Grooming an English Cocker Spaniel at home

A fashionable and popular cocker spaniel haircut, regardless of the dog’s appearance, is created according to certain rules.

The fur of an individual is divided into areas, each of which has a certain length of hair. It is necessary to have a haircut at least 4 times a year. It is important that the pet’s beauty meets the breed standard.

Grooming

There are English, American, and Russian cocker spaniels. General signs:

• short hair on the head, back, muzzle;
• long covering on the ears, tail, belly, paws.

Daily brushing and regular haircuts are an essential part of caring for your Cocker Spaniel. Combing prevents the formation of tangles. During the haircut, excessive thickness and curliness of the coat is removed.

If the dog participates in exhibitions, it is cut in accordance with the established standard. Hygienic care is sufficient in everyday life.

Grooming an English Cocker Spaniel, like Russian and American, in addition to caring for the coat, includes trimming nails, caring for eyes and ears, and brushing teeth.

A neglected pet looks unattractive and spreads dust, debris, and parasites. Dirty fur that has bunched up in tangles tightens the skin, causing discomfort to the animal.

General grooming

Professional comprehensive care (or grooming) is carried out in specialized salons by specially trained people. The scheme includes the following procedures:

• disinfectant wash;
• combing;
• trimming fur;
• trimming;
• washing and cleaning ears;
• special dog “manicure”;
• washing eyes;
• teeth cleaning;
• prevention of all kinds of parasites.

Please note that spaniels should only be bathed in warm water using shampoo intended for dogs with long hair. Professional groomers also use tinting agents to give texture to the coat.

During washing, water should not get into the ears. Specialists are well aware of this, at first glance, easy rule, and also notice any problem areas on the pet’s skin. Owners should be very careful and master the tricks of care. If you have doubts about your abilities, it is better to turn to professionals.

Types of cockers are divided into three categories: decorative, medium and large. The most popular are English, American and Russian. Grooming requirements may vary depending on the breed. The coat on the skull, muzzle and back is quite short, and on the abdominal area, tail and limbs it is long. Very dense and curled hair is removed everywhere except the tips of the ears.

For an exhibition, the procedure is done according to certain rules. If the owner does not want to attend the event, the pet is cut for hygienic purposes. Uncombed, contaminated fur turns into tangles and brings discomfort to your four-legged friend. A well-groomed dog not only looks good, but also does not bring garbage, dust, or dirt into the apartment from a walk on its fur.

To cut the English Cocker Spaniel breed, clippers with various attachments, a trimming knife, as well as simple and thinning scissors are used. It is forbidden to use devices for trimming people, since a dog’s undercoat is denser and thicker than human hair.

The first haircut is difficult, as the puppy gets used to the procedure. If you do it as an adult, it will result in stress for your pet. The first haircut is often carried out by a professional groomer, but it is best done at home in a comfortable environment so that the dog is less nervous. The owner should not be nearby so that the animal does not try to be closer, avoiding the stranger.

The purpose of general grooming is to keep the dog's coat in neat condition so that it always looks good and meets the requirements of the standard as much as possible.

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Regular grooming consists of the following. First, comb the dog’s entire coat with a brush, then use a fine-toothed comb to comb the hair on the body, and a fine-toothed comb to comb the hair in places where the hair is long. This type of combing removes loose hair and prevents tangles from forming. Thanks to this procedure, the dog will generally look neat, and there will be less hair left on the floor in the house or kennel.

Grooming should be a real pleasure for your dog. At the same time, you should praise her and maybe even give her a treat if she behaves well during this procedure.

If your dog is not accustomed to regular grooming, he may initially resent it. In this case, you should be firm, but at the same time kind. Although a small puppy needs grooming less than an adult dog, this procedure still needs to be done regularly so that he gets used to it.

Haircut types

Hygiene is usually carried out at home twice a month. During the procedure:

• shorten the hair in the area of ​​the ears;
• paws are trimmed above the claws, the hair between the pads is shortened;
• trim the hair around the anus;
• comb out tangles.

Regular grooming ensures the coat is clean and attractive in appearance. The best time to perform the procedure is after play or before bed, when the pet is relaxed.

A full haircut is usually performed by a specialist in a salon. If the owner plans to do it himself, it is recommended to visit the salon several times to see how a professional does it.

A complete Cocker Spaniel haircut includes:

• combing fur all over the body with a brush;
• combing with a comb with frequent teeth of the coat on the body, with sparse teeth - going through long hair;
• trimming on the back, sides, croup;
• cutting the inner and outer parts of the ear with a machine;
• removing hair between paw pads with a machine or round-tipped scissors.

