working cocker grooming recommendations

[Sarah1985]

I have 2 neutored working cockers (one male and one female) and Ive kept their coats naturally long and just a daily brush has been sufficient. However since being neutored my oldest is getting rather fluffy and I want to thin his coat out abit.

I was looking at having a go at hand stripping him. But Im not sure which comb I need. Can someone point me in the right direction? He has quite a fine coat (as he has roan in his lines) but Ive heard that its impossible to do with a neutored cocker. From the thread at the top of this section Ive been looking at the Spratts 76 but is this the right one for a neutored cocker?

I definately want to avoid trimming or shaving him as I like the long and natural look as much as possible but I just want him to be abit more comfortable over the summer.

Now my little girls been spayed its only a matter of time before she catches him up on the fluff front so I would prefer to do it at home rather than go to a groomers as its cheaper and Alot of the groomers round my way are useless. Ive not seen any with a hair cut I like and when ive spoken to them about what I want they look at me like Im crazy for not wanting him to look like a show cocker. (i nothing against this look on a show cocker but on a working cocker it can look silly  )

What do other owners of working cockers do? And what look do you end up with when using this method? Please include photos if you have any.

Any advise would be much appreciated

Thanks

[Nicola]

This is a good working Cocker grooming thread - http://www.cockersonline.co.uk/discuss/index.php?topic=62620.0

Tilly is spayed and has a really fluffy fuzzy coat, her previous owners clipped her right back so I didn't really have any choice but to keep doing it but I only get her head, back, sides, armpits and fronts of legs clipped and leave her feathering on her ears, chest, belly, legs and tail so it looks pretty natural. While I would always try to avoid clipping if I can I do like the way she looks when she's done - 



If your dogs' coats are relatively fine and not too fuzzy though and you want to avoid clipping then you could try a Furminator type thing or a comb with an elastic band wound through the teeth to get out the dead hair and just trim their feet, feathering etc. to suit.

[vixen]

I have two working cockers, both spayed last April. Marley's coat (black) has gone slightly woolly but there has been hardly any difference with the blue roan.
I like my dogs shaggy but am aware it might not suit everyone  
I have tried a Furminator and it seemed fine to begin with and  I thought it was great.  However, Marley's coat then started to grow at odd angles and stick up in spirals which I didn't like  
Since then I just use a comb with a rubber band threaded through. The Sprats 76 is a fine tooth comb and I think it may be hard to get a band through it (I may be wrong, others will tell you if I am).  I just use a really cheap comb (purchased as a set at Poundland  ) and it does the job for me.
When Marley is moulting I could swear whatever I remove one day, she grows again in the night  
Her coat is slowly improving and both girls have very shiny, silky coats.
The only disadvantage of keeping them shaggy is that they look quite chubby   and it is only when they are wet that you realize they are not chubsters  

[Sarah1985]

I have two working cockers, both spayed last April. Marley's coat (black) has gone slightly woolly but there has been hardly any difference with the blue roan.
I like my dogs shaggy but am aware it might not suit everyone  
I have tried a Furminator and it seemed fine to begin with and  I thought it was great.  However, Marley's coat then started to grow at odd angles and stick up in spirals which I didn't like  
Since then I just use a comb with a rubber band threaded through. The Sprats 76 is a fine tooth comb and I think it may be hard to get a band through it (I may be wrong, others will tell you if I am).  I just use a really cheap comb (purchased as a set at Poundland  ) and it does the job for me.
When Marley is moulting I could swear whatever I remove one day, she grows again in the night  
Her coat is slowly improving and both girls have very shiny, silky coats.
The only disadvantage of keeping them shaggy is that they look quite chubby   and it is only when they are wet that you realize they are not chubsters  

Yea i love the shaggy look but I just defluff it a bit if that makes sense.

Yea Dexters the same. Looks quite chunky untill you get him wet. 

Ill try the comb/elastic band thing and see how i  get on.

[Karma]

Yes - the old ladies we see in the mornings keep commenting that Honey is chubby - they never see her when she's fresh out of the lake, when you can clearly see her waist!!! 

I use a furminator once or twice a year when she is moulting horribly, and beyond that I just comb through to try and keep her tangle free.... I must admit she's got a bit matted these past few weeks as I've been so shattered, but we're nearly winning again!!! 

I, too, love the shaggy look - it can be hard work, but I do like it.  Though again, if the heat is too bad this summer I may succumb to trimming for her benefit!

