;) - which is why I am paying a professional (a lot!) - to, it seems, 'sheer' my dog. ::)
You are all referring to this groomer as a "commercial groomer" - do you mean one that does lots of different breeds - would it have been better to find one that is an exclusive cocker groomer? - Many suggest contacting the breeder - but Monty was not born locally - certainly not local enough to go for a haircut anyway.
What a headache this is turning out to be! :(
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I wouldnt think you'd need more than 20 mins a day to maintain Monty's coat yourself Jen :) Using the coat king once a month, or the spratts comb on a daily basis to keep tangles at bay and pull out dead fur, or even pinching dead fur out with your fingers, is no harder or more time consuming than brushing - I didnt think it would be my cup of tea either, but I quite enjoy doing it. And it's good for bonding with your dog too :D Just a thought, anyways.
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Hi Jen, dont worry I'm sure Monty will be fine, put a picture up when you can of the new slick Monty ;D
I think I'm lucky with Jasper he wont need any of this, he's just started to get little feathery bits on his legs ;D
I think Monty would look adorable no matter what ;D He will always be a little bundle of fluff in my eyes ;D
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You are all referring to this groomer as a "commercial groomer" - do you mean one that does lots of different breeds - would it have been better to find one that is an exclusive cocker groomer? - Many suggest contacting the breeder - but Monty was not born locally - certainly not local enough to go for a haircut anyway.
What a headache this is turning out to be! :(
A commercial groomer is one who does it for a living - and they usually do several breeds. This does not necessarily mean they don't do a good job and some deal with certain breeds better than others. A good groomer will know what technique is the correct one for the particular breed. As with all professions you find those that are sensitive to the needs of their clients and those that aren't.
Fingers x'd that Monty will be fine.
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Hi Jen, I'm sure Monts will be fine & Buttons will still love him no matter what ;)
On the point of grooming...not that Buttons needs one yet ::) but my friends puppy Roana had to go and get tidied up at about 5 months. And Margaret wasn't too pleased with the results either. So on that note at nearly 8 months (& breeder to far away) Margaret has contacted someone from the East of Scotland Cocker Spaniel Club and spoken to someone who shows their dogs to recommend a local groomer who specialises in cockers and handstripping.
Just waiting for Margaret to make the appointment so we'll see what she's like.
But.....as my breeder is not too far away...I think I'll hopefully be able to take Buttons back to Lynwater when the time comes (if ever ;))
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ok - here he is.....not great pics I'm afraid as he just won't stay still long enough for me to get a side on...so I'll get one of those later when I have help to distract him.........
To be honest....he really doesn't look too bad...he is still quite hairy....but he now actually has paws! I think he'd still pass as a dog...not a sheep...what do you all think then......
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and another
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and another...........
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and if you've forgot...here is before............
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Gorgeous Jen, I've been waiting for you to get back!!!!
He looks fine, still lots of puppy fluff left!!!! I still want to pick him up and cuddle him!!!
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Well, he doesn't look much different really Jen does he? His coat is still probably longer than Lotties now that he's been cut ::)
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no Mary he DOES look different....but I guess my nervous tension rubbed off on the clipper lady!and she went very easy. He def does NOT looked clippered....just thinned out really....still fluffy ::)
Incidentally - I mentioned "handstripping" at the groomers and was told that Monty's coat is "no good" for handstripping :o - obviously a load of codswallop but I thought no poin arguing the toss with her....SO I am on a mission to find a handstripper to do Monty in the future.....if this clip hasn't ruined him?
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I think he looks very handsome Jen :) I can see the difference on his head. His new hairdo makes him look more grown-up but he's still a cute fluff-ball ;) :D
I've been trying to keep on top of Poppy's coat myself too Mike. I've invested in a Coat King and Spratts comb and a pair of thinning scissors. I've just about got her legs and body looking the way I want (still waiting for some mistakes with my clippers to grow back in again :-[) but doing her head and top of her ears is driving me mad >:( Never mind think I just more practice :-
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His head definitely looks nice and smooth Jen :D It's difficult to say about the body and legs cos I cant see them clearly enough ;D But so long as she didnt take too much off with the clippers and he still has his puppy fur yet to give, then all should be well for future stripping.
