dog grooming question

falabo

I have 2 cocker spaniels and they go to the groomer every 2 months. one of them is usually more messy than the other. I do my best in between sessions to keep them tangle free but its very hard work. they have never been clipped I always ask for the Cocker cut

However I'm starting to wonder if I would not be better off shaving them especially the Golden one. what I dont want is the hair growing back "wire like"

is it 100% guaranteed that the hair will grow back like that or could it still be silky ? I'd love to give it a go but would hate to see her hair become horrible as a result of this

any suggestions ? experiences ?

tk123

My retriever had his leg shaved last year for a operation and it grew back the same. His 'britches' (he long hair on the back of his leg) are as fluffy as ever!

TooManyDogs

I shaved my collie x every summer for about 4 summers and I noticed her coat was much thinner, some people said that it was because I shaved her, I don't know for sure, maybe it was due to old age too but I'm not risking it again on my GSDxSp. I've had several groomers tell me I'd ruin her coat by shaving it

carleigh

My Cocker also goes to the groomers every couple of months, and it is hard to keep his coat in tip top shape especially in the winter. I use a slicker brush every day, and every other day, I use a Wahl comb, which is great for his ears, and since he got cut for Halloween, he hasnt got one knot that I can find! My fella had to have all his hair shaved off his chest last year and it grew back exactly the same. If you do decide to get them cut very tight, try and maintain it from day one, it will be easier in the long term. I used to get my dogs legs shaved in the winter but not anymore, as he's not as actice as he once was, but it always grew back silky and shiny.

cocker5

My cocker gets clipped quite tight in the winter as he is very messy.... and he’s an indoor dog / rarely outs doors until walking or running etc....
he has very little under carriage and his legs and feet are cut tight... and he hair grows back fine... he has cocker cut during the summer.... it helps keep him tangle free and my house relatively clean during the winter months

teacherspet

If it was my Cocker then no, I would not get it shaved. The Golden Cockers are inclined to end up with fluff coat on their backs. You can get their legs cut and their ears and chest thinned, so its easier for you to manage. But if you get their backs shaved you may never get their shiny coats backs. Are you willing to take the risk ?

falabo

teacherspet wrote: »

If it was my Cocker then no, I would not get it shaved. The Golden Cockers are inclined to end up with fluff coat on their backs. You can get their legs cut and their ears and chest thinned, so its easier for you to manage. But if you get their backs shaved you may never get their shiny coats backs. Are you willing to take the risk ?

thats the cut she gets from the groomer: "shaved" legs, tidy chest and ears and in between the legs and a scissor cut on top and its perfect for 6 weeks. its just the last 2 weeks are a bit difficult. I think I'll keep it that way then !

Nyberg

I have an orange roan cocker. He gets shaved every six weeks without fail. It makes him easier to clean after a mucky run around the fields. His hair grows back like a fluffy teddy bear, i've never left him long enough to see if it goes 'silky' as i find they just start to look messy with all that fur. I find he doesn't shed at all.

Cherry Blossom

I use a Mars coat king on my Westie (similar type coat), it gets rid of all the dead coat and and makes maintenance a bit easier. A quick once over every week or two with it is plenty, any more than that I think would take out too much hair. It takes a little bit of practice to get the hang of it (very light pressure and follow the direction of growth or it will cut the hair instead of stripping it out) but I wouldn't be without it now. If you need advice on the size to get etc. I can look it up for you. I got sent the wrong size the first time round because they didn't have the right size. I ended up having to ask for my money back and order it somewhere else which ended up a bit of a mess as they insisted on sending me a sterling cheque for the refund. :rolleyes:

falabo

adrenalinjunkie wrote: »

I use a Mars coat king on my Westie (similar type coat), it gets rid of all the dead coat and and makes maintenance a bit easier. A quick once over every week or two with it is plenty, any more than that I think would take out too much hair. It takes a little bit of practice to get the hang of it (very light pressure and follow the direction of growth or it will cut the hair instead of stripping it out) but I wouldn't be without it now. If you need advice on the size to get etc. I can look it up for you. I got sent the wrong size the first time round because they didn't have the right size. I ended up having to ask for my money back and order it somewhere else which ended up a bit of a mess as they insisted on sending me a sterling cheque for the refund. :rolleyes:

Think I'll buy this one, one more piece of equipement, those cockers get more than me ! lol
what would be the right size and where can I get one that wont be fake ? thanks a lot

Cherry Blossom

Avoid buying from sites that don't give a list of breeds as they come in different widths as well as the number of blades, this is where I had the problem. I ordered something that said 16 blades - standard size (from an Amazon supplier) and got one four times the width I wanted - which was useless as the blades were miles apart and the thing was nearly bigger than the dog :rolleyes:

I got the right sized one from here:

http://www.peasridge.co.uk/acatalog/Coat_Stripping_Combs.html

Christies also have them so you could compare prices & shipping etc.

http://www.christiesdirect.ie/Models.aspx?ModelID=454

They're not exactly cheap but they make a great job of it and you might find you can leave it a bit longer between sessions at the groomers.

I've no idea how it works because it doesn't really look it does the job it does, it definately does work though. I has a big pile of hair sitting on the floor yesterday, could have taken a picture if you'd been a day quicker with your thread!

JustAThought

Not worth the risk I think ! My dig had part of her underbelly shaved for an op ( not a spaniel thou) & it is still a year on not the same & I suspect will never be

ABajaninCork

You can also try here for Coat Kings. http://www.ccpdogs.ie/. Castlelack Canine Products.

They're based in Bandon, Cork. Very helpful, but again, not the cheapest. But they do know their stuff.

falabo

hope this attachment thing actually works !

cocker5

falabo wrote: »

hope this attachment thing actually works !

Beautiful dogs .... They look sooo sweet!

pokertalk

op maybe if you brought the cocker to the groomer every six weeks you would be better off also get a good slicker brush and a rubber curry brush to keep the coat in good condition .the less work the groomer has to do the cheaper it will be and the fact that you have two means further discounts.if your dog has bad tangles or some mats then its going to cost you more in the long run.any cocker i groom i always make sure i use a load of conditioner and if their tangle free iwill spend much less time on the grooming process

falabo

yeah I do try my best in between sessions, its easy enough for the first 4 weeks and then the last three weeks could be a different story. However the groomer gives me a very good deal for the 2 dogs so even if I had to bring them every 5-6 weeks I wouldnt be too worried. they go every 2 months at the moment and it costs me €70 for the 2 of them