How to Cut an English Springer Spaniel's Hair and Toes

English Springer Spaniels are bred from two lines, show (also known as bench) and field, but both lines require regular grooming to maintain a neat appearance. If possible, begin frequent grooming sessions with your dog when it is a puppy, in order to build trust and establish a routine. Puppies require gentler grooming methods than adult dogs and shorter grooming sessions, but all Springers should be brushed three times a week and trimmed at least once a month. This may seem like a tall order, but the payoff is a clean, beautiful and affectionate dog.

Things You'll Need

  • dog grooming brush (use one with softer bristles for puppies)
  • dog shampoo
  • towel
  • high-quality dog grooming clippers
  • straight scissors
  • scissor-style dog nail clippers
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Instructions

  1. Grooming Springer Spaniel Bodies

    • 1

      Brush your Springer's fur, all over its body and head. Check your dog for anything concerning or unusual, such as fleas, ticks, burrs, wounds or skin irritations and infections. Bathe and dry your dog, and then brush it again.

    • 2

      Trim the fur around your Springer's lips, going against the growth direction of the fur, and leaving approximately an inch of fur. Maintaining a clean mouth area helps prevent infection and build-up of food debris.

    • 3

      Place the scissors about an inch away from the skin of your Springer's ear flap, and trim the fur on the top third of the ear to that approximate length, on both the inside and outside of the ear flap. Trim fur around the ear opening to about half an inch. If your Springer often gets wet food tangled in its ears, clean and/or trim the tips of the ears.

    • 4

      Extend each one of your Springer's legs, one at a time. Cut the feathered fur that hangs down so the resulting hair is even with the back of the paw. This fur is especially likely to get matted and pull on your Spriner's skin if it is not trimmed.

    • 5

      Clip away excess fur beneath the tail, at the rump. Pull away matted or dead hair.

    • 6

      Trim the outer back legs to 1 or 2 inches.

    • 7

      Use your scissors to clean up the feathering on the back, belly and front legs, if it is necessary or looks unkempt.

    Grooming Springer Spaniel Paws

    • 8

      Use straight scissors to clip away the fur between the pads of the feet. According to Jan Martin and Marsha Caldwell, "This process is easiest when the dog can be convinced to lie down, either on the grooming table or on the floor."

    • 9

      Use nail clippers to clip the toenails at an angle perpendicular to the feet. Clip only the pale tips of the nails -- if you clip the nails any shorter, they may bleed.

    • 10

      Use straight scissors to trim the top of the paws along their silhouette, so that the remaining shape of the paws appears to be their natural shape.