American Cocker Spaniel &
English Cocker Spaniel
Grooming Your American Cocker Spaniel & English Cocker Spaniel
Once again the most critical step in any conscientious conditioning program. The time and effort you place here will make your job much easier on that all important SHOW DAY!
It is what is going to set your dog apart from the rest of the dogs in the ring. Even when an individual understands how to 'PUT A DOG DOWN ' for show, if the conditioning has not been properly attended to prior to the show the dog can only look so good. The coat will not glow or, lay the way it should to
show that dog off to it's best advantage. It becomes painfully obvious that something is lacking in the conditioning and things are not up to standard.
Cocker coats come in a variety of colors and coat textures and have some very unique challenges to accomplish the ultimate in conditioning.
There are the real silky straight types who also tend to be more single coated; the cottony, still single-coated, more full coated type who tend to mat easily; and the coarser more double coated, dense coated dogs where we have the problem of loosing the contours of the animal. With 2 types of hair on the same dog we want it to hang together and look like one kind of hair for a really finished look. We will address all of these types. If your dog is in the middle, the amounts and products can be adjusted accordingly. It is always best to adjust according
to the coats individual needs, which can vary from time to time. The season changes can change moisture level requirements as can the period of time between baths.
Shampoo with the #1 ALL SYSTEMS SUPER-CLEANING AND CONDITIONING SHAMPOO diluted at a minimum of 1 part shampoo to 2 parts water. The actual ratio should be adjusted according to the softness of your water; the softer the water the further it dilutes, up to as much as 8 parts water to 1 part shampoo. How dirtyor oily,and how dense the coat to be cleaned is, will also have an effect on the amount of dilution required. This is not a high sudsing shampoo, more suds does not necessarily mean more clean. What it means is more detergent and this translates to the potential for drying out the coat and removing all the good conditioning you are trying to do. Rinse thoroughly, until water runs clear, and then rinse one more time. White areas
on parti-colors, blacks and buffs should be shampooed at least 2 times per month with the #1 ALL SYSTEMS Professional Formula Whitening Shampoo, diluted at 1 part shampoo to 5 parts water for all over body use, and full strength on faces, feet and any other areas which may be stained. Be careful around eyes.
Use a drop of mineral oil in each eye to protect them. Even though the whitening shampoo does not contain peroxide or blueing it does have some super cleaners in order to remove stains effectively and can be irritating to sensitive eye tissue. If some does get into the eyes, flush with lots of cool fresh water immediately. The shampoo may be left on stained areas for up to 5 minutes while you shampoo the rest of the dog. Then rinse thoroughly and follow with the Super-Cleaning and Conditioning shampoo. This is a totally residue free shampoo and will remove residues left behind by any other products, as well as any residue from the Whitening Shampoo. The Whitening Shampoo also contains optical brighteners and coconut oil to help protect the hair from damage while enhancing color and removing stains. When used on a regular basis urine and tear stains should be minimized. Tear staining can be caused by a number of different things; 1) low grade infection in the tear duct,
2) blocked tear duck,- both of these conditions should be treated by a veterinarian,
3) Heavy mineral content of the drinking water,- this can be eliminated by using distilled water only.
4) The red dyes in some dog foods,- use foods without added colors.
5) The use of beef or pork products in the animals diet should be eliminated.
6) Use of heavy or unnatural perfumed products,
7) Detergent based residue type shampoos.
Next you will want to use the Lanolin Stabilizer at least 1-2 times a month on the silky coats, and 3-4 times a month on the heavier cottony coats and more double-coated dogs. This is a pure citric acid rinse designed to remove any excess, unutilized by the skin and hair oils or conditioner. It is also effective for neutralizing stains which are alkaline in nature, such as urine, and saliva. It also is effective for use on any type of weeping dermatitis. It kills the bacteria on the skin and lowers the pH thereby making it a hostile environmet for bacteria to grow. So as a result the skin is able to heal naturally. Dilute 1 ounce, for silky coats and 2 ounces for heavy coats to 31, 30 ounces of warm water respectively. Pour evenly throughout coat and leave on for at least 60 to 90 seconds. Rinse completely. Run your hand over coat. If it feels waxy to the touch , shampoo one more time lightly with the Super-Cleaning and Conditioning Shampoo, then rinse thoroughly.
ASIA PACIFIC PET SUPPLY
3018 Bedok North Street 5 #01-22 Eastlink Singapore 486132