English spaniel haircuts photo Rostov-on-Don

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.”

Success at an exhibition starts with the hairstyle

Grooming a cocker spaniel at the grooming salon Little Emperor will favorably emphasize the breed qualities of your dog and will ensure worthy attention of judges and spectators at any competition. The entire procedure is carried out to strict standards, resulting in a natural-looking coat with uniform length.

Our masters pay maximum attention to each animal and make every effort to ensure that the model haircut of a cocker spaniel looks neat and impressive. They are well aware of all the nuances of grooming and the requirements for dogs of this breed. Therefore, they always cope with the task perfectly well. If desired, the client can also receive professional advice on caring for his pet’s coat so that he always has a well-groomed and attractive appearance.

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 of haircuts and their features

It is impossible to definitively answer the question of how to cut a spaniel's hair. These dogs can be very different, with different standards. In addition, many people are allowed to show their imagination, and there is a wide range of haircut models.

Original Cocker Spaniel hairstyles

For exhibitions there is a single procedure that is universal for each breed. Stages of its creation:

Brush your pet with a stiff brush.
Comb the body with a fine comb.
Use a sparse comb to go through the long, wavy coat.
Use a trimmer to trim the back and sides.
Using a clipper, trim the ears on all sides to the desired length.
Remove hair between toes and in the groin area.
Bathe the dog and dry it.

Important! If you need to show your pet at competitions, then you need to contact a professional master who knows all the nuances of working with wool.

For American Spaniel

This dog is distinguished by its appearance. The head is cut very short with a clipper. The fur on the back and sides is not touched; it should lie tightly. The hair on the paws and lower sides is simply arranged so that it forms a kind of skirt.

The coat of this breed is very thick and the length cannot be removed. An obligatory part of the groomer's work is thinning. It allows you to style your hair better in the future.

American Spaniel Grooming and Styling

English and King Charles Spaniel Grooming

This dog always has a triangle of long hair on its chest, so it can be easily recognized by it. The head is also cut short. The top of the back should be plucked so that the hair lies well.

Note! Only the front legs are clipped, and the hind legs are left long, only shortened to the joint. The result is a very sweet, truly royal look.

Grooming a Russian Cocker Spaniel

The main purpose of this dog is hunting. It was bred by chance through random selection. At the moment you can meet very different representatives of this breed. Scissors are practically not used in grooming.

The dog should look very natural. They usually cut the hair in advance so that there are no tool marks. It all involves thinning in the form of plucking, as well as thinning. The main task is to lightly lay the hairs, the appearance should be neat.

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.

Types of haircuts and their features

Original Cocker Spaniel hairstyles

For exhibitions there is a single procedure that is universal for each breed. Stages of its creation:

Brush your pet with a stiff brush.
Comb the body with a fine comb.
Use a sparse comb to go through the long, wavy coat.
Use a trimmer to trim the back and sides.
Using a clipper, trim the ears on all sides to the desired length.
Remove hair between toes and in the groin area.
Bathe the dog and dry it.

Important! If you need to show your pet at competitions, then you need to contact a professional master who knows all the nuances of working with wool.

For American Spaniel

The coat of this breed is very thick and the length cannot be removed. An obligatory part of the groomer's work is thinning. It allows you to style your hair better in the future.

American Spaniel Grooming and Styling

English and King Charles Spaniel Grooming

This dog always has a triangle of long hair on its chest, so it can be easily recognized by it. The head is also cut short. The top of the back should be plucked so that the hair lies well.

Note! Only the front legs are clipped, and the hind legs are left long, only shortened to the joint. The result is a very sweet, truly royal look.

Grooming a Russian Cocker Spaniel

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.

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 English Cocker Spaniel's haircut

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

English Cocker Spaniel haircut diagram

Head

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.

Torso

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.

Legs

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.

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.

Haircut types

There are several types of adult cocker spaniel haircuts, and they differ from each other.

Types of grooming:

Hygienic. It is done several times every 30 days. The hair around the ears and between the paw pads is shortened. Remove the undercoat near the anus and comb out the tangles.
Full. It can be done both in the salon and independently, but it is recommended to go to the hairdresser several times to see how to cut your hair correctly. The procedure begins with combing the entire body with a brush. The hair is removed with a machine on the sides, back, rump, as well as on the inside and outside of the ear. Near the paw pads it is trimmed with scissors.

Constantly caring for your dog's coat will make it look beautiful. Grooming should be done before rest or after play, when the dog is calm and relaxed.