Springer Spaniel Dog Clippers & Grooming Kits

Springer Spaniel Grooming: Clipping, Feathering and Coat Care

A Springer Spaniel's coat is deceptively hard work. The body hair is short enough to look after itself; the feathering on the ears, chest, legs and belly is not. Left alone it collects mud, seeds and burrs, then mats close to the skin where you cannot see it until the dog flinches.

This page covers how the coat actually behaves, how often to work on it, how to clip one properly, and which tools do which job.

Understanding the Springer Spaniel Coat

Springers carry a double coat, but not the dense kind you find on a Husky. The undercoat is soft and moderate; the topcoat is straight to slightly wavy, weather-resistant, and grows long in specific places rather than evenly across the body.

Those places are the ones that cause every problem: ears, chest, front legs, hindquarters and belly. This is the feathering, and it is why a Springer looks tidy on the back and scruffy underneath.

Two practical consequences follow.

First, you cannot judge the coat by looking at the top of the dog. The mats form underneath, behind the elbows, inside the back legs and at the base of the ears. Run your hands there weekly whether or not the dog looks like it needs it.

Second, the coat is meant to shed water and debris. A Springer that works, walks in long grass or swims will pick up more in a week than a house dog picks up in a month. Grooming frequency should follow the dog's lifestyle, not the calendar.

Coat texture varies noticeably within the breed. Show-bred Springers tend to carry heavier feathering; working-bred dogs are often shorter and tighter, and need considerably less clipping.

How Often to Groom a Springer Spaniel

Brushing: two to four times a week, focused on the feathered areas rather than the whole dog. Five minutes on the ears, chest and back legs is worth more than twenty minutes over the back.

Full clip or trim: every six to ten weeks. Working dogs and dogs that swim tend toward the shorter end. A house dog with a lighter coat can often stretch further.

Ears: check weekly. Springers have long, heavy, pendulous ears with hair growing on and inside them. Air does not circulate well under a Springer's ear, and that combination is the single most common cause of trouble in the breed.

After every muddy or long-grass walk: run a comb through the feathering while it is still damp rather than waiting for it to dry hard.

Brushing Out Feathering and Preventing Mats

Most owners brush the parts of the dog that are easy to reach and miss the parts that mat.

Work in this order:

1. Slicker brush over the whole dog to lift loose hair and surface tangles. A flexi-pin slicker is worth having on a breed with thin skin behind the elbows — stiff pins scratch there.
2. Comb through every feathered area with a metal grooming comb. The comb is the test, not the brush. A slicker glides over a mat that a comb will catch.
3. Lift each ear and comb underneath, then behind the ear where it meets the skull. This is the number one mat site on the breed.
4. Check the armpits and inside the back legs. Number two and three.
5. Comb the belly and the trousers at the back of the hindquarters.

If you find a mat, work it apart with your fingers and the end tooth of the comb from the outside edge inward. Never cut into a mat blind with straight scissors — you cannot see where the skin is inside it. If it will not come apart, take it out with thinning scissors or clip beneath it.

The Super Slicker Brush with Flexi-Pins is available in a Springer Spaniel version, and a metal combination comb with wide and fine teeth at either end covers both stages of the job.

Clipping a Springer Spaniel Step by Step

Always clip a clean, dry, brushed-out coat. Dirt blunts blades within one dog, damp coat clumps and cuts unevenly, and knots stop the clipper dead.

1. Body. Work with the direction of the coat, from the neck back toward the tail, then down the sides. Long, steady passes. Let the clipper do the work; pressing harder does not cut shorter, it just heats the blade.

2. Chest and front. Come down the front of the chest with the coat. Springers carry a lot of hair here and it hides the shoulder line.

3. Hindquarters and trousers. Take the bulk off with the clipper, then shape the outline with scissors rather than trying to clip a clean edge.

4. Legs and feathering. This is judgement, not machinery. Most owners take the feathering down rather than off, keeping the shape but shortening the length. Thinning scissors here look far more natural than a blunt clipped line.

5. Face, ears and feet. Scissors only, and safety-tipped scissors at that. Never a clipper near an eye.

Pause every few minutes and touch the blade against the back of your hand. If it is too hot for you, it is too hot for the dog. Oil it, or swap to a second blade while the first cools.

Which Blade Length for Which Area

Springers are not a one-blade breed. The body wants a different length from the face, and the feathering wants shaping rather than clipping.

• Body: a longer blade or a comb guide over a shorter blade. Going too short on a Springer removes the weather resistance the coat exists to provide, and on a working dog that matters.
• Face, ears and rear: a short blade, used carefully, on the parts that need to be neat and hygienic.
• Feathering: thinning scissors, not a blade.

Masterclip's Springer Spaniel clipper sets are built around exactly this split — a short-cut blade for the face, ears and back end, and longer body blades to keep the coat tidy without stripping it back. Comb guides let one blade cover several lengths, which is usually cheaper than buying several blades.

If you are matching blades yourself rather than buying a set, browse the dog clipper blades and comb guides ranges.

Ears, Feet and Sanitary Trimming

The three jobs that matter most for the dog's comfort, and the three most often skipped.