[Mudmagnets]

Well blow me down, I took Katie for her GC Bronze award on Monday and many of the peeps at club had not seen her for a while and said she was getting fat (nothing so polite as 'chubby' there I'm afraid.

Even the judge said she was carrying too much weight and I was sure it was her coat that made her look big.......but oh dear, I had her groomed today and altho' she does look slimmer, I also weighed her and she was 15Kg    . Because I have not been too well this last 6 months I have had to take them when I can  (most days) and when really bad they have had to 'make do' with exercising in the garden.

So for the next few weeks it is less Bonios    and more walkies me thinks......

[cazza]

I just hand strip my workers, and they had both been spayed / neutered, or when feeling lazy use a comb with an elastic band weaved thro the teeth of the comb

Thankfully the lab just needs a good brush

[Cocker Crazy]

Hi, 
I would recommend a Coat King (Medium) they are very easy to use and get even fuzzy coats looking much smoother, I use one on Katy who is a hairy type and a friends worker which is spayed.   They are much kinder than a Furminator, not inclined to pull too much hair out and can be used on a regular basis (say once a week) to keep the fluffy ones neat and tidy.  You would still need to trim with scissors ears, feathers, feet, etc.  Hope this helps.
Judi

[Sarah1985]

Hi, 
I would recommend a Coat King (Medium) they are very easy to use and get even fuzzy coats looking much smoother, I use one on Katy who is a hairy type and a friends worker which is spayed.   They are much kinder than a Furminator, not inclined to pull too much hair out and can be used on a regular basis (say once a week) to keep the fluffy ones neat and tidy.  You would still need to trim with scissors ears, feathers, feet, etc.  Hope this helps.
Judi

I thought that cockers would need extra fine. Is the medium best for neutored cockers?

[Cocker Crazy]

Hello again

I've found the medium to be best, I have a fine but it does not seem to get into their coats, I think it is best for very silky hair like yorkies or similar.
Just a word of caution, you can use it on sensitive areas such as down the chest but be careful over bony parts, joints etc. over the ribs is OK so long as less pressure is used.  Hope this helps, if you have trouble finding one I can give you details of a couple of websites. Judi

[Helen]

I've stopped using a coat king - it really affected Jarv's coat and ripped the fur out so I've gone back to comb/rubber combo 

[Caticus]

One of the best things for stripping is a cocker stone, its rather like as pumice stone and you drag it over the coat so it takes away the top fluff - they are also called atripping stones and used for terrier. Be very very careful with furminators as if not held at the right angle they can rip a coat to pieces and ruin it. Coat kings are not as bad, but again need to be used with care as already said.
When I get neutered cockers in the groom I use coat king/ thining scissors and the cocker stone. If they are not clipped and never have been you can usually keep the fluff down, but neutering and clipping is a recipe for lots of fluff. I have to clip Forrest short every 8 weeks now (he's as he has just got fluffier and fluffier and if I am not careful it gets very matted and knotty. He had been clipped and neutered when I got him, I tried everything, but nothing brought the coat back.
I am not suprised at some groomers telling you what to do, sadly there are not many who truly understand the complexity and diversity of cocker coats. I had a lovely 18mth blue roan in today - so shaggy, owner had taken to a groomer at 12 months and asked for her short - she was scalped with the clippers and the owner darn't go to another groomer in case the same happen - luckly one of my other cocker owners recommended me and I did get her coat looking reasonable. You should ALWAYS state if you don't want your dog clipping - though a good groomer will talk the groom through with you to find out exactly what you want.
I must have over 30 cockers that I groom, both working and show and each one has a unique coat!

[Helen]

thanks for that  where's the best place to buy a stripping stone?

[Jane S]

thanks for that  where's the best place to buy a stripping stone?

You can get stripping stones from a lot of grooming supplies places eg Groomers : http://www.groomers-online.com/product.php/1636/stripping-stone---dark-coats (they also do one for light coats)

I don't find them that great except for removing out obviously dead fluffy bits - I use them mainly for heads.

[Caticus]

Have a look on some of the grooming suppliers websites - google them and you will get a list or send me a message and I'll tell you some.
I bought about 6 at crufts, they were 3.99 each. They do wear down like a pumice stone. You will maybe see them advertised as stripping stones. They are the colour of pumice and do shatter if you drop them. I have been told you can get white cocker stones, but have never managed to find them.