How to Groom a Springer Spaniel With Clippers

A springer spaniel needs regular grooming, and using clippers is an easy way to keep the dog's coat in shape. Clippers can take some practice to master, but once you become proficient with them, you can do the clipping process fairly quickly. When you clip, pay special attention to some areas, including the lip line, inside the ear, between the paw pads and under the tail.

Things You'll Need

  • Clippers
  • No. 10 and No. 7 blades
  • Scissors
  • Thinning shears
  • Slicker brush
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Instructions

    • 1

      Use a No. 10 blade on the dog's head. Begin clipping on the top of the head, and clip in the direction the hair grows along the cheeks, throat and ears. Don't push down too hard on the clippers and don't trim too close.

    • 2

      Clip the muzzle against the grain from the inner corner of the eyes to the end of the nose. Clip beneath the chin through the throat latch to just above the breastbone. Stretch the dog's lips and clip carefully along the lip line.

    • 3
      Be careful not to clip the underside of the ear flap.

      Continue with the No. 10 blade and clip the outside of the dog's ears in the direction the hair grows. Avoid catching the underside of the ear flap with the clippers.

    • 4

      Clip the dog's sanitary areas underneath the tail with the No. 10 blade. Clip the underside of the tail at the base as well.

    • 5

      Use a No. 7 blade to trim the springer spaniel's body. Begin behind the ears and clip straight down the back to the end of the tail. Clip down the shoulder and chest to the dog's elbows. Clip an inverted ̶0;V̶1; down the front of the chest. Blend the line into the dog's leg.

    • 6

      Don't clip the back of the legs or the springer's skirt. The back of the legs should have feathers, or longer hair. So should the skirt, which is the bottom of the stomach from the elbow to the front of the back leg. These areas should be lightly trimmed with scissors if there are any straggly long hairs, just enough to even the line out.

    • 7

      Blend the clipper line along the skirt and at the bottom of the chest with thinning shears. Brush the hair on the leg up with a slicker brush. Use scissors to trim any long ends on the front of the legs.

    • 8

      Use scissors to trim the hair between the paw pads and around the foot.