[Dogman22]

Hi all, we took our show type english cocker spaniel to a groomer in England the other day and they shaved him completely , without our permission . We were horrified when we picked him up , he was supposed to have a small trim , he had lovely curly hair and now I am afraid it wont grow back. He is 8 months old and as he is a show type I have a feeling he has 2 coats. The groomer obviously didnt have a clue what they were doing, but wondering will it come back and grow like before? How long might it take? Anyone with any experience?
Thanks

 

[DaySleepers]

Disclaimer that I'm not a professional groomer by any means, I've just done a fair bit of reading since I groom my own dogs. I'm also not familiar with what goes into a show clip for English Cockers, so if you want to show him or maintain him in a show clip and want to know how shaving will affect that, I suggest reaching out to his breeder or someone in the kennel club to get specific advice.

My understanding is that a healthy double-coated dog will typically be able to recover from a shave-down without lasting coat changes (with the exception of harsh wire-haired coats). Your most important job is to regularly brush him out as it's growing back, to prevent the top coat from getting tangled and impacted into the undercoat. Undercoat grows faster than the top coat, so he might look a little funny for a while, but give it three or so months and I bet it'll be back to looking normal.

Very occasionally, shaving will damage a coat, or reveal an underlying health condition that affects hair growth - for example, dogs with thyroid issues might have their fur grow back thin and patchy. That's not likely to be a problem here, given he's young and healthy! But do keep in mind that most breeds 'grow into' their coat as they mature, so the coat he grows back now might be a little different than his puppy coat was just because he was already going through those changes. Neutering can also affect coat texture on occasion, so if he's been neutered in the past couple months or will be soon, that could also change how the new coat looks and feels when it's grown in.

But in general, he'll probably be fine so long as you keep on top of brushing out that undercoat!

 

[Dogman22]

Disclaimer that I'm not a professional groomer by any means, I've just done a fair bit of reading since I groom my own dogs. I'm also not familiar with what goes into a show clip for English Cockers, so if you want to show him or maintain him in a show clip and want to know how shaving will affect that, I suggest reaching out to his breeder or someone in the kennel club to get specific advice.

My understanding is that a healthy double-coated dog will typically be able to recover from a shave-down without lasting coat changes (with the exception of harsh wire-haired coats). Your most important job is to regularly brush him out as it's growing back, to prevent the top coat from getting tangled and impacted into the undercoat. Undercoat grows faster than the top coat, so he might look a little funny for a while, but give it three or so months and I bet it'll be back to looking normal.

Very occasionally, shaving will damage a coat, or reveal an underlying health condition that affects hair growth - for example, dogs with thyroid issues might have their fur grow back thin and patchy. That's not likely to be a problem here, given he's young and healthy! But do keep in mind that most breeds 'grow into' their coat as they mature, so the coat he grows back now might be a little different than his puppy coat was just because he was already going through those changes. Neutering can also affect coat texture on occasion, so if he's been neutered in the past couple months or will be soon, that could also change how the new coat looks and feels when it's grown in.

But in general, he'll probably be fine so long as you keep on top of brushing out that undercoat!

Thanks Daysleeper,
Unusually all the other dogs from the litter have straight hair and not curly like he had. It was quite unique and very beautiful. We saw his sister just a week ago and very straight hair compared. Of course now, that is not the case all those lovely curls have gone. He is very healthy luckily, so I do hope it grows back at least similar to how it was. I am a little worried that it will grow back in a harsh wire-haired coat, will brushing prevent that? Sounds strange but it was a bit of shock, he looks like a completely different dog.

 

[DaySleepers]

No, shaving won't change a smooth coat into a wire-haired coat. Sorry, what I meant was that dogs who already have wire hair - like the wirehaired dachshund, schnauzer, German wirehaired pointer, etc - are more likely to have long-term changes to their coat texture if you shave them. I just added that so people wouldn't assume that every coat type responds the same way to shaving.

 

[LeoRose]

Did the groomer say why they shaved him down? If he was matted, then it's faster and kinder to the dog to clip them instead of trying to get mats out. Since a curly coat is not a proper coat for either Cockers or American Cockers, it's possible that he had some mats. At 8 months old, he's probably going through a coat change from puppy coat to adult coat, so the shaving shouldn't have much effect on his coat in the future.

From the KC standard for Cockers:
Coat
Flat, silky in texture, never wiry or wavy, not too profuse and never curly. Well-feathered forelegs, body and hindlegs above hocks.

From the KC standard for American Cockers:
Coat
On head, short and fine; on body, medium length, with enough under coating to give protection. Ears, chest, abdomen and legs well feathered, but not so excessive as to hide body lines or impede movement and function as a sporting dog. Texture most important. Coat silky, flat or slightly wavy. Excessive coat, curly, woolly or cotton texture undesirable.

As an FYI for others, what we in the US call the Cocker Spaniel is usually called the American Cocker in most parts of the world, and what we in the US call the English Cocker Spaniel is usually called just the Cocker Spaniel elsewhere.

 

[makenna]

It's not uncommon for Cockers (English included) to be clipped. It's not the way they do it for show, usually (at least not all over) but pet Cockers are often shaved as they just have a lot of coat and its more manageable. The "ideal" grooming style would be to hand strip, but not a lot of groomers offer that and it is usually very expensive, so clipping it is.

My Cocker is a mix, so he has curly hair in some spots (no idea what breed in his mix gave him that though!). I shave him a few times over the course of the warmer months. His hair, including his curls, always grow back. Your dog's will too, just give it time.

 

[Dogman22]

Thanks Daysleepers makes sense.

LeoRose, they didnt say why they cut him but it was a large chain and I imagine they are thinking about speed for the next customer, i since found quite a few bad reviews with similar situations. I should have reviewed before taking him. Its strange he seems quite traumatised since and he doesnt seem to have senses he used to have, I just hope he gets back to his happy self. I've attached a before and after picture? Do you think its possible it will come back like it was before in a few months? Thanks

 

[LeoRose]

It might feel different to have less coat than he had before. I know my SPoo puppy seemed confused with I clipped off all his fuzz and put him in a Miami. Another person with a SPoo who was in a full show puppy clip said that he seemed confused by his naked hindquarters when she put him into a continental a few days ago.

 

[Dogman22]

It might feel different to have less coat than he had before. I know my SPoo puppy seemed confused with I clipped off all his fuzz and put him in a Miami. Another person with a SPoo who was in a full show puppy clip said that he seemed confused by his naked hindquarters when she put him into a continental a few days ago.

Thanks Leorose, he seems more himself today after a traumatic week. He is very cold though at the moment we have atlantic storms and its ice cold, which will last till April so I am hoping it will grow back fairly quickly.

 

[K9luv]

See if he'll wear a sweater or dog coat?