Before beginning your puppy’s first clip, make sure she is completely brushed through and free of mats. If you are clipping and unexpectedly hit a mat, the clippers can pull the mat into the blades, and along with it your pup’s skin. Clipper nicks not only hurt, bleed, and possibly scar, but are a memorable experience for your puppy, in a very bad way.

Tip: When brushing, always spray your Cocker first with a conditioning or detangling spray. This helps to keep your Cocker’s hairs from breaking and allows for easier removal of mats.

Now that your puppy is completely brushed out and free of mats – and exercised- you can begin her first trim. A tired puppy is much better on the grooming table, than one with full energy. Remember, the first trim doesn’t have to be perfect. Her hair will grow out quickly, giving you frequent opportunities to perfect your skills.

And talk to her constantly. Don’t be upset if she urinates; this is submissive urination. She can’t help it if she’s a bit frightened – and you’re going to wash her anyway after her clip. Reward her for good behavior. Give her treats, praise, and lots of love.

If you are interested in clipping and maintaining your Cocker yourself, the following puppy clip is a good way to get started.

1. Inside Ears – Gently fold the ear back against her head and using a very quiet set of clippers, clip the underside of the ear leather (or ear flap), going against the lay of the hair toward the ear canal. Your puppy is likely to be very squirmy, as this is going to sound loud, so just try to get one good swipe in this area per ear. You can work on perfecting this trim each time you clip her.
2. Outside Ears – Now, fold the ears back over in their natural position and clip the coat on just the top third of the ears.
3. Head – Holding your puppy very steady (ears flat against her neck with your hand gently but firmly around her neck/jaw area), carefully trim against the lay of the hair around the puppy’s eyes, the top of her head, between her eyes, and on her muzzle. She will be wiggly, so don’t worry about getting too close to her eyes or being too precise anywhere. Your goal is to get her used to the sound of the clippers, the feel of the vibration, and the routine of clipping.
4. Neck – Before clipping, find the location of your puppy’s breastbone on her chest and make a mental note of where this is. Then, feel for the front of her shoulder blades, and make a mental note of this. With her ears in your hand (to keep them out of the way), hold her head gently and clip in the direction of the hair from her chin down to her breastbone and out to the front of her shoulders.
5. Neck (back) – Now, clipping in the direction of the hair, trim the rest of her neck on the top and sides.
6. Back – Take the clippers and clip a straight line from the back of her neck to the base of her tail. Make one to two more clipped lines on either side of this center line.
7. Tail – Holding the tip of the tail, clip with the lay of the hair from the base of the tail to the tip on all sides.
8. Under the tail – Carefully neaten the anal area with the clippers.
9. Feet – Take each foot and clip hair from between the pads of the paws.
10. Finishing up – If your puppy will stand on the table for just a little longer, take each paw, and smooth the hair to the underside of the paw and scissor all hair that pokes out below the pads of the paws. This will give the puppy’s feet a neat, rounded appearance. And you’re finished!Tip: When clipping a Cocker Spaniel, or even when just brushing her, use a grooming table. These tables allow you to stand or sit while working on your Cocker, and are covered with a textured surface that keeps your Cocker from slipping. Being elevated and on a table, your Cocker is much more likely to stand still for you. To ensure she doesn’t try to jump off the table, and to ensure she doesn’t keep spinning around while you have both hands occupied, use a grooming nose.