# Field Spaniel Grooming?!



## Shanette Peters (Jan 14, 2008)

Hello everyone, Ok shocking enough for me, next week I am about to have a first. I have never had a client with a Field Spaniel. Well next week I will be having to groom one, Please someone inform me if there is more to it than this - as I am not finding very detailed information online! Basic 'tidy', trim hair on feet, feathers, ears, tail, brush out, nails of course etc. Thats about all I have come up with. Is there more to it than this? Is there a 'cut' similar to a springer spaniel or not? Please any help is appreciated, I don't want to have to end up telling the guy to find another groomer, I know I can handle it!
Thank you to anyone who takes the time to reply.


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

Shanette Peters said:


> Hello everyone, Ok shocking enough for me, next week I am about to have a first. I have never had a client with a Field Spaniel. Well next week I will be having to groom one, Please someone inform me if there is more to it than this - as I am not finding very detailed information online! Basic 'tidy', trim hair on feet, feathers, ears, tail, brush out, nails of course etc. Thats about all I have come up with. Is there more to it than this? Is there a 'cut' similar to a springer spaniel or not? Please any help is appreciated, I don't want to have to end up telling the guy to find another groomer, I know I can handle it!
> Thank you to anyone who takes the time to reply.


most sporting dogs are kept fairly natural....... 
my udnerstanding of field spaniels is feet and ears but not to tight on the ears..... tail and nails the comb out and to tide up underneath where the fur is longer but don't scissor...... 

I think that is about all you would do..... they have a coat similar to my flat coats and I would just neaten and neaten underneath as well..... 

most of the field spaniel people I know don't do much more than that even to show their dogs
s


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## Shanette Peters (Jan 14, 2008)

thank you!


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

I would do some hand stripping if his coat is overly wavey\curly over his topline...this will help 'set' a more defined spaniel pattern, and aid in tidying him up as well. You won't actually 'shave' a pattern on this breed, unless the owner asks you too...then I would do a Springer pattern, because the lack of coat will make a cocker pattern look a bit 'off'. 

Clean out his pads. 

Scissor trim around his feet, and around his butt. 

1\4-1\3 trim on his ears; I use a 9 blade as it doesn't make them look as 'bald', and looks more natural, as it will blend easier into the rest of the ear. 

I also use the 9 on the head and face, as you will want to clean that up as well; clip down under the chin, and make a small 'V' on his neck to complete the cleaned up look. How far down his neck will depend on how long his neck actually is; you don't want to go too far if he already has a short neck, and you don't want to trim too high if he does have a nice long refined neck. Oh, heck, I am rambling...


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## Shanette Peters (Jan 14, 2008)

Love's_Sophie said:


> I would do some hand stripping if his coat is overly wavey\curly over his topline...this will help 'set' a more defined spaniel pattern, and aid in tidying him up as well. You won't actually 'shave' a pattern on this breed, unless the owner asks you too...then I would do a Springer pattern, because the lack of coat will make a cocker pattern look a bit 'off'.
> 
> Clean out his pads.
> 
> ...


That all sounds great, I have one BIG problem, Hand stripping was the one thing we weren't taught when I went to school for grooming. by the way you made perfect sence with the 'V' on the neck.


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

Shanette Peters said:


> That all sounds great, I have one BIG problem, Hand stripping was the one thing we weren't taught when I went to school for grooming. by the way you made perfect sence with the 'V' on the neck.


in a sporting dog you are not going to strip like you woiuld a terrier .... when I do it... I get a pair of those rubber fingertips like you see secretaries use, they are cheap at staples and I pull out gently the hair that seems off colored (which is loose dead hair anyway) so look for the brassy colored coat in the rough and the pants and behind the ears...... and just gently tug and it should pull right out..... it really isn't rocket science because it is not like terriers that you are stripping the entire coat..... you are just basically pulling out loose and already shedded hair that just hasn't released yet..... once you pull out a bit you will see...... 

one thing I would add is not to stress..... trimming up a sporting dog is a piece of cake they are not a sculpted breed and when you do it just think balance.... if the dog looks balanced front to back you are good.....


