CockersOnline Forum
Cocker Specific Discussion => Grooming => Topic started by: maz26uk on April 04, 2003, 10:18:50 AM
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After much deliberation have decided to give grooming Minty ago myself. Started last night and she looks much better already ;D But has anyone got any tips on what to use and how to get her head smooth and sleek? Any advice gratefully accepted as I have a cocker who looks like a punk!!!! :P
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Hi Marianne
Have a read through this thread http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic (http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic) . php?t=1201 ....
You need to hand strip Minty's head by using your finger and thumb and gently pulling the dead hair out. I use a rubber glove when I'm handstripping now as it gives a better grip than just using your finger and thumb.
HTH
Dessie ;D
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Here is another good thread about grooming heads
http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic . php?t=733;start=0 (http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic . php?t=733;start=0)
Michele posted some helpful photos if you are thinking of using thinning scissors :)
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Marianne - have just sent you war & peace on starting trimming as promised - thanks Jane ;D ;D ;D
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Any chance of sharing it with me cos I'm stuck ::) :-[
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OOoh and me please ;D - don't have much problem with heads, ears, etc but i do get stuck on the legs, paws are ok but ebbie's legs still look a little bit too fluffy
Nikki xx
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I have a cocker who looks like a punk!!!!
Ooh..I like the sound of that.......photo please !
Must admit I'm really torn on the top knot issue. Jimmy has more of a Billy Fury look than Sid Viscious... and everyone loves it. It attracts loads of attention every time I take him out. I love it too, but sometimes think I would like to see the shape of his head.....the sleek domed head is one of the many attractive features of a cocker. ;D
Jimmy is due a tidy up soon and I really don't know what to do. Although I have been assured it would grow back......would it grow back the same way ? It is currently very fine and very blonde ! A couple of golden cocker owners I have met have told me they really regretted having the blonde mop removed as it grew back a lot coarser.......and stragglier .
Desicions, desicions. ???
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Morgan it still quite a Mopatop but I'm not too bothered by it :) . I seem to have the same problem as Nikki - Morgan has really hairy legs - Is it normal for a cocker to have feathering at the front and sides of their legs ??? . He's actually two-tone at the moment, his back is a nice golden colour and his undercarriage and legs are so blonde they're nearly white! :D I can see the short hair has grown in on the front of his legs, but the long hair (and I mean long - 8-10cm) just won't budge.
I'd be really grateful for any suggestions? before I have to get the Immac out! ;D
Shirley and Hairy Maclarey
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William seems to be very similar to Jimmy.....reddy/gold on top (apart from head and ears ;D) and blonde underneath. Must admit with my own attempts at trimming I've found the paws the hardest to do......then again the groomer I tried didn't seem to fare much better.
Wherabouts is the 8/10 cm hair Shirley ? Sounds nice though. :) Jimmy's only got hair that long on his head and just below his tail.....it's like a walrus moustache there ;D.
Have you plucked up the courage to use the coat king yet ?
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It is quite normal for them to have long hair on the front of the legs. This can be hand stripped out - but does tend to take a while. The coat king can be used on the front of the legs too - or you might find using the thinners an easier alternative. I have also found a stripping knife4(the small Mikke type) useful here too as the coat king can be a bit brutal in the big and chunky sense.
The absolute best though is to hand strip even just a few hairs several times a day will get it our eventually - but a very acceptable look can be obtianed by using any of the methods above.
PS just for those that might not know - trying this on a neutered cocker will lead to failure as it is almost impossible to hand strip a neutered cocker.
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Thanks for the tips Pam. I thought you only hand stripped the back. The hair on Morgan's head won't budge >:(.
We have no professional groomers where I live and to get to one I'd need to spend 4 hours on a ferry (used to do this with an old english sheepdog every year - no fun :( ) so I've been keeping Morgan tidy myself. I thought that when he got older and stopped his brush biting antics things would get easier but he's out-foxed me and deliberately grown masses and masses of hair >:( !
Morgan's breeder showed me how to keep his paws tidy and demonstrated hand stripping on one of his older dogs, which was quite good. I have to say that this site has been invaluable, though - I'd never heard of a coat king before - no clothes or perfume for me last Christmas ::) - Santa got all my pressies from Diamond Edge!
Colin, I have used the coat king and it's great - I haven't been that brave though, two or three swipes a week :) . The really long hair is actually growing at the front and sides of his legs. It's really thick and fluffy - did jimmy not have this? I've got a complex now :-[, I'm beginning to think that Morgan is half Cocker - half Afghan Hound!! :o
Shirley and The Yeti :D
P.s He said to tell you he forgives you for mistaking him for William. William belongs to Viv. ;D
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Thanks for the tips Pam. I thought you only hand stripped the back. The hair on Morgan's head won't budge >:(.
If it won't budge with hand stripping, then you can try the Coat King on it or use thinners. Have a look at the previous post on this thread that links to one where Michelle put some pics showing how to use thinners for this task.
hth :)
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Had a look at the pictures - now I understand this grooming business a bit better. Do you use the same technique on the feathering on the legs. How do you deal with the longer bits in the arm pits?????
Also the thinning scissors and coat king - can you only get them off the internet?
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Hi Anita
You can find thinning scissors & Coat Kings at any of the bigger shows - probably your nearest would be Birmingham Show at the Stafford showground but that's not until May 11. Some larger pet stores have thinning scissors but I've yet to see Coat Kings in pet shops.
I use thinners to thin out the hair in the underarm area - it helps to stop it all matting up under here. I also use thinners to thin out the leg feathering (on both outside & inside the leg). Sometimes it's possible to strip out by hand, the excess hair on the legs, but with thicker coats, you'd be better off using thinning scissors.
