Grooming the American Cocker Spaniel

A small dog, at first glance, may seem like a hassle-free cute stuffed toy. In fact, caring for the American Cocker Spaniel is necessary with a lot of special knowledge and a lot of free time. If everything is done correctly, then human actions will be beneficial: a beautiful pet will be in the center of attention not only on walks, but also at dog shows. It is very important to take care of a beautiful haircut and grooming of the dog.

The efforts of breeders have changed the appearance of the dog since the era of her passion for hunting. The coat has become longer - the American Cocker Spaniel has reincarnated as a star of dog shows, has become an object of admiration for dog breeders who have extensive experience with this breed. If there are differences between the American Cocker Spaniel and the English, then, accordingly, there are differences in the peculiarities of keeping and caring for them.

Based on the requirements of the standards, the Cocker's coat should be of different lengths:

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

The first haircut of the American Cocker Spaniel is made to puppies upon reaching 2 months. Further haircuts are carried out as the coat grows. Skipping the first haircut means further stressing the puppy. Taking care of the fur should become a habit for him.

There are 2 schemes of American cocker haircuts: partial and full.

Specifically described haircut is done at home.This type of preparation is not suitable for exhibitions, as it is not professional. There is nothing difficult here. You just don't have to be afraid.

This haircut is performed for hygienic purposes without the involvement of specialists twice a month. Carry out treatment of the paws to prevent adhesion of debris and the accumulation of microbes, dirt between the toes. A pet with well-groomed paws is more mobile. The owner will have less problems after walking with the pet.

In the inner part of the auricle, it is also necessary to remove unnecessary hairs, as they irritate the ear canal and cause itching of the ears. Because of this, during the chёs, the animal can bring a staphylococcal infection into the ears or provoke an inflammatory process on the skin.

It is advisable to perform this procedure in specialized salons. about once every 3-4 months or in other situations, for example, before an exhibition. If you want, you can do a full haircut yourself at home, but it is advisable to go to the salon at least once in order to see with your own eyes how to correctly cut your pet and not make mistakes.

At the age of 8 months, the puppies begin to separate the fluff, so the animal may look sloppy. A specialized cord slicker will help to correct this situation. Frequent exposure to the back and sides with this tool will remove the undercoat and the coat will sit straight. Even a one-time haircut of the back will subsequently prevent the wool from lying flat - it will curl into curls.

For pets participating in show events, this is a significant defect. Sometimes dishonest breeders try to hide the imperfections in the head structure behind the extremely long hair. These tricks are easily detected by specialists, and irregular haircuts negatively affect the behavior of dogs - they can be scared and show aggression.

The length of the American Cocker Spaniel's hair must meet all existing breed standards:

• hair on the head and muzzle should be shorter than everywhere else;
• along the back and on the shoulders - medium;
• as long as possible on the tummy, chest, ears and legs.

Most often, an ordinary haircut is performed with a specialized machine 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 molt.

To properly care for the coat of an American spaniel, you will need a whole range of tools. For the combing process you need:

• hairbrush with a large tooth - used to remove debris from wool;
• comb with a fine tooth - is necessary for glossing.

A metal comb is called a "rake". They are available with one-sided and two-sided teeth.

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

And after the "rough" haircut with a machine, the final trimming is carried out with simple scissors or thinning scissors.

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 wool;
• trimming;
• washing and cleaning the ears;
• special dog "manicure";
• washing eyes;
• teeth cleaning;
• prevention of all kinds of parasites.

It should be noted that bathing spaniels should only be done in warm water using a shampoo intended for dogs with long hair. Also, professional groomers use tinting agents to give the texture of the coat.

During washing, it is unacceptable for water to enter the auricles. Experts are well aware of this, at first glance, an easy rule, and they also notice any problem areas on the pet's skin. Owners should be very careful and learn the tricks of the way. If you have any doubts about your abilities, it is better to turn to professionals.

Cocker haircut at home is carried out according to the following scheme.

• The first step is to place the dog on the table.
• After that, you will need to thoroughly comb the dog using a high-quality brush.
• We take a comb, in which the teeth are set deep. She needs to comb the back of the animal.
• For combing longer coats, you can use a sparse comb.
• From this moment on, the dog will be cut much easier, and the fur will be much less shed.
• Next, you need to remove excess hair on the sides, rump and torso, referring to trimming.
• Then we take a typewriter and use it to cut off excess hairs in the inner and outer parts of the ears. Try to keep it as short as possible.
• Use scissors to trim off any unnecessary fur that is between the pads of the paws.
• Since we are already dealing with paws, it is worth moving on to clipping the claws.
• After trimming the nails, wash the animal and dry it thoroughly using a hair dryer.
• Do not expose the device to too high a temperature so that the dog is not too hot.
• Upon completion of all procedures, it remains to be little business, namely, giving the haircut a certain shape.

For step-by-step instructions, see the following video.

So that your pet has a good and beautiful coat, it would be nice to provide it with quality care. For this purpose, it is required to bathe the animal in a timely manner. That being said, it is acceptable to use high quality conditioner shampoos from well-known brands.

It is advisable to perform hygienic procedures a couple of times a month or as the animal becomes overgrown with hair. If you rely on the above scheme, then the pet will not feel discomfort, and its owner will not face tangible difficulties during this procedure.

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

It is imperative from an early age to accustom the 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 tidy up the dog, the owner may encounter fierce resistance.

Summing up, we can come to the conclusion that it is possible to cut an American Cocker Spaniel at home with your own hands... If you doubt your abilities and skills or are afraid to make a serious mistake, then the best solution would be to contact a specialist.