Hi all,
I know this is a really daft question...(hopefully not as daft as the pedigree chum question that was posted lol) ... but how much does speying really effect the coat? I have always had speyed rescue bitches but am now looking at getting an English Cocker puppy .... yay... :) The thing is that I have never had a dog with a long coat, and even though I will probably get her speyed (for the health benefits), I am concerned that she wont look like a proper cocker! (I probably wont be showing her seriously but I would like the option to... actually... thats a point... can you show a speyed bitch??).

I have been told she wont be able to be hand striped.. why is this?

I have a neighbour who has a little cocker who is speyed, he clips her short, and her hair is all curly :) she is very cute but looks more like a bear than a cocker :) and she hardly moults at all!!! How can this be ?? I know I must sound really dense but its something that I have never had any dealings with :) Maybe someone can 'shed' some light on this for me :)

Thanks for ya time ... sorry I have totally ranted on :)
Emz

Well depending on your breed and your luck it runs from not very much to a life long problem. I have had both and there is no way before hand what will happen. You also run the risk with a bitch of incontinence, which also ranges from a dribble around the time of the season to continual wetness. It seems from my experience the latter she is done the less the effect.

Hi Emz

Most spayed Cockers do experience coat changes after a while (it won't happen immediately after the surgery but several months later). In general, those Cockers with fine, silky coats to begin with experience the least changes (though even then, such coats do tend to grow more quickly & be coarser in texture) whereas those with thicker coats (solid blacks, dark blue roans) will experience the worst changes, often such coats become thick & woolly after spaying & can be quite difficult to manage. It is not possible to handstrip a Cocker to the standard required for the show ring once a bitch has been spayed (hormonal changes mean the coat just will not come out easily) & in many cases, clipping the coat is the only option, although sometimes it's possible to keep a spayed Cocker's coat looking reasonably good with thinning scissors & other grooming tools such as a Coat King. It is permitted to show neutered dogs but I'm afraid, in long, silky coated breeds like Spaniels & Setters, it's not really practicable because of the changes to their coats.

HTH

Jane

Hi,
Thanx for the advice :) Sounds like the only thing to do is go on HRT lol :)

Does the colour of the coat normally reflect on the texture? That didn't even occur to me! So generally, does a solid black have a thicker coat? Does that mean that they are likely to shed more? Sorry ... questions questions... :) its all very interesting.

Just one other thing :) It sounds daft I know but, what age would you recommend for the first proper visit at the groomers? I have been told if their coat is pulled to early it can damage it permanently! is this true?

Thanks for all you help,

Emz

HRT does solve the problems caused by neutering but it is not without cost. The one I found the worst was a drop in the dogs natural imunity, this ment that there was an increasing tendancy to become infected by anything that was going around and a good deal that wasn't. If you have already spayed then perhaps you would be best to clip this bitch out and start again with a new pup, still fingers crossed you may be one of the lucky ones who's animal is not too badly affected by the loss of their hormones.

Was only kidding about the HRT :) Personally I think the benefits of neutering outway the possible downsides, so maybe showing isnt for me :( but then you never know maybe, as you say, I could get lucky :)
Thanks
Emz

Did have to put my only castrated dog onto HRT so many problems did he have, but in the end they hurried him to his end.

Yes Emz, solid blacks (from show lines) do tend to have heavier coats than some of the other colours. I wouldn't say they shed more than most though. I've found black & whites can be nightmares for shedding -possibly because those white hairs show up everywhere it seems :-) As to when you should take a puppy for a first visit to a groomer, I would say about 4 months would be good so that feet & ears etc can be tidied up (the body coat would not be ready for pulling at this early stage though!) Puppy fluff varies as to when it will be ready to be stripped out - sometimes it can be at around the 6-7 months stage but often (specially in solid blacks) it can be very much later. If you have any plans on showing, I would recommend that you learn to groom & strip your puppy yourself but failing that, you must find a specialist groomer who knows how to handstrip Cockers properly (many high street grooming parlours do not offer this service). Your breeder may offer a grooming service (if you live near enough) or may be able to recommend another breeder/exhibitor who will be able to help you.

Thank you for your invaluable advice :) BTW I looked at your site and your cockers are just adorable :)
Many thanks
Emz