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THanks Jane - I'll give the Thinning scissors a try. I'm hoping to get to the Birmingham Show.
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Got the thinning scissors and coat king out yesterday :o and decided to tackle Morgan's head first, as the legs seem like a mammoth task at the moment. He didn't like me using the coatking on his head - can't really blame him, don't think I'd be too keen myself - so I went for it with the thinning scissors.
The long hair is very light and the new growth underneath is very dark. My problems is his head now looks quite patchy - not baldy patchy, but some parts light and some dark. With a roan, I think it would be easier to get it even because of the variation in colours, but Mrogan looks quite funny now :-[ . Should I take a little more off to get it looking even, or should I leave it to grow before trying again?
Good tip for the armpits, Jane. Morgan has never had any matts anywhere, other than a couple under his front legs, which he did not enjoy having removed :o so I think we'll get rid of it tonight ;D .
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..I'm hoping to get to the Birmingham Show.
Might see you there then Anita :) I'm hoping to go too although we aren't showing.
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P.s He said to tell you he forgives you for mistaking him for William. William belongs to Viv. ;D
Sorry Shirley (and Morgan).....I think that's 3 times now I've called him "William". Must admit I get all the names of the dogs in the local park muddled up too. Well they do say that it's the memory that's the first thing to go.....forget who said it though! ;D.....I promise, it'll never happen again, Sharon . ;) ;D
Jimmy used to constantly get compared to an Afghan when he was Morgan's age.....hardly ever happens now though. It would be nice to see an upated photo of Morgan.....I think the last one was the one in the ditch. ;D Although great seeing all the photos....it's especially interesting to see ones of your own dog's colour.
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And with Mary's help that's the first time I've managed to successfully do a quote ! :) (Or was it Michele ? ;D)
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Hi Colin
With that memory you must be one of the Over 30 Brigade ;D. Only joking, I know lots of people who are over 30 and can still find their way home from the bingo hall on their own :o. I'd better stop now before I get kicked out of here :D.
Unfortunately I have no scanner or digital camera at home :( but will borrow the one from work next week and try to get some pics in the photo section. Can't do it this week 'cos schools are on HOLIDAY! Yippee! ;D
Have you done anything about Jimmy's hairdo yet, or are you gonna let him keep it? Have to say, I'm beginning to wish I'd left Morgan's as it was. Maybe with a little more work we'll get rid of the patchiness :)
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Well, Shirley, thank heavens for the bingobus......it's a positive godsend for us absent minded wrinklies ! ;D
Jimmy's mop is staying for the time being........am getting a bit fed up with people asking if I put highlights in his hair though. :o When the time comes I will get a groomer to strip it I think.......I want someone else to blame if it goes horribly wrong. ;D
Who is the easiest to control .....Morgan or your class ? ;D
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Tonight I stripped the hair on Daisy's head using a rubber glove - suggested by Michele, Jane, Dessie and Pam - as I'd not been really satisfied with the finish I was achieving with stripping with my bare fingers >:(
It works a treat - I'm gobsmacked at the amount which came out - which previously wasnt budging an inch :o It's such a great tip, I thought was worth mentioning again ;D
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See, we're not just pretty faces :D
Glad you are pleased with the result ;D
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Tonight I stripped the hair on Daisy's head using a rubber glove -
It works a treat - I'm gobsmacked at the amount which came out - which previously wasnt budging an inch :o It's such a great tip, I thought was worth mentioning again ;D
woo hoo - way to Mike - so do we get a piccy of the new beautified Daisy? ;D
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She's not ready yet - still got a ways to go on her head (it's so curly!). But i'm getting there, which is the important thing - and enjoying every minute of it ;D
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And you tought I was mad telling you to use a rubber glove :D :D :D
Looking forward to seeing a picture of her when she is finished Mike.
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And you tought I was mad telling you to use a rubber glove
:-[ sorry Dessie ;D
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Coat kings and thinners are available from www.diamondedgeltd.com - they are reasonably priced too!
Can anyone forward me this coverted documend on hand stripping - i am having problems with the head area. Thank gog my cocker is stupid and so tolerant - she falls asleep on the table!
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Coat kings and thinners are available from www.diamondedgeltd.com - they are reasonably priced too!
Can anyone forward me this coverted documend on hand stripping - i am having problems with the head area. Thank gog my cocker is stupid and so tolerant - she falls asleep on the table!
You may find some useful information on this thread
http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic (http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/forum/viewtopic) . php?t=71
there is another one on here that has some photo's included but I'm still looking for it at the moment ;D
Update I thought it would be quicker if I posted them again, the head one is using the scissors as an alternative to hand stripping ;D
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and also the one for thinning the ears
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I'm going to have a go on Holly bot! - and send a picture in so you can laugh at my attempts!
Fern will just cut me a dirty look - she is good at that!
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I'm sure none of us will laugh Claire - as you've been reading, many of us have been getting to grips with grooming our own dogs lately - welcome to the club, it's very satisfying when you start getting good results ;D
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Ok it is the morning after the night before!
I set up my table and got out my grooming kit. Holly took one look at me and ran!!!! I'm not that bad at this! So after i found her and persuaded her that she did want to come with me (i appealed to her inner side with a treat!) we got to work. (please note 5 minutes in she was nodding off!)
I started on her head and happily chopped and stripped away following the instructions which i had kindly been given yesterday! (many thanks) And would you believe it - there is actually a cocker under all that fur!
I am having a bit of a problem. She has large roan patches on her forhead which are silky. I've tried stripping them but they are very stubborn. So i have resorted to the thinning sissors. Is this going to be ok for showing or should i perservere (painfully) with the stripping. And would a stripping knife help?