Differences in Coat Types

Marti

Marti

Member
Owned by
1 cocker
Not sure this is the right place to post this so please move if necessary. :)

I am so excited to finally have Cocker owners to "talk" to!! None of my friends have them and I have only ever been a member of GSD boards on the web. One thing I have always wondered about are the different types of coats I have noticed. Some seem to have very curly coats while others have finer, wispy fur that appears wavy or even somewhat straight. Is there something that describes or even shows the different coat types and is one more of the standard than the other(s)?
 
I am no expert but I know in my pups my English cocker boy has finer straight hair and my american cockers girl has the more wavy hair. So it might be based on the subgroup english vs american.
 
Maybe Kelly or Gina can answer this. I'd like to know myself. Great question.

EDIT: CharlieRose might be on to something there.
 
Butters fur gets very curly when it starts to grow out. People mistake him for a girl all the time. At tleast they also don't think he is expecting.;)
 
Way back in the day, American Cockers used to have similar coat to what English Cockers have now. They weren't nearly as full and cottony as they tend to be now (for the most part). Then some Cockers were born with fluffy coats, and they started to win in the ring. And so the birth of the HUGE Cocker coat . . .

Correct coat is straight, silky and almost cool to the touch. It doesn't mat easily, and sticks and dirt almost "fall" out of it. Jack's coat is fairly good . . . even when he hasn't had a bath in a while, his hair is straight. Grace's is similar, but hers isn't as silky.

The thicker coat that tends to curl up a bit when it's wet isn't as correct, and it's tougher to look after. It tends to get very thick after the dog is spayed or neutered, and they almost look like sheep if the hair is short and they get wet.

Coat type comes from breeding and genetics. The thick coat is very pretty to look at, but it's really tough to look after. I'd prefer correct coat any day.
 
Yep,

cockers shouldn't have curly fur. Ok, maybe when they are wet it might tend to curl up a bit, so that's why we brush and blow dry till we're blue in the face. We want the soft silky straight fur. NOT cottony either, that's the coat that matts up.

Differences could also be colors. AND/or field coated. Most field coated cockers (old fashioned coat) are shorter and softer and straight, with feathering at the legs instead of the big fluffy slipper feet and legs.

Blacks tend to be more prolific in coat, and once we spay or neuter them it comes in even fuller. Sometimes a field coated cocker will have a normal coat after we speuter. Not always, but sometimes.

I got bichons who have 'poodle' fur and it's a pain in my hiney to take care of. Thank goodness the cockers have a straight coat.

Now, I also must mention that brown cockers have a different coat texture. It's sort of fuzzier than say, a buff, and it usually doesn't shed.
 
All of mine have had such varying coats it's plumb ridiculous! Mendi was black and had a gorgeous full cotton candy coat, Morgan had a "field coat" until he got neutered and then he became a full-coated nightmare (since he never needed grooming before). Maxwell was probably a Cockapoo as his coat was huge but verrrry curly - even his toenails were curly! Chocolate. Mozie has a straight coat and coarse but full and thick. Monte - we're back to cotton candy hair and verrry thick! Charlie - well I haven't had him long enough to get his coat on track yet...so far very wispy except on his back which is course and straight. Coco is totally cotton candy and thick which is bad for one dog who hates to be brushed!
 
I've had field coated cockers, my Pak was one. Boy I loved his coat. It was pretty and very easy to take care of.

My crew now all have thick coats. I don't have the skirts on mine because I like to keep jackets on them in the winter. But I have let the leg feathers grow out a little.

My first brown boy, Pumpkin (Bunkie) had the cotton like fur very curly. But, my Stormy who is a retired show boy has very soft straight fur like any black or buff. He's coat is thick and beautiful! I'm letting his leg feathers grow out a little also.
 
Oh I forgot.. I also think using the right shampoo and spray in conditioner is very important. I love Crown Royale. I used Gina's link to buy my last batch and it came in record time.^_^
 
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