If you’re thinking about getting a Cocker Spaniel puppy you will have no doubt wondering just how much do Cocker Spaniels Shed?
All Cocker Spaniels shed to some degree but the amount can vary between each dog. All Cockers require regular grooming and brushing as well as clipping and cutting every few months or so however the amount that each Cocker will molt will vary from dog to dog.
I got my favorite brush that I use regularly on my Cocker Spaniel from Amazon, here’s the link.
Here is a video on Cocker Spaniel Shedding taken from our official Youtube channel…..go check it out and be sure to subscribe. It will really help us out.
If you have done any sort of research into getting a puppy, and let’s face it, you should have, then you will have been presented with many different answers. Many answers and opinions will contradict others and you will end up confused.
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I have personally used this myself and whenever the topic of dog training comes up, this is the training product I always suggest.
Do all Cocker Spaniels Shed The Same?
The reason you will be getting an array of differing opinions is that all Cocker Spaniels will shed their hair at different rates. The reason they will shed at varying different rates is that Cockers are not a breed that will cast their hair in order to maintain it.
As a result, regular trips to the dog groomers will be needed to maintain the length.
Dogs that need their hair cut at the dog groomers will still shed or cast their coat to some degree and this is where the differing opinions come into play.
My Cocker Spaniel sheds very little hair. When I say little, I do mean very, very little. I would say we are quite fortunate in how little he sheds.
The other Cocker that I had when I was younger shed her hair a lot more.
How to deal with Excess Cocker Spaniel Hair
The very best way to deal with your Cocker’s excess fur is through regular grooming.
Actually, even if your dog barely sheds any hair, regular grooming is a must. However, one of the bonuses of grooming is that regular brushing will gather up any loose hair that was just about to drop out.
Any Cocker that is bathed regularly and brushed twice per week will shed hair a lot less than if they aren’t maintained.
Obviously, this takes more effort on your part but if you love you Cocker, which you bloody well should do, then this extra effort will be rewarding in that not only will your pooch look very well groomed and presented, you will barely have any dog hair irritating you or lying around on your clothes and furniture.
Please refer to my post on how often you should brush a Cocker Spaniel for more grooming information.
Clipping A Cockers Coat Or Maintaining A Long Coat
One of the best things about a Cocker Spaniel is its long, flowing, glamorous coat. When you see a Cocker with this sort of coat, it’s usually at some sort of dog show or in pictures or even on the internet.
Maintaining this type of coat is a very hard task.
The biggest obstacle in keeping this sort of appearance for your Cocker comes down to your dog’s nature. Cockers are very active dogs. They are gun dogs and simply love getting into the thick of things.
They will rummage through bushes and much to have a good sniff of things. My Guinness will make sure he walks through a puddle if he sees one.
We live in an area where there’s plenty of foxes and he has rolled in fox mess on more than one occasion. Not a nice smell let me tell you.
When you opt to have your Cocker Spaniels hair to be long and flowing, the chances are that you will need to bathe and brush your dog after every single walk.
Bathing Your Cocker Is A Good Way To Help With Shedding
Bathing your Cocker with a good shampoo will help get rid of any dead and loose hair as well as clean your dog’s hair thoroughly.
It’s vitally important to choose a good shampoo and conditioner so your dog’s skin does not get too dry or irritated. If you don’t feel confident about choosing a shampoo on your own, please consult your veterinary for their recommendation.
In the end, the shampoo and conditioner in-one combo that we wended up using is all-natural with great reviews which we can certainly attest to. Not only is it really great but the one we found is very inexpensive on Amazon.
EDIT: You should brush out any tangles BEFORE you bathe your Cocker.
Where we live in the UK, it’s pretty wet most of the year so without daily brushing and grooming, a Cocker’s long hair will get matted very quickly and may end up needing to be clipped short to get rid of the tangles if you do not take care to brush it straight away.
As you can imagine, maintaining a long flowing coat on a very active Cocker takes a lot of hard work. This is one of the main reasons many Cocker owners opt to clipper their dog’s hair short.
We have opted for this style since our Guinness was a young puppy. We do let the “skirt” grow a little longer and keep plenty of length on his ears but the rest of him is clipped although not really really short.
We have had various clippers over the years but love our current set. Too many clippers we have bought haven’t lasted but we have had the current clippers for a few years now. Here’s a link to them on Amazon if you are interested.
Obviously this sort of shorter coat is much easier to keep clean and groom and will also produce less shedding. Even though we keep Guinness a little shorter than some Cocker purists would like, we still brush him after every walk and you will be advised to do the same no matter how short you chose to have you Cocker’s hair.
There are other ways to groom you Cocker such as hand stripping but that would make for another whole post.
Another factor in how much your Cocker will shed its fur may be the type of Cocker Spaniel it is.
My Cocker Spaniel is classed as a show type and from what I have read the most, people’s opinions are that these seem to be the Cocker’s that shed the most hair……like I said, my Cocker doesn’t shed much at all so read into that what you will.
The next Cocker that seems to shed the most is the American Cocker. I’m not overly experienced in American Cockers but reading around online in the various forums, shedding seems to be pretty common for this breed of Cocker.
The two types of Cocker that seem to shed the least according to their owner are the ‘Field’ and ‘Working’ Cocker Spaniels.
I’m unsure why these two types seem to shed less but please remember, these are only the opinions of owners themselves and if you do a little research yourself you will see many different opinions from Cocker Spaniel owners.
If you do decide to get a Cocker Spaniel, make sure you are buying from a reputable breeder and be sure to go armed with the questions you want to ask.
If you think the amount of shedding a Cocker will do could be a problem, ask the breeder what his Cocker’s cast like, etc.
A genuine and responsible breeder will be prepared to answer any questions you have and should be knowledgeable enough to satisfy your queries.
Do Cocker Spaniels Bark A lot When Getting Groomed?
My little boy Guinness is a very vocal dog and does love a good bark and howl. He does this quite a lot when he’s getting brushed, clipped and even bathed……I think he just likes the sound of his own bark.
If you browse some internet forums you will find that a lot of dogs can be vocal when getting groomed.
I hope that helps answer your question of how much do Cocker Spaniels shed?
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