Cocker spaniel haircut for 1600 rub. Grooming at home and in the salon

Spaniels are a large group of breeds that include, for example, the King Charles Spaniel, English Springer Spaniel, German Wachtelhund, Breton Espaniel and others.

But the most popular in this group are cocker spaniels.

The English Cocker Spaniel is a beautiful and elegant hunting dog, but in order for the pet to always look well-groomed, it is necessary to properly care for its coat.

In addition to brushing and bathing, which are mandatory for all dogs, the English Cocker needs, at a minimum, a hygienic haircut.

In addition, a show dog may require professional grooming, which includes a full haircut.

How to properly cut a cocker's hair and what types of hairstyles exist for these dogs?

Do I need to cut my hair?

An English Cocker needs to be groomed regardless of whether he is being shown or not . After all, in addition to the fact that a haircut gives dogs a beautiful and well-groomed appearance, it is also necessary for hygiene purposes.

Plant seeds, various debris and external parasites cling less to the shortened coat; it does not tangle and mat so much, forming tangles that cause discomfort to the spaniel.

Working cockers also need a haircut, since in the forest or in the field the too long hair of an uncut dog will constantly cling to the branches of bushes and collect dirt and various debris..

As for show dogs, only a beautifully and correctly trimmed cocker will be appreciated by experts and will be able to qualify for prizes, not to mention the championship title.

Grooming makes caring for an English Cocker much easier, since short and straight hair is easier to comb than long and constantly tangled hair.

Expert opinion

Kozhevin Semyon Kirillovich

Expert dog handler.

“In addition to regular brushing and bathing, the English Cocker Spaniel also needs special coat care, namely a full or hygienic haircut. This procedure can be carried out both in the salon and independently, at home. However, if a dog is getting a haircut for the first time or if you need to bring its coat to perfect condition, for example, before a major exhibition, then it is still better to entrust the animal’s haircut to a professional.”

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.

Should you cut your hair yourself or leave it to a professional?

You can carry out an incomplete, or, as it is also called, hygienic haircut of a cocker who does not participate in exhibitions, yourself, since this does not require professional skills: you just need to confidently hold scissors and a comb in your hands.

But if the pet is a show pet, then it is better to take it to a groomer or salon, since a non-professional can easily ruin the pet’s fur with a poor-quality haircut, sometimes even irrevocably.

It is also recommended to contact a professional if a grown-up puppy is going to have his hair cut for the first time.

After all, an inept haircut can not only ruin your pet’s fur, but also greatly frighten you during the procedure, which will subsequently complicate his care if the dog begins to be afraid of scissors and hairdressing clippers.

If the owner of a cocker spaniel wants to cut his pet in a special way, choosing an unusual haircut for him, then in this case, of course, you should also contact a professional groomer .

Main types of haircuts with photos and their descriptions

Hygienic

It consists of removing excess hair that bothers the animal and giving the dog a more neat and well-groomed appearance.

Usually includes:

Shortening ear hair.
Trimming the hair on the paws, and in particular between the pads.
Removal of long hair in the groin area and around the anus.
Final combing and removal of detected tangles.

Exhibition (full)

According to a number of requirements, this type of haircut includes the following manipulations:

The coat is shortened as much as possible on the head, neck and top of the ears.
The hair on the lower part of the ears remains long.
The hair on the back and shoulders is left in its natural form, but the undercoat is completely removed.
Beautiful feathering remains on the lower abdomen and limbs.

NOTE!

If for show dogs the preferred option is a haircut with maximum preservation of the natural length of the coat in the area of the “skirt” and fringes, then a pet-class pet can be cut shorter.

A fairly short haircut is also recommended for puppies whose fur has not yet reached the length and thickness of the hair of adult dogs.

Types for boys and girls

If we are not talking about a show haircut, the requirements for which are the same for both males and females, then English Cocker boys and girls can be cut in different ways.

Thus, for active and energetic males, we can recommend shorter haircut options than for gentle and calm females.

