When should we groom for first time

[loumeg]

Hi all.  Cookie is 10 months now and i have noticed tonight that under her armpits (did not know how else to describe it) her fur has what appear to be little knots in it.  i tried to seperate the fur but they are tight little balls about the size of afrozen pea.  She has never been groomed other that us brushing her.  Does she need grooming or is she too young still.  Cookie is working type and although very fluffy her coat is not really long.   

[eljaybee1956]

Jeeves, my blue roan and tan boy, is now nearly one year old and he has had two grooming sessions. If Cookie is getting knots under the "armpits" even though you brush her regularly, then I would say, yes have her groomed. I am NOT an expert, and hopefully a more experienced COL member can give you much more constructive advice.

[ludo]

Hi

I don't have a working type but a show type - I had Dax handstripped at 10 months old but like you did all the grooming until then.

It sounds like you have the beginning of a matt under each armpit.  If you put some conditioner on the fur (neat) and then gently try to split the hair you should be able to sort this out with some patience.  It will take a while and you will need to give the dog breaks but it can be done - as you loosen the hair then gently brush the bits you have separated and then carry on.  If your dog will lie down for you voluntarily then it should be easier to see what you are doing alternatively, you should be able to see if someone can lift the leg for you so you can work on the tangles. 

Once you have de-tangled and brushed, if you use a metal comb gently in that area and feel the area with your fingers, it will be a double check that you have got all the tangles free.

By lifting the leg up and brushing carefully under each armpit daily then checking with the comb and your fingers there are no tangles, you will be able to avoid the tangles building up again    (its one of the absolute worse areas to reach so you have my sympathy!)

I hope that will help 

[Joules]

Time for a proper groom I think!    Coco gets knots under her armpits so I keep them pretty much shaved which makes it a lot easier as she is not keen on being brushed under there.  She has had a couple of grass seeds under there too so it makes it much easier to see if there is anything like that. You can always just trim out the mats if they are lumpy. 

[jarbaha]

daily brushing, paying special attention to the ears, feathering on the legs and armpits,are a must.
i have 9  cockers,and spend most of the day brushing them, but melody ( show cocker), is brushed more often at least 4 times a day, to keep her coat mat and knot free,but has very long feathering.

as ludo had said, you can put conditioner into the coat/ knotted area , and tease the knots/ mats out,and gentle comb through the felted area.

the armpit areas are the hardest to reach and most akward,and again you have my sympathy there. you could shave the area,which would make it easier the groom, that is as long as your not going to show ect.
love terri
x

[Karma]

Honey is a worker and I find that, as long as I brush her every couple of days, that is enough - if she's been running through thick undergrowth or lots and lots of mud, she gets the little knots in her armpits (also ears and round her back end) but with patience and lots of treats I can tease these out...

I would be very reluctant to trim or shave Honey, as she doesn't actually have a lot of fur covering and can feel the cold quite quickly if she gets wet... 

[sarah25]

I would clip the inside of the armpit

[ludo]

daily brushing, paying special attention to the ears, feathering on the legs and armpits,are a must.
i have 9  cockers,and spend most of the day brushing them, but melody ( show cocker), is brushed more often at least 4 times a day, to keep her coat mat and knot free,but has very long feathering.

as ludo had said, you can put conditioner into the coat/ knotted area , and tease the knots/ mats out,and gentle comb through the felted area.

the armpit areas are the hardest to reach and most akward,and again you have my sympathy there. you could shave the area,which would make it easier the groom, that is as long as your not going to show ect.
love terri
x

Hi Terri - you must have sooooo much work to do with your grooming and it sounds like your show cocker has a fabulous coat if you need to groom out 4 times a day - I bet Melody looks stunning!   

[Cob-Web]

I would clip the inside of the armpit

Yup - I do that to both mine; a quick shave off under the front legs every few weeks stops the matting and it is easy to keep tangle free 

[Nicola]

Working Cockers don't generally have long coats. Mine are all workers but only Tilly goes to the groomer because her previous owners shaved her right back and wrecked her coat so I have to keep having her clipped. Alfie and Rodaidh have never been to the groomer, I check them over every day for burrs and sticky willies and a quick going over of their ears and feathering every other day with a metal comb is enough to keep them matt free.

[louisedi]

I always clipp under the arm pits of pet cockers I trim up,

You have to watch out for grass seeds getting in under the skin in this area,

Im sure at 10mths old he is ready for a trim.

Louise & Harbethol gang

[loumeg]

Thankyou all for your advice.  I think i will take Cookie to the groomer this time and let them sort her out and then keep on top of it from then on.  Her coat is very strange as when she is wet she gets a perfect parting down the middle of her back and her fur looks like it has been crimped.  Wen she is dry the fur on her lower bak and hips curls upwards and towards her head.  She looks like she has had rollers in.

Will try and get a good pic of her tomorrow so i can show you before and after.  She is always on her back with her legs in the air so i am sure she will behave herself