After the procedure, the pet is bathed and dried.

The general grooming procedure, including a full haircut, is carried out on adult dogs at least once every 2.5-3 months.

Tools needed for cutting and combing hair

Most often, an ordinary haircut is performed with a specialized clipper with the necessary attachments, and the croup and back are treated with a special knife. This process is called "stripping". Simply put, it is an artificial shed.

To properly care for the coat of an American Spaniel, you will need a whole set of equipment.

For the combing process you need:

• comb with large teeth - used to remove debris from wool;
• A fine-tooth comb is necessary for adding shine.

A metal comb is called a “rake”. They come with one-sided and two-sided teeth.

Long fur is cleaned with a slicker - a special comb with sharp edges. The hair cutter is designed to remove matted hair. The final stage of this procedure will be an indispensable massage comb.

It is allowed to use a regular hair clipper without any accessories other than attachments for various purposes.

And after the “rough” haircut with a clipper, the final trimming is done with simple scissors or thinning scissors.

American

During the procedure, a special appearance is created - the sternum protrudes forward, the hair falls from the sides.

The skull, muzzle under the eyes and cheeks are clipped in the direction of hair growth. The ears at the top are shaved both outside and inside. The neck is cut to the level of the sternum.

Use a brush to comb the head and muzzle. Starting from the bottom, use scissors to smooth out the transitions until the hair lies flat. For the American Cocker Spaniel, thirty-tooth scissors are used.

The fur on the back is combed with a brush and cut short, cutting off the undercoat. Stripping (pulling out dead hair) is done on the upper part of the neck and back.

Comb the prominent part of the abdomen and legs against the grain. The paws are tidied up with scissors with smooth inclined blades. The fur around the paws is left at a distance of one centimeter from the floor. Use scissors to trim the bottom line of uncut hair.

Features of the coat

The efforts of breeders have changed the external characteristics of the dog since the era of its passion for hunting. The coat of coat has become longer - the American Cocker Spaniel has become the star of dog shows and has become an object of admiration for dog breeders who have extensive experience working with this breed. If there are differences between the American Cocker Spaniel and the English one, then, accordingly, there are differences in the features of keeping and caring for them.

Based on the requirements of the standards, cocker coats should be of different lengths:

• the back and head have a short coat of wool, similar to a cape;
• the body is covered with moderately long hair with a thick undercoat.

English

The haircut involves smooth short hair without bangs on the head. The mustache, beard and bangs are cut with thinning scissors. Particularly short hair is left on the cheeks. The ears are trimmed with scissors to the required length. Milled if desired.

The chest is cut short with a clipper in the direction of hair growth. A trimming knife is used on the back. This way it will look even and smooth, with a slight bulge. The black cocker is filleted from the sides, the red cocker is trimmed. The pile on the croup is only trimmed. A quadrangle is trimmed in the anal area. Traces of trimming or cutting are smoothed out with scissors.

Long hair is left on the thighs of the hind legs up to the hock joint. From the joint to the paw - shorten. In front, on the sides of the forelimbs, the hair is shortened, in the back it is left long. In places where the hair is shortened, the hair is trimmed, the tows are cut at an angle of 30 degrees.

Types of spaniels and their distinctive features

Depending on the dog's breed, groomers recommend different approaches. In particular, the haircut of an American Cocker Spaniel will always be different from that of a Russian.

Features of a haircut for a particular breed:

• The English Cocker is a breed with strict standards. In this case, it is unacceptable to cut the spaniel with a clipper; you must definitely get into the hands of a talented groomer;
• The Springer is a graceful, large dog. She has short hair almost everywhere, with only curls left on her ears. Specialists can show their imagination here;
• The American breed is distinguished by the thickest and most beautiful coat. It practically does not curl along the body, falling down;
• Many people wonder how to cut a Russian spaniel. Animals can vary greatly within the breed, so you can safely focus on your taste;
• The Cavalier King Charles has an almost straight, slightly wavy and thick coat. The dogs are left fluffy, but their fur is tidied up.

There are many other varieties, but these are the most popular.

Note! Spaniel grooming is considered one of the most difficult precisely because each breed has its own strict standards.

We train the puppy

The first haircut is done when the pet reaches the age of 1.5 - 2 months. Until six months, he is cut as often as possible, gradually accustoming him to the procedure. Further - as it grows. If this is not done, the first haircut for an adult animal will result in extreme stress.

