Cocker Spaniel haircut: types and procedure

The coat of some dogs requires particularly careful grooming. Combing, preparing for the exhibition, mowing the cocker spaniel are just these not very pleasant, but absolutely necessary, obligations of the owners. Mandatory grooming takes time, but allows you to maintain a plentiful coat of a pet in exhibition condition. However, even if the dog is not planned to be sent to a dog show, a correctly selected haircut will help ensure animal comfort in the winter and summer.

English and American Cocker Spaniels need professional grooming. It includes thorough combing of wool, its washing, elimination of tangles. In addition, the dog needs trimming the back, working out the silhouette with thinning scissors, regular hygienic treatment of individual parts of the body.

There is a certain standard of appearance that all dogs of the Cocker Spaniel breed must obey.

Here it is permissible to reduce the length throughout the body or create a stylish “skirt” on the lower body.

Mandatory elements of a pedigree (exhibition) haircut cocker spaniel are the following:

• maximally shortened hair on the head, upper part of the ears, neck;
• long and lush tips of the ears;
• shoulders and back with awn of natural length without undercoat;
• magnificent tows on the lower abdomen, front and hind legs.

It is impossible to achieve the desired result without proper, thorough grooming.

In addition, each of the breed lines - English and American, has its own characteristics, which also must be taken into account.

The first haircut of the American Cocker Spaniel should be at the 2-month-old age of the dog. After this, complete grooming is done once a quarter, hygienic trimming of contours is performed every 14-21 days. When cutting, a convex, protruding chest, a fluffy lower skirt is formed. On the neck in front, cheeks, lips, dog's chin, skull, in the upper part of the ears, the length of the hair is sheared by the machine to 1 mm.

A 1-2 cm long section of hair is located along the contour of the skirt and on the chest. The trunk in its upper part is cut with the removal of undercoat, stripping is performed twice a month - manual removal of dead hair. The tail and the genital area are cut as short as possible.

Unlike his American counterpart, the English Cocker Spaniel has a less fluffy coat. In his grooming, a significant part of the work is trimming the back and neck. Haircut always starts with the dog’s head, the upper part of the skull is treated with a trimming knife, the length on the bangs, mustache, beard is worked out with thinning scissors.

The machine cuts the transition from the forehead to the muzzle against the hair, removes hairs from the cheeks, around the eyes, on the back of the nose and lips. Long hair inside the ears is cut with thinning scissors, and the lower part of the edge is formed in the form of a drop.

The back and top of the neck are worked out with a trimming knife. As a result, the spine should be slightly convex, even and short. On the upper thighs and elbows, the coat is trimmed, black dogs can additionally be milled. A short section is cut in the anus, a smooth line is formed between the sciatica and the tail.

In the area of ​​the legs of the English Cocker Spaniel, the hair is sheared according to a certain pattern. On the hind legs, the length is maintained to the hock, everything below is shortened. On the forelimbs, the hair is cut off from the sides, towels are preserved at the back, cut off at an angle of 30 degrees. Short sections are trimmed.

All existing types and patterns of cocker spaniel haircuts are selected based on the status of the animal. Show dogs, producers only need a pedigree format. In particular, hair cutting on the back and upper part of the neck is excluded by the machine - judges simply will not evaluate such a dog.

And also absolutely for all dogs is a hygienic haircut, including:

• cutting off excess hair on the ears;
• shortening of hairs above the line of claws, between the paw pads;
• removal of the cover in the inguinal region around the anus;
• thorough combing of the animal, shearing of the tangles vertically.

Repeating the procedure is necessary with a frequency of 2 times a month. In this case, the dog will maintain a well-groomed, neat appearance.

For adult cocker spaniels, modern grooming salons offer several options for haircuts.

1. Long Skirt Trimming — exhibition standard. The dog retains the most fluffy coat along the lower contour of the body.The back and neck retain the spine of natural length, trimmed to remove undercoat and dead hair. The dog looks great, well-groomed and spectacular.
2. Trimming with a mid-length skirt. Suitable for periods between shows, while breastfeeding puppies. The shape and overall silhouette are preserved, but the length of the hair on the legs and lower abdomen, chest is significantly reduced. The dog looks well-groomed and neat, retains the main pedigree features.
3. Stripping with a short skirt. Used in summer, it simplifies the care of working animals, young and old dogs. Dead hair on the body is plucked by hand, the line of the ears is shortened along the contour, rather shortly. The legs keep tow, but they are much more modest than usual, the line of the abdomen corresponds to its physiological location.
4. Short haircut with poodle legs. A convenient solution for pets. Minimizes possible discomfort in caring for animals. It emphasizes the silhouette of the dog, and the head and neck are also trimmed “under the poodle” - with lush pompons on the ears, expressive eyebrows and a “hat”.

For processing the coat of any type of cocker spaniel - working, decorative - you will need the following list of devices:

• height-adjustable grooming table, complete with electric extension;
• a special dog grooming machine adapted to the length and stiffness of their coat;
• straight hair and thinning scissors;
• nozzles for a typewriter (with milling, other features);
• a brush for wool;
• comb with frequent teeth - for processing the cover on the back;
• comb with rare cloves - to parse long strands;
• hair dryer for drying wool;
• towel;
• a leash and a collar if the dog wants to run away.

Home grooming also includes grooming, which is carried out between the haircuts.

Properly selected shampoos and conditioners will help keep the animal's exterior as close as possible to the requirements of the breed standard.

The cocker spaniel grooming scheme is quite simple and universal, especially when it comes to leaving, and not about preparing for the exhibition. Even the owner himself can cope with it if he has the appropriate experience in handling scissors and a machine.

The first grooming experience is best acquired under the guidance of an experienced professional or in the company of an assistant who is ready to help with fixing the animal in the right position.

Consider a home cocker spaniel grooming scheme.

1. The dog is placed on the table. Wash your pet first. Then its wool is dried, carefully combed with a special brush.
2. The comb of the back and upper neck is combed with a thick comb.
3. Long tows and a skirt must be disassembled into strands. A rare ridge is used here, tundles are disassembled, if present.
4. Trimming knife or manually trimming the croup, trunk, sides. The remaining long hairs can be leveled with thinning scissors.
5. With the help of a clipper, the hairs inside the ears are shortened outside in the upper third.
6. On the pads of the paws, between the fingers, the coat is cut with scissors. You can combine the procedure with shortening the claws. The tips are trimmed to pulp.
7. At the end of the haircut, you can wash the dog, repeat the process of drying with a hairdryer, avoiding the use of an excessively hot stream of air.
8. The contour is leveled, all transitions between separate sections of wool with different lengths are smoothed out.

Knowing how to cut a cocker at home with a typewriter, you can save on professional grooming and provide your pet with the necessary grooming.

See how to make a haircut of a pedigree cocker spaniel.