English Cocker Spaniel

MAGGIE

Maggie is a four-weekly regular, which gives Michelle a lovely canvas for showing just how much of the English Cocker outline can be maintained in a clipped pet groom.

Maggie’s jacket is clipped, her head and muzzle are kept smooth, and her thick furnishings are shaped with maintenance in mind. But underneath all of that is the Cocker structure. Shell uses the topline, shoulders, rear angulation, chest and furnishings to keep Maggie looking unmistakably like an English Cocker, while making sensible choices for a pet who has a life to live between appointments.

Part 1 | Finding the Cocker underneath all that coat

Out comes the #5 and Shell gets straight into setting Maggie’s outline. She establishes the topline, uses the clipper to define the rear and shoulder, and skims into the skirt rather than leaving all the shaping to her scissors.

There’s a good lesson here in knowing what you’re trying to reveal. The Cocker is a compact, muscular sporting breed, so Michelle is continually looking for the structure beneath the coat and using her clipper work to bring it forward.

Part 2 | A proper little Cocker face

No afro for Maggie. Her owners prefer the smoother Cocker head, so Michelle clips the skull with a #5 before moving to a #10 through the muzzle and upper section of the ears.

This part gets into all those small choices that can completely change a Cocker’s expression: how high to set the ears, cleaning around the mouth, blending the shorter muzzle into the head, keeping the eyelashes and getting both of those glorious ears the same length.

Part 3 | Cat feet, angles & a LOT of coat

Maggie has the kind of thick coat that can become hard work very quickly, even with her regular grooming schedule. Michelle shapes tight, layered cat feet and works through the rear and front furnishings with plenty of thinning rather than creating hard scissored lines.

Watch how often she puts the foot back down and looks again. The angles through the hock, stifle, foot and shoulder are built gradually, with coat removed where it adds unnecessary bulk or is likely to knot between visits.

Part 4 | Bringing Maggie together

With the main work done, Michelle can see what still needs adjusting. She connects the chest through the underline and tuck-up into the rear, looking for one continuous, natural line rather than separate sections of groom.

And Maggie gets one departure from tradition: her long tail stays. Mum loves the white tip, so Michelle gives it a tidy fan instead. A final check over the feet, belly, coat, face and ears, and this very kissy little Cocker is ready to go home.