Show Type cocker - to clip or not?

[SwimmingInTheBlueLagoon]

I have a show type Cocker spaniel puppy (7months). He is a ball of fluff and whilst I have no problems keeping him nicely brushed and tangle free, he needs bathing a lot more than my other dog because mud doesn't brush out as fully as it does on my Cavalier. So I was thinking he'd be better with shorter fur.

I do have grooming scissors but I keep chickening out of using them. I have heard that clipping ruins the coat - is this true? As groomers just clip them.

I don't know whether I need to woman up and use the scissors or whether to sent him for clipping. I'd be grateful for any opinions.

I have a working cocker and I get him clippered short. I guess the purists would say I have ruined his coat but rinsing the mud off him is easier and let's face it other than the walks he is in a nice warm house so it works for me

You could send him to the groomers with strict instructions that he is only hand stripped and given a bath. This doesn’t change the coat but you do have to wait longer between appointments than a regular groom.

I really wouldn’t clipper him when he’s so young. It does change the coat and is then a big commitment to stay on top of it.

Has he been / are you planning on getting him neutered? I’ve found getting them neutered wrecks their coats so at that point you might as well start getting them clippered.

If you’re planning on keeping him entire then get his feet/feathers trimmed and hand strip the rest. If you can find a show breeder local to you to show you then you can do a bit every night while having a cuddle. It’s very soothing and easy to keep on top of if you do a bit every night.

So it does effect the coat then. The groomers near me were very much that a cocker gets clipped, end of.

His breeder did show me how to trim around paws/pads and feathers, I just keep chickening out of doing it. Perhaps I do just need to woman up and do it then. I probably am being really silly since he is really good with grooming and people messing about with his paws (his breeder had got him totally chilled out with all of that before he left). Then I can learn to strip the rest of him.

I'm not sure about neutering. I am going to see what he is like once matured, then decide.

My Cavalier is entire mainly because I think he really needs his testosterone as he can be a bit of a wimp but also because I didn't want to ruin his lovely, silky, full coat and he doesn't have any negative behaviours from being entire (no running off, humping things except his special toy , etc). My Cocker, on the other hand is an incredibly confident dog.

I've trimmed 1 foot!!! I'm very proud of myself, although I have since noticed he has two little tufts of fur that need sorting (other than that I think it looks fairly neat). I quite enjoyed doing it once I'd managed to brave starting it. The licky monster kept licking my face whilst I was doing it though!

Confirmation that clipping would ruin his coat was apparently the kick up the backside I needed to brave trimming him myself.

I'm going to do a paw a day, then do his feathers, then I'll sort out learning how to hand strip the rest of him.

Well done for making a start

Brilliant that he’s chilled out about it already, definitely something to make sure he doesn’t change his mind about! Pull the little tufts of fur between his ‘toes’ upwards to make it easy to trim them off.