How Often Should You Bathe Your Cocker Spaniel?

All dog breeds need regular grooming and bathing to keep both themselves and their coats in prime condition.

Every dog breed will have different bathing requirements. The number of times you bathe your dog will differ depending on the breed and the environments that they live in.

Dogs with short hair will have different needs compared to long hair dog breeds.

Cocker Spaniels fall under the long hair coat category. They were originally bred as sporting dogs and were originally used to flush out prey such as pheasants and other game birds. Cocker Spaniels are also known to flush out and gam from wetlands and other muddy environments. Cocker Spaniels are now mainly bought for their intelligence and affectionate nature. Making sure that you know the right times to bathe your Cocker is important to protect their coat.

Your Environment Plays A Part.

All dog coats pick up dirt, grass seeds and more. Long hair breeds like the Cocker have a bigger problem with this. If you live in an area with long grass, your Cocker is likely to have grass seeds and burrs clinging to their coat. This type of environment is also where ticks and fleas tend to live. Ticks are adept at leaping onto their victims from the simple act of your Cocker brushing past a leaf of grass where a tick is clinging too. Ticks are very difficult to detect even with short hair breeds, but the problem is even more pronounced with Cockers. Even if you have flea control for your Cocker, it is advisable to bathe them and wash them with an anti-flea and tick shampoo or some other solution.

Wet and muddy areas present their own set of problems. We all know how badly a wet dog smells, when your Cocker becomes muddy this smell becomes even stronger. Mud can cause your dog’s coat to become matted and unmanageable. Also, there are some other causes that why Cocker Spaniels smell.

How Often Should Cocker Spaniels Be Bathed?

Cocker Spaniels should be groomed daily to prevent matting and to help promote a healthy and shiny coat. You should only bathe your Cocker once a week.  Over bathing can lead to your dog developing dry and flaking skin which will result in your dog scratching. Cockers are prone to skin disorders so you should use a mild shampoo. You should finish off their bath with a good conditioner. This will help to make grooming your Cocker easier.

Just like people, Cockers can have a normal, dry or oily coat. Make sure you use a shampoo and conditioner that is appropriate to their skin type. Gently clean their ears, dogs with long ears, such as Cockers can develop an unpleasant smell from earwax or dirt in their ears. Always make sure to thoroughly dry their ears to prevent any damage. The best way to clean their ears is with a damp cloth.

Although it is highly recommended to bathe your cocker no more than once a week, it’s perfectly fine to rinse them off if they have become dirty or muddy.