For boys, we can recommend two most suitable options:

Stripping with a short "skirt" . With this haircut, the hair on the body, neck and head is plucked by hand. Along the edges of the ears it is shortened almost to their edges, small feathers are left on the limbs, and the hair on the lower abdomen is cut quite short.
Short haircut with poodle paws . The fur on the animal’s body is greatly shortened, but a “cap” remains on the head and lush fringes on the ears.

The following hairstyles are more suitable for English Cocker girls, although, of course, no one is stopping the owner from cutting his pet’s hair like a poodle or shortening its fur on its “skirt” as much as possible:.

Trimming with a long "skirt" . Along the bottom of the body, the hair is left as long as possible; the neck, back and shoulders are trimmed in order to remove undercoat and protruding hairs that spoil the dog’s silhouette.
Trimming with a “skirt” of medium length . It is similar to the previous one and is done in almost the same way, except that the hair along the belly line and on the paws is not just trimmed to give the desired line to the silhouette, but is shortened by about half the length. With this haircut option, the dog retains its main exterior features and looks neat and well-groomed.

Trimming with a long “skirt” is a show version of the English Cocker’s haircut, and therefore is equally suitable for both males and females.

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.

Haircut patterns by breed are good helpers for professionals and amateurs in creating an aesthetic appearance for dogs. Basically, they are used to create a standard or show image that matches the breed. There are countless varieties of freestyle model hairstyles. At the same time, the groomer can create his own options using ready-made ideas.

Required Tools

To cut your hair at home you will need the following tools::

Regular scissors
Thinning scissors.
Hair clipper.
Trimming knife.
Bath towel.

Many professional groomers believe that the best trimming is obtained by pinching the coat by hand, rather than using a trimming knife, which, while removing fluff, can damage the guard hairs.

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.

How to cut your own hair?

First of all, you need to comb the dog’s fur with a brush, and if there are tangles, take them apart or cut them off.
The cocker is washed and combed with a wide-toothed comb, after which the pet is thoroughly dried with a towel, dried with a hairdryer and its coat is carefully combed again.
The crest or protruding hairs on the scalp are plucked by hand.
The ears, outside and inside, are cut as short as possible at the top by 2/3 of the length. To do this, you can use a clipper with attachment No. 10. At the bottom of the ears, the hair is trimmed with thinning scissors, and you need to trim it so as to give the animal’s ears a teardrop shape.
The cheekbones and muzzle are also cut short with a clipper. In this case, you need to act especially carefully in the lip area so as not to injure your pet or cut off its whiskers. If you are not sure that you will be able to do this neatly and evenly using a machine, then you can use thinning scissors.
The hair on the chin, throat and sides of the neck is cut downwards.
The sides of the chest are cut short with a clipper according to the growth of the fur. In this case, a triangular area with long hair should be left in the upper part of the chest.
On the sides of the body and on the stomach, the hair is trimmed with thinning scissors or shortened to the desired length.
The undercoat on the back is plucked by hand or using a trimming knife.
The croup is trimmed.
The lower part of the limbs is processed using ordinary scissors. The hair between the toes and along the contour of the paws is trimmed.
On the hind legs, the hair remains long from the hip to the hock; below it it should be shortened.
On the front legs, the hair should be cut short on the front and sides. There are beautiful fringes at the back.
The tail is short processed with a machine.
In the area of the anus, a diamond-shaped area is cut off with thinning scissors and smoothing is done from the base of the tail to the ischial tuberosity.

IMPORTANT!

The transitions between short and long hair should be smooth, not abrupt.

It is also very important to remember that the hair on the back, back of the neck and sides of the Cocker cannot be cut or, especially, shaved. Ideally, you need to pluck it by hand, but if the pet does not participate in exhibitions, then you can treat it with a trimming knife.

Features of the American Cocker Spaniel's haircut

The puppy should be cut for the first time when he or she reaches two months of age. Further as it grows. A partial haircut (hygienic) is done once every 2-3 weeks, and a full haircut - every 2.5-3 months.

The standard hairstyle for the “American” is: the sternum protrudes forward and the hair falls down.

