Grooming Welsh Springer Spaniels
If you wish to groom your own WSS the following grooming tools will be needed. Thinning Shears- I highly recommend Economy 44/20 available from Cherrybrook Good Quality Straight Shears Clippers - I recommend Andis 2 speed with a #10 Blade Greyhound Comb Slicker Brush Nail Trimmers Quick Stop- To stop bleeding if you cut your dogs nails too short. Horse Blanket Pins (at least 2) The actual trimming: Head and neck First you use your clippers going against the grain and trim under the jaw to the bottom corner of the ears then continue down the neck to two fingers above the breast bone. Then using your thinning shears blend in the neckline. Use your clippers to clean out all of the hair on the underside of the ear close to the ear canal. Now on the outside top of the ear again using your clippers starting at the top of the ear going with the grain trim down 1/3 off the top of the ear. Use your thinning shears to blend the top of the head into the ears. Next comb the remaining ear feathers down and using your straight shears trim the feathering to the shape of the ear leather. Feet Here you will brush up the feathering with your slicker brush from between the toes then using your thinning shears trim this feathering off level with the top of the foot, then turning your shears vertically trim the feathering coming off the front of the foot between the toes. Trim toenails, then using your straight shears trim the hair on the bottom of the foot level with the pad and trim around the edges of the pads even with the base of the pads. Using your clippers going against the grain trim from the back of the large pad to the upper pad by the declaw. Front Legs Brush the feathering thoroughly with your slicker in a downward motion then lift up the leg holding the feathering against the leg and trim across in a straight line by the upper pad. This will remove the long hairs that pick up dirt from the ground. Hind Legs Brush out the feathers on the hocks and do the same thing with them as you did with the from leg trimming across in a straight line at the pad. Then using your thinning shears to thin out the hock feathering. Tail If the tail is undocked brush all of the feathering downward then when thoroughly brushed out take the hair and twist it as tight as you can off the end of the tail then using straight shears cut off all then hair that goes beyond the end of the tail. When you let go you will have a lovely shaped fan tail. For the docked tail. using either clippers or thinning shears remove all the hair on the bottom side of the tail. Finishing Touches Now bathe your dog and condition the coat. Allow the dog to shake out excess water then comb the coat to lie flat and take a towel and pin it around the neck and under the abdomen. Allow dog to dry with the towel on and when the coat is dry and you remove the coat the back coat should lie flat. Brush all feathering. |
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