The top of the head especially I find sooo hard to do, Fiona :o And Daisy's paws too, cos she doesnt like them being done very much. I normally use the coat king and thinning scissors for the top knot - it never seems to want to come out with handstripping. But even though my own efforts are nowhere near professional, I enjoy doing it, and I dont think she looks too bad ;D
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Monty's coat is "no good" for handstripping :o
well what can you say to that. Glad Monty is OK Jen. Hope you find someone better who can deal with a Cocker properly.
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managed to get this shot of him this afternoon - gives a slightly better view......(Michele & Jane are bound to be crying in despair now!!!) - But really.......after all that was said eariler.....I was expecting it alot worse.....call it "rose tinted mummy glasses" - but I still thing he's gorgous & extremely handsome 8)
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I can definately see the difference from this photo Jen ::) and yes, his head is much smoother now ;)
He is lovely Jen :)
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I would be lying if I said I thought your groomer had done a good job, sorry Jen! Having said that, he could have looked a lot worse & at least he does still look like a Cocker Spaniel & yes he does still look a v handsome young man ;D I think you are in the Midlands, Jen? If so, I'll see if I can find you some contacts for Cocker specialists who do grooming.
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Thank you Jane I'd appreciate that...... ;)I feel like I've had a lucky escape really....he is still def covered with puppy fluff....so hopefully not much damage has been done......In a few months (or so) when we have growth I'll sort him out with a specialist.....at least he actually smells quite nice at the moment...which makes a change! ::)
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Hi Jen,
If its any help, he doesnt look as bad as when I first took my Blue to be 'trimmed'. I had just started showing him and a helpful person suggested I got him trimmed up professionally. Being new and still learning I found a reputable groomer who said she could do cockers and I dropped him off at the agreed time. I wanted to stay with him as I was quite anxious but she did not allow people in while she was working. When I collected him I nearly died! He was shorn all over. No feathers, no fluff just lambchops on a bad hair day.
Of course this ruined his show career, as the coat does not grow back the same. Following this I learnt how to handstrip and to groom them myself. No one has touched my dogs since. Its well worth having a go. I am in the Midlands if you want some help.
No one touches my dogs to groom them nownly me
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Hi Jen
Monty still looks really cute. He really is enormous!! isn't he? ;D
I think I mentioned before, I had a real hard time finding someone suitable to groom Candy so have decided to do it myself. As soon as you mention handstripping they try and talk you out of it and start brandishing the clippers! They also talk you down and you're made to feel as if you don't know what you're talking about.
I was very lucky too because I met a woman in the park who used to breed/groom cockers and has offered to give me some lessons.
I bought a coat king at Crufts and some toe scissors to do her paws and I already had a Spratts 76 for day to day use.
It's actually really therapeutic and as Mike says it's a great way to bond with your dog. I'm not saying I'm brilliant or anything but once you get going it's not as hard or time consuming as you think. Think how much money you'll save! The only problem I have is bathing and drying Candy, she's still terrified of water and the hair dryer! :)
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Hi Jen
Monty still looks really cute. He really is enormous!! isn't he? ;D
yep! - 16.5" high and 13KG - about fully grown now I think ::)
Good for you on the grooming front....I am considering getting the gear in as I feel guilty about what I have done to my poor boy! :-[ :-
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He doesn't look too bad Jen, better than I expected after what you had said
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I bit the bullet yesterday and decided to start on Vegas and we didn't get off to a very good start...I tried to tidy his top knot up using thinning scissors but it just looks like I chopped it off - how do I get it to blend? Also, on closer inspection his throat seems to have it's very own Betty Boo hairdo going on - it quite literally turns outwards. Whats the best way to deal with this?
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i had chopped off ebbie's top knot just before i got all the grooming equipment recommended on here - used the coat king - and it blended it all in and made it look a 100 times better, apart from one tiny bit that just would not blend in - does now though, after a few goings over with the coat king.
Hope that helps
Nikki xx