Puppy Cut...on a Cocker!

I went to Grooming School (100 years ago), no not really, it was just 26 years ago.

Boy, a lot has changed.

Like the fact that I would have never even have thought of doing a puppy cut on a Cocker Spaniel back then, and for a long time after.

When I went to grooming school, I was taught that a Cocker only got one of two cuts.

A Cocker Style or a #7 strip.

With a #7 skip tooth blade!

Uhg! It makes my blood run cold.

My grooming kit came with a #15, #10, #7skip tooth, a brush, a comb, and one pair of scissors. (right handed shears, I am left handed)

Oh, and the guillotine nail clippers.

As far as I knew, they were the only blades that existed.

After school, I discover the other blades.

And F blades!

I have never gone back to the skip tooth.

Anyway, for years, if a customer asked for their cocker to have a longer 'Puppy Cut' I would immediately tell them it was not possible.

"Your dog will look choppy and awful."

"Their hair was not made for that type of cut."

"You can only get a Cocker cut or a #7 strip."

Of course, back then I only cage dried dogs. 

Cage dries coats do not scissor well.

Another of my Grooming School lessons.

I really can't say when my attitude changed.

I am pretty sure it changed after I attened an all day seminar at Hershey.

It was a seminar given by Marlene Romani (Clipper Vac)

It was one of the best all day seminars I had ever attened.

Now,please understand, I had been grooming around 10 or more years by then.

I knew everything.

I had my own shop.

I was booking out a few months in advance.

I did not have time for seminars.

They cost too much.

Why did I go to her seminar?

Well, I was going to go Mobile.

I wanted to see if there was a faster way to dry dogs.

Without cage dryers.

No, I did not have a HV dryer.

I had seen one once.

At Intergroom.

I had only been grooming for a year.

A man at one of the booths showed me 'The New Way to Dry'

A High Velocity  Dryer.

He told me to put my had in front of the hose and he turned it on.

OMG, there was no way I was going to use THAT on a dog.

It would blow them off the table.

That was the end of that!

My narrow mind was never going to use THAT dryer.

Oh what a fool I was.

10 or so years of cage drying, using a stand dryer, and destroying my hands and wrists.

Marlene's Seminar changed that.

I started drying all of my dogs straight from the tub.

I stopped clipping before the bath.

I started using clip combs, scissoring more and more.

I loved the new way I was grooming.

I always did the best I could on every dog, but now they looked BETTER.

Now I scissor 'Puppy Cuts' on Cockers.

This is 'Dasie"

She has been bathed and HV dried.

Mom's instructions:

I like her the way she looks now.

Just shorten her a little. Not quite half off.

No cocker ears.

Smooth on top of her head.

Clip her face.

I choose to Hand Scissor her.

I could have used a clip comb, but Hand Scissoring for me is faster.

She has great hair for scissoring.

(After I HV it!) LOL

To think, years ago, I would not even have considered doing this cut on a Cocker.

I first clipped her face and cheeks with a #7F in reverse.

I have found, that for me, the #7F in reverse leaves a smoother finish.

I then touch the face up with the Cordless Chromado, set on #15.

I also clip out the inside of the ears with the #15.

Before and After

What a sweet girl!

What a joy to groom.

I could do 10 of her in a day.

Keep your mind open to new things.

Try them out before you dismiss them.

Go to Educational Seminars.

There are always NEW things to learn, no matter how long you have been grooming, or how much you think you know!

'Dasie's' Grooming:

Body & Legs: Hand Scissor a little less then half off

Ears: Blend into head, clip inside of ears with #15 blade, scissor to neaten

Head: #4F blade, blend into ears and neck

Face: clip clean with #7F in reverse, neaten with #15

Oh and...

Leave the curl on the tail!

AND...

LEAVE THE EYELASHES!

Happy Grooming, MFF