It is advisable to groom your puppy for the first time at home by inviting a professional groomer. He is comfortable in a familiar environment, he is less nervous about new sensations and the sight of unfamiliar instruments.

It is better for the owners not to be nearby. The animal will try to get closer to them, avoiding contact with a stranger.

Homemade American Cocker Spaniel Grooming

Groomers offer.

• At home, the spaniel feels confident and therefore calmer.
• Familiar sounds and smells do not irritate or make you want to explore them.
• The spaniel's coat is thick and even after drying, the skin and undercoat remain moist. Therefore, the dog will feel discomfort in the open air.
• The dog can be cut at a time convenient for the owners. And you won't have to waste time on the road.
• Belts are usually knitted from wool.

There is no need to prepare tools or cosmetics. The master has all this. You will need:

• cutting table;
• shower and towel;
• socket.

Haircut at home

To perform the procedure at home, you will need the following tools:

• scissors (regular, thinning);
• machine;
• comb and brush;
• trimming knife;
• towel.

Before starting the procedure, the hair is combed and all tangles are cut out. The dog is washed and thoroughly combed. Wipe with a towel and finally dry with a hairdryer. After this, the hair is combed with a fine-toothed comb.

The excess length is removed with a machine. The remaining hair is trimmed with thinning scissors. It is important to avoid the formation of steps. Trimmed hair is combed out with a massage brush.

In the area of ​​the muzzle, the hair is processed with a machine against hair growth.

The haircut is carried out according to the scheme:

• ears (shave or trim the outer surface and inner part of the ear, leaving length at the tips);
• head, cheeks (in the area of ​​the muzzle, act carefully using thinning scissors);
• neck;
• sides (processing is carried out strictly in the direction of hair growth);
• back (cutting is carried out with a trimming knife in the direction from the neck to the tail);
• legs (hair is cut between the pads, on the paws above the claws);
• the tail is cut with a clipper;
• the area around the anus is treated with thinning scissors.

Useful tips and tricks

In order for your pet to have good and beautiful fur, it would be nice to provide it with quality care. For this purpose, it is necessary to bathe the animal in a timely manner. However, it is acceptable to use high-quality shampoos and conditioners from reputable brands.

It is best to comb the resulting tangles carefully and carefully, without making sudden, jerky movements. You need to use a strong and high-quality comb.

It is advisable to carry out hygiene procedures a couple of times a month or as the animal becomes overgrown with hair. If you rely on the above diagram, then the pet will not feel discomfort, and its owner will not encounter significant difficulties during this procedure.

If you cut the hair on the back of an American Spaniel too short, it will be very difficult to tidy up the dog later, because the new hair that has grown will stick out a lot.

From an early age, it is imperative to accustom your dog to regular brushing and washing. Otherwise, the animal will be unkempt with a lot of tangles and protruding hair. In addition, when trying to put the dog in order, the owner may encounter fierce resistance.

To summarize, we can come to the conclusion that it is possible to cut an American Cocker Spaniel haircut at home with your own hands. If you doubt your abilities and skills or are afraid of making a serious mistake, then the best solution would be to turn to specialists.

Sources:

https://vplate.ru/spaniel/strizhka-amerikanskogo/

https://sobaka.guru/uhod/strizhka-koker-spanielya/

Procedure at home step by step

The scheme for creating a hygienic hairstyle is simple, and it can be applied with equal success to both English and American cockers.

Before you start trimming the dog’s fur, you need to wash it and dry it with a hairdryer, comb it, and if there are tangles, sort them out.

The back, croup and withers are combed with a furminator, a trimming knife, or plucked using fingertips. The head can be trimmed or shaved.

The muzzle, the inside and the outer upper third of the ears are shaved with a machine. The neck is shaved down to the collarbones, leaving a triangle on the chest. English spaniels have the hair removed from the front of their paws, leaving the feathering at the back.

The hair under the tail is removed using a machine.

Using straight scissors, shape the ears, draw a line of feathers on the paws and tail, and trim the desired length of the skirt. For the English, the fur on the hind paws is smoothed out.

Using rounded scissors, cut the hairs between the toes and make neat oval paws. At the same stage, the animal's claws are trimmed.

Even if you don't know how to cut a cocker spaniel at home, you can use these instructions. If you did everything correctly, you will get a handsome spaniel that looks almost like a show photo.