As you're planning on showing her please be very careful about what you do with her coat. At 5 months she really doesn't look as though her adult coat is starting to come through. It probably won't start to for at least another 2-3 months.
I used to a little bit of showing and this photo is my boy Louis when he was 4 months and 3 weeks, when a lady who showed and judged tidied him up for me. She did him again just before his first show, when he was 7 months old. I can't find a photo of his groom for the show, but it was very similar to this because his adult coat wasn't yet coming through. Louis looked a little more mature in height and shape by then, but no adult coat.
Have you done any showing before?
Thank you all for your replies and photos. I don't feel quite as bad about her being such a wooly bear now! Though her head is an absolute mess, fortunately that is one of the few places hair is coming out. I have a little go every day when I groom her and probably only get about half a handful a week, as I said I really don't want to push it.
Elaine I have shown before with my older boy, but it was about 4 years ago now so I've forgotten a lot of it.
I do know that we (myself [though I was brand new to it then]and the person we took him to help me with his coat at about 6 months) did far too much with it (clipped the fronts of his legs, clipped his chest and under his chin, tops of his ears etc. It looked great for a 6 month-old, but never came through the same and was dense and curly and unmanageable after that), so I don't want to do the same with her; she's also a much nicer type so I'm even more cautious!
I feel she's a bit backward in her coat, looking at pictures of my boy he already had a short skirt like yours does, but she barely has anything. Though she has got some adult coat on the top of her back.
After speaking to a lady at ringcraft last night I've decided to just do what I can, I'll tidy her feet, give her a bath and as much of a dry as possible and just take her to the Open show for experience. If we get laughed out of the ring, or sent to the Poodle ring then so-be-it, but it will be the experience that counts!
Though if anyone knows of any ringcraft classes in Cambs where people who show cockers go that would be great, everyone at mine has dachshunds or toy dogs!