Grooming/Clipping my Springer!

Hello!

Does anyone have any advice as to the best way to go about tidying up my springer ready for the summer.

Shes looking a bit ratty after the shooting season.

Not sure what I should do!


Sarah x

If you want to do it yourself, invest in a decent pair of clippers. I have a Moser Swtchblade which is very good. For a springer I would use a no. 3 blade on the body and ears, no.10 on belly, armpits and inside of hind legs, and trim paws, feathering and round ears with some scissors. Have you clipped before? If not, start at the top of the neck and clip in short strokes down to the shoulders and top of thighs. How the feathering is left is just personal preference.

I've clipped horses! Probably will be a whole lot different! My springer is wigglyer (probably a made up word!) than a horse!
I've been helping a friend to clip her springers recently, but she only takes hair from the ears, and trims legs and paws, so i wasnt sure what to do with the body!

Thanks for the advice!

Sarah x

If you can do it on a table your dog may relax more.

Wouldnt clip a working dog, you'll ruin its coat and it wont be waterproof, it will also grow fluffy and will attract a lot more twigs etc... Just trim the feet and ears and feathers, leave the body alone. My opinion anyway.

Yes I'd agree with this, clipping is fine for a pet dog, but a working dog will need it's coat to protect it in the Winter months when it's working.

To tidy the body up you could try a coat king, I'd use single sided thinning scissors to thin the feathers out a bit and any stray hairs not caught by the coat king.

I have working springers, and don't clip them at all, (I'm a groomer) I just tidy them up, before and after the season, and thats all. I do strip out the head, and any 'fuzzy bits'. Use thinners on feet, and scissor out pads. Having said all that is your dog neutered? That can make a whole difference.

Clipping doesn't cause an un-neutered dogs coat to go fluffy, at least none of the entire spaniels I've clipped have, they've always had their proper coat back once it's regrown. To be honest I've never worked out where that theory came from!
The only time coats in spaniels go fluffy is when they are neutered.
What I would do though is just a good bath and dry properly then trim feathers etc. If she has those whispy bits on her brown (or black if she's black) patches then just very gently pull them out in the dirrection of the hair growth before you bath her. That should tidy her up considerably.
Becky

No I agree clipping an un-neutered springer spaniel will not make it go fluffy,, however it will make the coat lay different around the neck (it will become more curly). But the same will happen if you over zealously use a coat king. This happens even if you follow the exact coat line

Thanks for all the advice everyone!

I wasn't sure to do anything to her body, as her coat is quite fine anyway, but it was mainly the ears and her legs! They look a mess!

Sarah x