Cocker Spaniels are frequent visitors to grooming shops. Their dense coats require regular brushing, combing, and frequent trimming to keep their signature look. One reason this breed is so popular is that they have sweet-looking faces framed by long, luxurious ears. Here are some tips for keeping their ears looking the way they should:
- Start with a clean, conditioned coat, brush, and comb the ear to remove tangles. A spritz of detangler like Artero Matt-x can significantly help this job.
- For pet cockers, it can be a good idea to debulk the fur on the ears if it is very thick. This will help them lay nicely, remove dead coat, and (hopefully) reduce matting before the next groom. The Andis Deshedding tool is great for this job.
- Choose a trimmer or clipper with a #10 blade to set the trimming pattern. Approximately the top third of the ear is clipped. Position the dog to stand naturally to find the appropriate clipper line and note where the ear meets the jawline. You can position your non-dominant hand's index and middle fingers to make a "v" shape and slide them horizontally from where the ear meets the head down to where the jawline is.
- Holding the ear leather between those fingers, use your dominant hand to clip from where the ear joins the skull down to meet your index finger. This will set your trim line.
- Hold the ear flat with one hand while you clip with the other to prevent the possibility of nicking the skin.
- Always clip towards the edge of the ear, gliding the blade over the edge so it does not catch the skin.
- Clip all the hair from the top of the ear to your clip line. Some groomers clip with the grain of the coat, while others like to reverse the blade for a closer clip.
- Flip the ear over and trim the underside. Clear the hair away from the opening of the ear canal, creating a neat look and allowing better airflow to the canal.
- Match your clipper line to the line you set on the outside of the ear.
- Watch out for Henry's Pocket! This is a small pocket of skin on the back edge of most dogs' ears. The skin is thin and easy to cut, so use extra care.
- Once your clipper work is smooth and your pattern set, use straight shears to carefully trim the edge of the part of the ear you have clipped and create a clean, sharp line.\
- Brush and comb the furnishings on the ear and decide if you want to remove any length from the coat. If the ends are thin and damaged, trimming and creating a smooth edge will make the ear look tidier.
Stand back and admire the lovely look of a beautifully trimmed ear, framing that signature adorable face.