American Cocker Spaniel haircut pattern

Head

Grooming a dog often starts from the head:

Using a clipper, we carefully trim the skull and the neck attachment point, which is at eye level.
Leave about a third of the total length of the ear with very short hair. And both outside and inside. When the perfect line is achieved, we trim the undercoat very short.
Let's move on to the muzzle: very carefully, controlling with our fingers, we cut the fur under the eyes and cheeks with a clipper in the direction of the fur.
The lower part of the muzzle (lower lip, chin and throat) should be cut against the grain. Moreover, the throat is cut strictly to chest level. Carefully make a pattern in the form of an inverted V.
Using special serrated scissors, you need to smooth out the transitions around the cut wool.

Torso

First, you need to comb the dog's fur with a brush, and then cut it very short. All undercoat is removed.

A mandatory procedure is stripping - this is pulling out dead fur. Do not be afraid to do this; the procedure should be repeated every two weeks.

Using a clipper you need to cut off all the hair on the tail, right down to the genitals. We straighten the end with serrated scissors.

Legs

Brush the inside of the body and legs against the grain. Using scissors with smooth inclined blades, we trim the paws: we cut off the pads and hair on the legs - it should be around the paws at a distance of 1 cm from the floor.

Lyubov Lukoyanova shared a video that talks in detail about grooming an American Cocker Spaniel.

How to properly care for your fur

The English Cocker Spaniel needs to be brushed 2-3 times a week. First, the dog needs to be combed with a brush, after which the body and sides are combed with a fine-toothed comb, and areas with long hair are treated with a wide-toothed comb.

An English Cocker is bathed no more than once a month and, usually, this procedure is combined with a full haircut and nail trimming..

When washing, use shampoos for long-haired dogs. Also, to improve the quality and appearance of the coat, you can use balms or conditioners also intended for dogs.

Features of the English Cocker Spaniel's haircut

For grooming an English Cocker Spaniel, only a clipper, trimmer and scissors are used.

English Cocker Spaniel haircut diagram

The most difficult part of grooming is when cutting the head, so everything must be done as carefully as possible:

The head should be smooth, without bangs. To do this, use a trimming knife. The long hair of the bangs, mustache and beard is trimmed with thinning scissors.
Using a clipper, they cut against the grain from the forehead to the muzzle and make a wedge-shaped transition. The cheeks are also clipped to the shortest possible length.
Use the edge of the nozzle to trim the area around the eyes and the bridge of the nose. Then pull back the lower lip to cut out the folds without any problems.
In the auricle, hair is removed with thinning scissors.
For the ears, a teardrop shape is given: the lower line of the ear is cut off with scissors.

When cutting the body, it is important to observe the nuances of the standards of this breed, so follow all the rules:

Using a clipper we cut the hair on the chest in the direction of hair growth. A triangle with longer hair should be left above the spaniel's chest.
We trim the back with a trimming knife: make the hair very even, not wavy, with a slight convexity. At the same time short and thick.
Leave the fur long on the sides. For a black spaniel, you can use thinning scissors to create a neater look. But for a redhead, only trimming is enough.
The wool of the croup is trimmed.
A quadrangle is cut in the area of the anus and a smooth line from the tail to the seat.

There should be no traces of trimming or cutting. The wool is cut as evenly and neatly as possible.

A distinctive feature of the English Cocker is the haircut of the legs:

leave the outer side of the thigh up to the hock with long hair;
but shorten the fur below so as not to spoil the appearance of the spaniel;
cut off the hair on the front and sides of the front legs, and leave the hair long on the back;
short hair is trimmed, and the fringes are cut at an angle of 30 degrees.

The paws should not appear concave inward and the elbows should not protrude.

>Photo gallery

Haircut standards are shown in the photo:

American black cocker spaniel English red cocker spaniel English black cocker spaniel

Useful materials:

American Cocker Spaniel Description of the breedIn accordance with the international classification of 2012, English cockers are classified as gun dogs.…
English Cocker Spaniel History of origin The homeland of representatives of this breed is considered to be England. The breeding of these animals was aimed at hunting...
The dog is combing the hair on its sides Causes First of all, it is necessary to check the dog for the presence of fleas, and if found, take control measures...
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