The Zim Family Cocker Spaniel Forum

Ok, here it goes. I have never been around a cocker with a show cut or a long cut before. Does their hair stay clean when they go potty? I mean with all that hair I suppose it gets messy? Before I let KC's hair grow out I was wounding how much work it would actually be. How do you trim it to stay clean?

Thanks!

very rarely (but yes, every now and then) I have to pick poo balls out of my kids' rear hair. And a light dusting of corn starch will help with the yellowing from urine ...

When Leila was in her show coat, her rear end would get sticky and stinky from urine. In between baths, I would put her in the kitchen sink, shampoo her and use the pull out spray to wash off her rear end and the coat on her back legs.

The coat on my other girl, Bridgette, was longer than a puppy cut, but not a full show coat. She must be a 'neater' pee-er, because I have never had the urine problem with her.

Both my boys are in a puppy coat, so no problem there.

Never had a pee problem with George, though when he has an occasional tummy upset it can be a bit disgusting. Henry my Cavalier was the one who always got pee all over his tummy and front leg feathering, he had to wiped clean every few days or it would stink!

My previous dog I use to have to give her rear end baths for poo problems,but never had a pee issue problem. Snicky doesnt get poo on her rear section, even last summer when she got a hold of the cat laxative and what followed after that for about a month, never had to do any clean up on her. Sometimes she can be sloppy with her pee,which gets sticky and smelly and I have waterless shampoo that I spray on and then wipe up with paper towels,it cleans and deoderizes and she gets a bath every3 or 4 weeks.

Snow White was always very clean, Kyra was a mess daily, and Toph needed a butt bath every four days or so until I cut her down. It really depends on how they pee. Boys in my experience are a mess.

Emma was a mess, too, when she was long, and needed a sanitary bath every couple of days. That became an issue because she has TONS of hair on her feet and I just couldn't keep them completely dry, and ended up having to haul the blow dryer out for 30 minutes afterward. Because she's so white, not only did she yellow, but she smelled bad. Now that I've cut her back we've eliminated both issues.

How long are you talking? My dogs are in a shorter cocker cut and they have a sanitary cut, a strip that goes around their parts and their bellies are shaved up to their ribs where the hair is normal length. No pee or poop issues here and my dogs each get a bath once a week to keep them clean.

Jesse is in full coat. He doesn't mess himself at all unless he has diarrhea which luckily is very rare.

Both my girls are in full coat, we don't have a pee issue at all. Coat Handler shampoo keeps Karlie really really white (baths no longer than 2 weeks usually weekly) If we go two weeks I start to smell very faintly the smell of urine. The girls are trained after going #2 to jump up on an outside ottoman and have their bottoms wiped with a baby wipe, as sometimes there is some residue and the longer hair will catch it or a cling on. It's really not a problem as one of us is always with them when they potty and they know what to do. If there is a stomache upset then yes it can be a problem, then I either rinse with the hose or throw them in the tub for a butt bathe.

I love their long coats and with both being sable I'd miss all the color if they were cut down so the small amount of extra work is well worth it to me.

I looked up sanitary cut for cockers on youtube. It looks like an easy way to keep KC clean. Thanks for the tip .

Thanks everyone for your honesty about this icky matter . I am glad I asked. KC's coat would look great long so I guess I will let it grow out and keep a "sanitary cut" down there.

It is amazing how much we do for the cockers we love .