As promised, I’m back with news of our second go at grooming and clipping Rosie, our ever patient Cocker!
Because of the rubbish weather, we took to the kitchen this time. But, as before, copious amounts of cheese were available to keep our beloved pooch happy!
Thankfully, Rosie didn’t seem to have any negative memories of last time and happily assumed a relaxed, standing position, so we could begin.
We began by giving Rosie a good check over. We looked in her ears, gently picking them up and looking for any scratches (which might indicate ear mites) or any gunkiness which might suggest an infection. Thankfully, nothing was obvious and Rosie’s ears looked really healthy. We also did the smell test, which sounds gross, I know! Rosie has had an ear infection in the past and trust me, you can smell it! Joyfully, Rosie’s ears smelt normal, so we moved on to her eyes. They were clear of any residue, or gunk. If there was anything obvious, we would’ve used cooled, boiled water on a cotton wool pad and gently swept it over her eye.
Next, we checked her coat over, looking for any foreign objects, matts or burrs. At the time of writing this blog, it’s Summer, so we were particularly vigilant to check for grass seeds. These seemingly innocent little seeds can burrow into dog’s coats and cause enormous pain, or infection, so they are worth looking out for in the summer months.
Paws were next! We gently picked up each of Rosie’s paws and checked her claws. We were looking to check that none of her claws had got too long and that she hadn’t injured herself by ripping a dewclaw. Although, to be honest, Rosie would’ve communicated this by lifting her paw up in discomfort. I still thinks its worth checking over your pet regularly though, just to be aware of what’s normal for your dog.
With all of the preliminary checks over, we began to attend to Rosie’s coat.
I actually began by doing something I’ve only done once before… trimming Rosie’s beautiful long ear hair! I’m always rather reluctant to do this, as Rosie’s ears are her Cocker crowning glory! However, as it has been so hot, we really wanted to reduce Rosie’s hairiness. I gently trimmed along the ear shape, always feeling along for the edge of the ear. I also trimmed the excess hair on the inside of Rosie’s ear and the fur that is underneath her ear. This helps to increase air circulation and is another way Cocker owners can reduce the risk of ear infections.
I then trimmed Rosie’s feathers, which sit along the backs of her legs and on her tummy. Rosie was happy throughout, as we kept giving her yummy morsels of cheese!
On to the clipping! As its been so warm in the U.K., we decided to go a bit shorter than last time and I used the 3mm setting. I wondered if Rosie would react well to the clippers once more, or whether last time was beginners luck! Thankfully, she was her usual calm, placid self again and took it all in her stride.
As Rosie has been spayed, she has certainly become a lot more wooly of late! The joy of clipping her coat is that her beautiful Roan colour comes back so strongly. Once we’d finished, Rosie looked so shiny and smart, I swear she had an extra big spring in her step. Perhaps dogs feel just like is when we step out of the hairdressers, feeling like a new woman!
I know that our results are no where near as professional as a qualified dog groomers, but I’m really thrilled at how well the ‘Good Dog’ clippers work! I definitely think we’ll continue to keep on top of Rosie’s coat, even in the winter months. As it should help to reduce the amount of messy, wet fur she has to deal with.
All in all a success, I think. I’d definitely recommend having a go at clipping your own dog, if you fancy trying. Granted, Rosie is a particularly placid dog, so I expected her to not worry too much about being our clipping guinea pig! But, I think that any owner might be surprised at how well they get on. More than anything, it’s a nice excuse to spoil your doggie with treats and spend some lovely cuddly time together. With the bonus of a great haircut as a result! Give it a go, if Rosie and I can do it, anyone can!