The Zim Family Cocker Spaniel Forum

I always groomed Feather's beautifully domed head smooth (until she had so many warts), but I think I want Cricket to have a top knot. Does it show on the video how to do it?

All suggestions welcome!

First video not so much imo

I have the first one and I dont think he covered it very much, but I do remember him talking about it a little.
He recently re-did the Grooming DVD so he might have added more!


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But I HIGHLY recommend Kelly of KLAD Cockers tutorial on top knots. This is what I got out of it with my
Rudy on my first try. His wings needed cleaning up; but I thought it was pretty good job! Hope this helps!

I use Mike Gadsby's (Afterglow cockers) technique from his grooming DVD - comb it all to one side, trim off the excess with thinning scissors, then comb to the other side and repeat. Then you blend around the sides into a sort of D shape. It's not always perfect, but it works fairly well most times.

This is how I was told to do it by a groomed. The only diff was start with reg shears at both sides and then followed by thinning shears

Chris I can make a video and upload it to youtube if you want. It's easiest if you get a 4f blade. Even Jody Murphy uses that to create her top knots/crowns. Just let me know if you want me to do that. IDK anything about the new video, hopefully someone will chime in who has it.

I bet a few of us would love that. I no I would

Julie, YES, Please!!
Thank you!
(...adding a 4F to my order)

The new DVD does indeed show topknots, with a #4 clip on, but I don't recall it showing anything about the wings, like Em pointed out on Rudy. So, I for one would love to see how you, a pro do top knots Julie! For mine I just shave the wings, and hack away with thinning shears at their fur. Neither need a top knot, but I like playing with the hair.

I tried a 4F on George's topknot once and didn't like it, but it works on some of the cockers I've done. I guess it's the different types of fur!

I'm working on it. I got two videos yesterday of Snow White and Pirate but they don't want to upload to youtube for some reason. It might be my old computer. Unfortunately I deleted the videos off my camera so I can't try it on the new laptop. If I have time today I'll try on another dog.


Lucy I don't think I've ever had a cocker that this didn't work on. Are you sure you just aren't used to the shorter look? Did you get the flat top look? Sometimes when tk's are left long like you do Georges, if you don't start farther back with the blade you get a GI Joe impersonation. When I'm doing a show dog for the ring, I either do the tk about 2 weeks ahead of the show, or I'll start farther back to avoid the flat top. Sometimes, it's necessary to cut 'bangs' to blend in that look. Anyway I'll hopefully be showing all of this soon.

That might well be it, I'm not sure any more. Tbh I just hack wildly around on most of George these days, now I've given up any hope of showing him. I clip all sorts of bits that should be stripped or thinned.

Yep, I use the 4F on Jazzy, Bentley and Paisley's TKs. First you take your 10 and shave a U shape from the front corner of each ear on down the back of the head. Also from corner of eye/ears down the sides of the face. Then with the 4 I shave off the TK, leaving only the fur on the very top over the eyes and between. I usually shave the brows off with a 10, especially for Blk & Tans and Brown & Tans. Then I just scissor the long hair remaining so it blends well. To polish I run my thinning shears over the lines at the edge of the TK and blend it into the shorter areas, but it's not required if you don't have thinning shears. :)