Hi everyone.  We collected our cocker spaniel pup 2 weeks ago now and life is wonderful!  Before we left, the breeder gave him a quick nail clip and under ear hair trim, both of which I understand the reasoning behind.  However she also trimmed his whiskers and eyebrow whiskers - sorry, dont know the proper name for these.  Is this something we should continue to do?  None of the books I have seem to mention this.  Many thanks.

Pip

well I'm no expert on cockers, but I can't think of any reason for needing to trim whiskas & eyebrows.

I wouldn't trim them if he were my pup.  :)

some people trim them to give there dogs a smoother look on the muzzle and head.

It is up to you if you trim them or not.  Personally I like them on but I think my nan is going to take them off of our aussies:(

Rox

They are taken off anyway when the pup is clipped.  Have you booked him in for his first 'hair do yet?  Dont leave it too long. 
bye
Gwen

Hi Gwen
Thanks for your help on this qustion.  I always grew up with Labradors so Cockers are a new thing for me.  I just love the way a well groomed cocker looks and would love to know how to do this properly myself rather than having him clipped.  I'm giving him a good brush each day just to get him used to the concept but do you suggest that I do anything more at this stage.  He's only 9 weeks old.  Also could you suggest how I might find somebody 'in the know' to give me a proper lesson in coat care including stripping.  I would of course ask his breeder, she's been great, but lives 100 miles away!  I would appreciate some help on this one. Thanks.
Pip

Hi Pip

If you want to PM me or email me letting me know where you live, I may be able to suggest a Cocker breeder/exhibitor who would be willing to groom your Cocker and/or teach you how to do it yourself.

PS Don't book your pup into be clipped just yet - there are still a few groomers who will handstrip properly which looks much nicer than clipping & lasts longer (assuming we're talking about an English Cocker not an American Cocker?)

Jane

Hi Pip, Jane is definetly the expert on this one.  However, if she cant come up with anyone in your area let me know and I will contact people on my groomers list - several of them use Eng. Cockers in grooming comps and do a very good job with them.  However, if you want to learn to do it yourself, you need a mentor.  There is a grooming video on English cockers, but I dont know how good it is.  And if you are going to carry on doing him yourself or take him to a groomer keep up the good work with regular brushing etc.  It is every groomers nightmare to have a 6 month plus puppy landing at the salon, hardly ever brushed, not been trimmed/clipped since a baby, and either wildly indignant or terrified.
bye
Gwen

Thanks for the tips.  I really would like to try and give it a go by hand myself.  I'm lucky in having the time and so far, a compliant dog!  I shall send you a pm Jane with my details and hopefully somebody will not be too far away who can show me the ropes.  What a great forum!  Be warned I shall be here again with my next dilemma/curiosity/problem!
Bye for now :-)
Pip

I always thought it was a big no-no to trim a dogs whiskers, as it is their guide as to how narrow a space they can get thru?? Oh I bet someone will tell me it's an old wives tale now

liberty :)

I always thought that was true of cats, dont know about dogs.  Safffy just pushes harder if she can't get through!!!:)

Fiona

Don't want to be a know all but I was more of a cat person before I got my dog 6 months ago.  Never ever cut a cat's whiskers/eyebrows as they need them for balance and stuff.  Dogs don't have the same kind of whiskers as cats.  Copper's is more a kind of beard which really just needs brushing to get all that gunk out of it :D  The groomer does a good job on him thankfully :D :D

CG

OMG What has Libby got then ??? There a bit like wire, sprouting out of her muzzle, and eyebrows, I thought they were whiskers??  Or are you reffering to whiskers, what I would call a beard?

liberty :)

Lol at Liberty. :-D

Hi Liberty,  All breeds who have there heads clipped have the whiskers taken off - cockers, Am. cockers, poodles, etc, etc,  havent noticed any of my bunch having problems with balance etc!  A lot of smooth coated breed have whiskers trimmed too.
bye
Gwen

Hiya
I'm no expert but I thought if you clipped a cocker spaniel he goes a lot more curly looking rather than the smooth kind of look. I've bought a coat king to try & look after Dylans coat myself, & so far hes looking great :-)

