The Cocker Spaniel requires regular dog grooming ideally daily or every other day brushing to stay in top shape. Their long, silky coat is prone to tangling and matting but is easy to maintain with a quick five-minute dog grooming routine each day.

These dogs love the attention so grooming really is simple and easy. If you are a dog owner who enjoys taking your Cocker on a hunt or during the summer seasons, many people will clip their Cocker Spaniel in a sport or puppy cut for easy care. This helps prevent the burs during a romp through the woods from being tangled in their fur as well as keep them cool during the hot days of summer.

The Cocker Spaniel is one breed that can tolerate frequent bathing and seems to really enjoy the whole process. Human grooming products can cause severe skin problems and allergies; use only dog shampoos and conditioner, which are specifically designed to avoid such problems.

To groom the Cocker Spaniel start with a pin brush or wide toothed dog grooming comb and begin at either the neck or the rump area. Groom only in the direction of hair growth never up or forward. Try to section the hair and thoroughly groom each section before moving on to the next.

Once all the long hair on the body and legs has been groomed finish with a slicker brush to get out any fine tangles. In rare cases it may be necessary to clip out a particular tangle, but try to do this as infrequently as possible to keep the coat looking even. The head and ears should be groomed with a soft bristle dog brush and with great care to avoid causing the dog any discomfort.

The eyes and ears of the Cocker Spaniel will need special care. The eyes should be carefully cleaned with a water dampened cotton cloth. Do not use soap or any other products unless approved by your vet.

Tearing is commonly a sign of an eye problem such as entropion or ectropion (rolling in or drooping of the lower eyelid) that causes eye irritations leading to excessive tearing. Removing any debris from the eye will help fight any infections. There are products available to help remove tearing stains, one in particular is called Angel Eyes, which is a food additive and has very good customer feedback

The ears of the Cocker Spaniel’s, like all dog breeds with ears that hang low to the ground, need to be checked for any sign of wax build up or foul smelling discharge that can indicate an ear infection. Always take care when cleaning the ear and never clean past the outer ear. Dogs ears are not like our human ears and putting any solution in your dogs’ ears can cause damage, this is a process best left to your veterinarian..

Be sure to check the toenails and clip or trim when necessary. Keeping your dogs nails short helps prevent any deformities associated with their paws. Lastly, all dog grooming should include brushing their teeth using dog toothbrush and dog dental products on an every other day basis for good dental health. Dogs are just as susceptible to the same mouth diseases as humans, like gingivitis and periodontal disease.

All dogs and especially the Cocker love to be groomed. It is their “oh ya” moment “you’ve got it,” similar to the way we feel when that hard to scratch itch is finally attended to. There is rarely anything more stunning then a well-groomed Cocker Spaniel running around the ring on a martingale leash showing off.

by Remarkable Dogs