How to Groom a Cocker Spaniel

Cocker Spaniels are beautiful, loyal and gentle dogs, well suited for family pets or for showing. When choosing a dog breed remember that Cocker Spaniels are a high-maintenance dog. They have a fast-growing, curly coat that needs grooming every four to six weeks, and you must be willing to brush and comb your dog on a regular basis.

Instructions

Difficulty: Challenging

Things You’ll Need:

• Thinning shears
• Dog brush and comb
• Variety of blades for grooming
• Nail clippers

1. Begin with the ears. These are triangular and when properly trimmed should reach eye-level or slightly below. The edges of the ears should be trimmed for a neat appearance and should be slightly rounded. The most effective blade number to use is the #10 or #15 blade.
2. Groom the top of the head with #10 or #15 blade. Aim for a rounded shape and thin the cheeks and muzzle in a forced manner (against grain). Allow longer hair to remain below the chin if the dog has long jowls; this gives the dog's face the desired symmetry.
3. Clip the neck from the breastbone to the chin in a long V shape. This gives the dog the appearance of having a long neck. To help give this effect, trim coat from the shoulders to the neck, allowing the shoulders to be seen. Use a #9 or #7F blade to achieve this effect.
4. Use a #4F, #5F or #7F blade on the back and sides. The back coat should be short and flat, then blended into the side coat, which will be left to grow down to the feet for the proper look. Allow hips and shoulders to stand out, and thin the butt area from the bottom for a neat trim.
5. Take special care with the feet. This is the most difficult part of the grooming process. You want the feet trimmed to a soft bell-shape, a tricky process because of the various foot shapes and kinds of coats. The nails must be trimmed short and should never be exposed. Trim the fur even with the pads of the foot with a #15 blade.