Some cockers have very hairy faces that most people would clip or, as I prefer to do, scissor as stripping the face would be too uncomfortable.  My bitch always had a smooth face prior to being speyed at 8 and never needed clipping but I still used to scissor off the whiskers for the ring  just seems to look a lot neater, never bothered her and I'm pretty sure dogs don't do anything useful with them :)

Hi Daisychain,  posted this once and it vanished, so sorry if it comes through twice.  When a cocker is trimmed, be it for the ring or a pet trim, the face is clipped to get that ultra smooth look.   throat is also clipped. Then depending on the trim, hand stripping, knife stripping, scissoring etc are used.  Have a look at a pic on a show cocker site.  Of course, clipping the body can lead to the hair growing back coarse or curly.  This does not matter if it is a pet which is going to be clipped reguarly, but would be a disaster for a show dog! 

Re: the coat king - are you going to show your cocker, if so use the coat king with extreme care.  Not all coats are suited to it, and as it cuts the hair, not pulling it, it can cause an uneven, rough, or even curly re-growth.
bye
Gwen

Hiya Gwen thanx for explaining that. :-) Dylan isn't going to be shown. Must admit his face is the tricky bit as regards grooming, I can do all his body but around his whiskers I'm having to be brave & try using thinning scissors. I guess its a bit hit & miss at first until I get the hang of it lol
Penny

Hi Gwen

English Cockers don't have their faces clipped for the show ring as a rule - I would handstrip excess hair where possible or use thinners very judiciously if not possible. Of course a few show people may use clippers in this area just as some clip the throats (which I personally don't like) but its not recommended for show English Cockers - the traditionalists would have a fit :D I would generally only clip the faces on neutered Cockers where the hair grows too thick to do much else with :-)

You're right about Coat Kings though - great for keeping a pet Cocker looking neat & tidy but can be a disaster when used on a show dog!

Jane

Hi Jane,  problem with these 2 breeds is that you get in a mindset - just been at Spaniel club in Philadelphia, and of course all the English Cockers out there have there faces clipped (as do the Springers!)  so was picturing them when I posted!  Of course, AM Cockers always have faces clipped (regardless of England of America).  Most of the English Cockers doing the open show circuit round here appear clipped, but rarely get a chance to look at them at Ch shows, coz we are in the ring at the same time, but rarely side by side these days!  Did you know  that BOB in English cockers this year at American Spaniel Club was an English Dog (Lynwater breeding)?  We are going to do a bit for the dog papers.
bye
Gwen

Yes that's certainly true Gwen - presentation of English Cockers in the US is a little more extreme than over here :D You're also right that some UK exhibitors are taking short cuts in their presentation which would have been unheard of when I started in Cockers but there are still plenty of us doing it the hard way ;-) Like Isobel, I learnt from the successful breeders I admired who in turn got their skills from the "old masters" in the breed - to them, clipping a show Cocker was an absolute no-no & still is for many thankfully!

PS I hadn't heard a Lynwater Cocker won BOB at the American Spaniel Club, excellent! It's not often a UK-bred English Cocker does so well across the pond ;-)

Hi Jane,  Quite  a few English dogs in evidence, I was really surprised at how the qulity have improved over there.  I couldnt make it last year (pups at home) but in jsut 2 years a radical change in the breed.  A lot were downright gorgeous.  So much smaller (I remember the first year I went I didnt recognise them, saw what I took to be a Buff Springer, which I knew was impossibel - it was a Cocker!  The pups, in particulare, were great, and could give a lot of dogs over here a run for their money.  Of course, still so much a minority breed in the USA.  And it is probabley heresy to old time cocker purists, but I loved the trims!   If you would like the results or highlights just mail me privately.
bye
Gwen

I think I share your taste in this Jane, my ideal dog is the one showing no excess coat but when you look at it you get the impression its entirely natural, that it's never seen a pair of scissors, not that I always achieved it myself :) I was very lucky in that when my cocker was coming up to loosing her puppy coat I was able to attend a club grooming seminar with a demonstation by Patricia Bentley so I had a good start in learning to use very little scissoring.  You could try contacted the Cocker Club, Daisychain, and see if any seminars are planned around your area. The video mentioned by Gwen, is by AMP productions and is very helpful too, dealing in show grooming and pet clipping, should be able to find them through Google if no-one has their details to hand.