shaving or just trimming

Discussion of grooming tips and questions.

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sar-83
Posts: 6
Joined: Thu Sep 25, 2008 5:50 pm

shaving or just trimming

Post by sar-83 »

I have a 4 year old English Springer. I am wondering if it is ok to shave them completely or should you just trim him.. I have heard that it is not good to shave English Springers...Also I am wondering if there is anything I can do about his breathe.. I have heard there is something you can put in there water that helps. I brush them daily but he has really bad breathe...
Sheppy
Posts: 3
Joined: Sun Aug 05, 2012 7:34 am

Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by Sheppy »

I have never heard about anything being wrong with clipping them. Sometimes it is easy to get an all off with that kind of breed, perhaps if you pop in your local groomer and see what they think? In my personal experience i clip the essp at work and nothing bad has come from it. with his breath, its good that you brush his teeth that is the best prevention of canine dental disease which can be quite serious, there is something you can put in his water/food it does exsist but i just cant think what its called, i take it you will be checking his teeth frequently, if not have a good look and see if there is any plaque lying on his teeth and his gums are a nice healthy pinky colour, there are also dental treats you can get. hope that helps
JudyN
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Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by JudyN »

I think you should get a vet to check his teeth and maybe consider any digestive disorder for his breath, because if there's a problem there it needs addressing at source. Also, what do you feed him?
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gwd
Posts: 1958
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:33 pm

Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by gwd »

i've had english setters and english springers. ........i compete in AKC conformation shows so the idea of shaving a ess brings a tear to my eye. we show folk baby and nurture each hair! :lol:

that said, a quick glance at the vacuum canister reminds me that most pet owners would enjoy a little less hair on the floor as well as a neater, cleaner dog (a fully coated ess really does need a daily comb out to keep that feathering tangle free)

if you shave (clipper) the back coat it will look neat so long as you keep it up, however since you're clippering the longer guard hairs as well as the undercoat to the same length, i alters the appearance of the back coat as it grows out. the undercoat (the fluffy stuff) grows quicker than the main hair. i'm likely not explaining this very well.

if you've got the patience, you'll get a more natural looking back coat if you strip out the undercoat (i like the mars stripping knives) and use thinning shears to take down any bulky areas. it's fine to clipper the top of the head, the top third of the ears and the throat.

with the feet, just outline the pad with a pair of straight shears.......hold the paw and with a slicker brush, gently fluff up the hair on the top of the foot. then use your thinning shears to take off the stuff that sticks up.

the feathering on tummy, legs and ears of course is part of the beauty of an ess!........

now, that said.........while i find a fully coated ess lovely, i can appreciate that it's the personality and bouncy zest for life that is the true beauty of an ess.........if shaving your pup down makes life better for the both of you......then have at it. it would be arrogant of me to judge what works for someone else.

as to the breath thing, if you're brushing teeth and providing chew toys and still finding your pups kisses are less than pleasant, i'd urge you to consult with your vet. unpleasant breath isn't normal and could be an early sign of something that you'll want to treat.

which ever way you go, tummy rubs and ear scratches to your ess from california!
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doggiedad
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Joined: Mon Jul 04, 2011 5:25 pm

Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by doggiedad »

i wouldn't shave him completely. their fur protects them. maybe a little triming.
ask your breeder about triming. contact an English Springer club and ask them.
labradorfriend
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Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:10 pm

Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by labradorfriend »

I shaved my dog twice when she got fleas. She looks terrible, but after a month or so it gets back to it's original look or even better :-)
But if he doesn't have fleas I won't consider shaving.
gwd
Posts: 1958
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:33 pm

Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by gwd »

labradorfriend wrote:I shaved my dog twice when she got fleas. She looks terrible, but after a month or so it gets back to it's original look or even better :-)
But if he doesn't have fleas I won't consider shaving.
just for the future, the shaving really didn't accomplish anything other than making your lab look kinda funny for awhile. fleas bite despite the hair, or length of hair. you need to treat the dog and the environment (there are many methods, some chemical, some more natural) but shaving doesn't do diddly squat.

i've had very few times in my dog life where i've had to deal with fleas (crosses fingers) and i have heavily coated dogs......the flea eradication process didn't result in the loss of even a single hair.
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ScarletSci
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Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 3:44 pm

Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by ScarletSci »

Would you consider paying for a dog groomer? I only suggest it because I know that I'm useless at the technical grooming beyond bathing and brushing, and my Springer/Cocker cross has a fairly heavy coat. We brush daily to keep it tangle free and bath now and then, but drop him off with the groomer about once every three months for a proper groom where she strips out the fluffiness where his undercoat grows through, trims his feathers, and somehow makes his white bits glow! He gets lots of treats, so he enjoys it, and since it's a groomer we trust, I just find that the £35 every three months a small price to pay.

It'll keep his coat manageable with some daily brushing, and is far less drastic than shaving it all. I'm trying to picture a Springer that's been totally shaved, and it just seems wrong! :lol:
gwd
Posts: 1958
Joined: Tue Aug 14, 2012 11:33 pm

Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by gwd »

ScarletSci wrote:since it's a groomer we trust
you just said the most important part. ........you have to have a groomer that you trust. i do not mean to malign groomers but to make a living, they often have to do a lot of dogs during a normal work day. the need for speed sometimes takes precedence over making the dog comfortable with the process.

i spend a lot of time with babies so that they learn to not only tolerate, but enjoy the time they're on the table. i figure since i've got a lifetime of grooming them, the extra time i spend when they're young is a good investment.

but yes, a groomer you trust is a gem.......like having a vet that you trust! both require an interview!
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ScarletSci
Posts: 463
Joined: Mon Feb 04, 2013 3:44 pm

Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by ScarletSci »

Yep, I maybe should have emphasised that part a little more!

We shopped around for a groomer we felt happy with. I like the fact that she isn't a business as such, just a qualified groomer working from home while she has kids, so she isn't doing that many dogs in a day. We drop him off then get a call that he's ready to be collected around two hours later.

I know the dog is fine with her because she not only treats him nicely in front of us, but when we pick him up there's always an empty bag of treats on the table! Jack has always been tolerant of grooming, but he'd show reluctance to go in if he found the time there arduous in any way, but he's always keen to get inside and greet her. If he was reluctant in any way, then we wouldn't take him anymore.

So yes, gwd makes a good point - not just any old groomer, find one that you and your dog are both happy with!
labradorfriend
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Joined: Sun Feb 03, 2013 10:10 pm

Re: shaving or just trimming

Post by labradorfriend »

just for the future, the shaving really didn't accomplish anything other than making your lab look kinda funny for awhile. fleas bite despite the hair, or length of hair. you need to treat the dog and the environment (there are many methods, some chemical, some more natural) but shaving doesn't do diddly squat.

i've had very few times in my dog life where i've had to deal with fleas (crosses fingers) and i have heavily coated dogs......the flea eradication process didn't result in the loss of even a single hair
.

It wasn't my Lab, it's my spitz. I tried find the source since whatever treatment i she gets, the fleas still there. There are two dogs outside my apartment that got severe fleas. I moved to other apartment, still continue the treatment. Though I already shaved her, but easy to see if there are baby fleas.

She looks more beautiful now, but still not considering shaving next time, she felt awful.
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