I have bred cockers for a number of years and recently went to a show and thought 'i could do this' I have 2 lovely (well i think so) bitches and i am learning to groom them for show with a book and advise from a fellow breeder.

I'm a bit nervous about entering a show as i will be on my own. I don't really care if my dogs aren't good enough to win - thats not why i want a go! I just need some advise on 'tricks of the trade'. My cockers, especially the one i would like to try out, is very solid in build but not extreemly hairy. does this matter?

Any advise on showing or grooming or does any one know if there is a local ring craft club near me (stourport on severn, worcestershire?)

Thanks

Hi

If you ring the Kennel Club (Tel 0870 6066750), they should be able to tell you of any Ringcraft Clubs near you. It's definitely a good idea to attend classes if you can before entering a show - you may be lucky & find other Cocker people attend the same class & can give you lots of tips, but even if you are the only Cocker person there, classes will still enable you to learn basic show handling skills & give you the confidence to enter some shows. If you live near Stourport on Severn, then you have the 3 Counties Showground on your doorstep where lots of Canine Societies hold their Open & Champ Shows. The Cocker Spaniel Club has it's Championship Show at this venue on July 20th so this is definitely one show you should not miss to if you are interested in showing Cockers as the top dogs in the country will be there. When we first started showing Cockers, I learned a lot from just studying the experienced exhibitors & their dogs. Show trimming a Cocker takes time to perfect but as you have the help of another breeder (& presumably an exhibitor too?), then you have a head start. There are also videos available which cover handstripping Cockers which can help, although there is no substitute for a good teacher who can show you what to do :-) You ask whether the fact that your Cocker isn't extremely hairy matters? Show Cockers do now carry a lot more coat than was once the norm & it's true to say that a Cocker which lacks tummy feathering is unlikely to do very well in the ring, but it's all a matter of degree - some Cockers have too much coat & some too little.

There are quite a few Cocker folk on this board, so if you need any more info, there are plenty here who will be happy to help :-) Good luck with the showing - it can be very addictive so be warned :D

Thanks for that
We went to the Show last sunday at malvern - very usefull. There is supposed to be one in worcester this saturday - so i am going there too!

- the cocker i am thinking of trying is one of my babies - i have had the sense to practice standing her since she was tiny so she will pose with little effort! Her feathering is quite long but limited as she is a pale roan and not heavily coloured. So the feathering she does have is silky and strong rather than fluffy and light. Is this good or bad?

How does any one strip/groom/trim the head and ears as this is evading me at the moment - to trim or not to trim!

Ive rung the kennel club and they are sending a list.

Strong & silky is good :-) Fluffy & light isn't desirable in an adult coat but a lot of puppy coats are fluffy until they are stripped out. Show trimming a Cocker is a huge subject to cover but you'll find a lot on useful info if you have a look at the Grooming section here

Would normaly say speak to the bitches breeder, but I don't know how long ago you bought your bitch, even if it is some while ago I would still ask for advice.

Jackie - it's one cbabe bred herself:D

I think Jackie means the dam, Pammy :)