Just like Joseph and his Techni-coloured Dreamcoat, Cocker Spaniels come in many many different colours. I thought it might be fun to look at the various different coats a Cocker many come in! Prepare yourself, there’s quite a few!
Cocker Spaniel coats come in four main groups of markings. They are: Solid, Part-Colour, Tri-Colour and Roan. There are so many permutations of our favourite pooch’s coats, with some people thinking there are up to 23 different shades possible! Examples include:
Solid markings: Golden, Red, Black or Chocolate/Liver and Black & Tan.
Parti-Colour: Black & White, Liver & White, Orange & White and Lemon & White.
Tri-Colour: Black, White & Tan; Liver, White & Tan.
Roans: Blue Roan, Orange Roan, Liver Roan. I know I’m biased, but this group is my favourite… owing to our doggie Rosie and her beautiful Blue Roan coat!
The above is by no means an exhaustive list…but should give you an idea of how diverse the Cocker’s coat is!
So, we’ve discovered the varied range of colours our doggie chums can come in, let’s now look at the texture of a Cocker Spaniel’s coat and what us owners need to do to keep them spick and span!
A Cocker Spaniel’s coat tends to be silky, glossy and of medium length. They do drop some hair, but are by no means as excessive a shedder a say a Labrador. They display feathering around their legs, on their tummys and on their beautiful tails. They also, of course, have the most impressively long, and often wavy, ears. The Spaniel’s trademark!
Usually, Cockers benefit from a good brush at least once a week and trip to the groomers now and again to hels keep that coat under control. However, if your dog lives in the country like ours, then they need a good brush every day, to keep their coats in tip-top condition. This also helps the Cocker Spaniel owner to check over their dog and keep an eye out for those perennial threats: ticks and grass seed! It is also sensible to gently brush your Cocker’s ears regularly, as they can clump really easily, particularly just underneath the ear. Also, burrs can be a massive problem in the summer months. Those little sticky sphere-shaped seeds can prove to very tricky to remove! Our Cocker Rosie once had 50 burrs in just one ear after a good walk. They take patience and time to remove, but its so worth it!
Doggy Bath Time is never a very popular occasion in our household! However, we don’t bathe our dogs any more than once a month, if we can help it. This is so the essential oils in your dog’s coat don’t deplete. We always use a good quality dog shampoo, as they are milder than human brands. However, I will always bathe Rosie if she has rolled in anything disgusting, or is she covered in mud! No one wants a stinky Spaniel ponging out their home!!
Other jobs that need to be done regularly to keep your Cocker Spaniel happy, healthy and looking trim include wiping their eyes with cotton wool, soaked in cooled boiled water. Clipping nails if they get long with especially designed dog nail clippers. Cleaning teeth with a special pooch toothpaste (they come in chicken flavour to make the job more yummy!)
I hope this article has helped introduce you to the many different permutations our Cockers can take on. Each and every one a beautiful dog in its own right!