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## Shanette Peters (Jan 14, 2008)

Thank you, that makes a lot of sence, I will wait til i see the dog and the owner again, and ask him exactly what he'd prefer for me to do, just tidy, a bit of hand stripping or a clip like other spaniels. Considering this is a family dog not a show or actual field working dog I think he will be asking for a tidy. Any way, I really appreciate your time to inform me of the handstriipping. I will post on here after to let you know how it went.


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## Shalva (Mar 23, 2007)

Shanette Peters said:


> Thank you, that makes a lot of sence, I will wait til i see the dog and the owner again, and ask him exactly what he'd prefer for me to do, just tidy, a bit of hand stripping or a clip like other spaniels. Considering this is a family dog not a show or actual field working dog I think he will be asking for a tidy. Any way, I really appreciate your time to inform me of the handstriipping. I will post on here after to let you know how it went.



I have never seen a field spaniel clipped like you would a cocker or springer so you might want to just go and take a look at some field spaniels..... 
just some pictures of some of the show dogs might give you more of an idea of the trim


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## Shanette Peters (Jan 14, 2008)

good idea, I'm actually going to a dog show this weekend, Hopefully there will be one there I can get a close look at and talk to the breeder/groomer.


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## Love's_Sophie (Sep 23, 2007)

Shalva said:


> in a sporting dog you are not going to strip like you woiuld a terrier .... when I do it... I get a pair of those rubber fingertips like you see secretaries use
> 
> 
> > Cool...I've never thought of using those!! Great tip! I usually take and use some ear powder on my fingers; just enough to keep my fingers from being 'slippery'...works LIKE A CHARM!


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## Shanette Peters (Jan 14, 2008)

Thank you to everyone. I went to the CKC dog show this weekend, and Grrreat news.. there is a lady from there willing to teach me how to do handstripping! Yahoo! I will also be learning to groom a sheltie and a golden retriever for shows.. later this year. I am SOOO Excited!


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## Shanette Peters (Jan 14, 2008)

Just to let you all know, I groomed the field spaniel this last thursday, It went great! They wanted a basic trimming of feet, ears etc. The dog stood and sat beautifully. The owners professed I will now be their groomer for future grooms.


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## Sebastyne (Jun 24, 2009)

I know this is a very old thread, but having a field spaniel myself and after two completely different kind of experiences with groomers I have to reply. 

I am the worst groomer myself. I can't see lines anywhere and I have made my dogs gay breeders almost faint in shock when I've presented him at dog shows, after spending two days constantly trimming and redefining. So I decided to take him to a professional before I took him to his last show in Finland. For the first time the breeders were quite happy to see me and thought I'd finally learned. The dog was immaculate, and I was soo proud. Didn't take the credit though!

When we moved to Australia, I took him to a professional before his first show here. I was greeted by a woman with a strong Brittish accent and I thought that her being from the same origin country this would go smoothly! I had requested for a English Springer cut as they too were new to Field Spaniels. To my luck they had just finished with one, so I got to see if that was what I wanted. I nearly fainted, as they marched out a big american cocker, judging by the trimming they'd done. So I tried to explain to them there how to trim a Field Spaniel, but if I knew exactly, I wouldn't be there in the first place! When I got the dog back, they had butchered the hair on his tail, apart from that I saw no difference at all. They took two hours doing absolutely nothing but damage, and I had to ask them to at least clean the top of his head. I ended up trimming him for the show myself, and of course there happened to be a judge specializing in Field Spaniels looking on, and I got the usual ear bashing on how to trim a field spaniel IN THEORY.  I wish the theory would translate to practice one day. Now, few weeks later I know what else they did at the trimmers. Instead of pulling out the dead hair, they used scissors, making the new hair grow out like he was a puppy. No shows for him for a few months!

The point of this post is that I wish all trimmers took the time to at least find a photo of a decently groomed field spaniel before butchering the hair of one...



Sebastyne
http://www.thefieldspaniel.com


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