Ears. Trim the hair on the outside of the ear leather to reduce weight and let air move. Thin rather than blunt-cut the edge so it does not look chopped. Keep scissors flat against the ear and use safety-tipped ones — an ear moves faster than you do.

Feet. Trim the hair between the pads level with the pad surface, and tidy around the outline of the foot. Hair between the pads collects grit, mud and grass seeds, and on a dog that works in stubble that is a genuine welfare issue rather than a cosmetic one.

Sanitary. A short, careful trim under the tail and around the groin. Springers carry enough hair here to trap mess. Bull nose safety scissors are the right tool.

Show Trim vs Pet Trim

Worth being clear about, because the two goals are different.

A show trim preserves the breed outline and the full feathering, thinning and shaping by hand so nothing looks cut. It takes longer, needs more skill, and needs maintaining every few weeks.

A pet trim shortens the feathering and takes the body down to a manageable length. It is quicker, more practical for a muddy dog, and forgiving of a home groomer's mistakes.

Most owners want a pet trim and feel guilty about it. They should not. A shorter coat on a dog that swims in ditches is kinder than a show coat full of mats.

What you should not do is shave a Springer to the skin in summer. The topcoat provides sun protection and insulation against heat as well as cold, and it regrows unevenly after a shave-down.

Springer Spaniel Clipper Sets and What Is In Them

Buying a set rather than assembling pieces removes the guesswork about which blade suits which part of the dog.

Masterclip's Springer Spaniel range includes Cordless PRO and Cordless MAX clipper sets, available with four or eight comb guides, plus a Springer Spaniel ESSENTIAL scissor pack pairing safety bull nose and thinning scissors, a Springer Spaniel Super Slicker Brush with Flexi-Pins, and nail clippers sized for the breed.

Cordless suits a dog that will not stand still near a cable, and a mains clipper suits longer sessions and denser coats. Either way, the deciding factor on a Springer is comb-guide range rather than raw power — this is a medium coat, not a Newfoundland.

See the full professional dog clippers range, or the wider grooming accessories selection for brushes, combs and scissors.

Working Springers: Grooming Around Field Work

A working Springer has a different grooming problem from a family pet, and almost nothing written about the breed acknowledges it.

Grass seeds are the main hazard. They work into feathering, between pads and into ear canals, and they travel one way — inward. Through the working season, comb the feathering and check between the pads after every outing rather than weekly.

Keep feathering shorter in season. A working dog carrying full feathering picks up burrs, seeds and mud that a shorter-trimmed dog does not. Take it down before the season starts, not halfway through.

Do not clip the body too short. The coat is what keeps water and cold off a dog that spends the day in ditches and cover. Shorter feathering, sensible body length.

Dry properly. A working Springer is wet more often than most dogs, and moisture trapped under feathering or in an ear is where problems start. A high-absorbency microfibre towel through the feathering beats an hour of air drying.

Also Suitable For

The same coat type and the same tools apply to:

• Welsh Springer Spaniels — slightly finer coat, same feathering pattern
• English Cocker Spaniels — smaller, same job. See the Cocker Spaniel range
• Sprocker Spaniels — Springer x Cocker crosses vary between the two parents; work to whichever coat the dog has inherited
• Any medium-coated, feathered gundog including Field and Boykin Spaniels

Browse grooming guidance for other breeds at dog grooming by breed.

FAQs

How often should I groom a Springer Spaniel?

Brush the feathered areas two to four times a week and give the dog a full clip or trim every six to ten weeks. Frequency should follow the dog's lifestyle rather than the calendar — a Springer that works, swims or walks through long grass picks up more debris in a week than a house dog does in a month, and needs combing through after every outing.

Where do Springer Spaniels mat?

Almost always in the same places: behind and underneath the ears, in the armpits, inside the back legs, on the belly and in the trousers at the back of the hindquarters. The body hair rarely mats. This is why a Springer can look perfectly tidy from above while carrying mats underneath — run your hands through the feathered areas weekly rather than judging by appearance.

What blade length should I use on a Springer Spaniel?

Different lengths for different areas. A longer blade or a comb guide over a short blade for the body, a short blade for the face, ears and rear, and thinning scissors rather than a blade for the feathering. Masterclip's Springer Spaniel clipper sets are built around this split, with a short-cut blade for the detail work and longer body blades for the coat.

Should I shave my Springer Spaniel in summer?

No. The topcoat insulates against heat as well as cold and protects the skin from sunburn, and it often regrows patchy after a shave-down. If the dog is struggling in the heat, take the feathering shorter and keep the body at a sensible length rather than clipping to the skin.

How do I get a mat out without hurting my dog?

Work it apart from the outside edge inward using your fingers and the end tooth of a metal comb. If it will not separate, take it out with thinning scissors or clip underneath it. Never push straight scissors into a mat — skin lifts into the base of a mat and you cannot see where it is. Prevention is easier: a comb through the feathering after muddy walks stops most mats forming.

Why do Springer Spaniels get ear problems, and does grooming help?

Springers have long, heavy, pendulous ears with hair growing on and inside them, so air does not circulate underneath. Trimming the hair on the outside of the ear leather reduces weight and improves airflow, and checking under the ear weekly means you spot trouble early. Grooming is not a treatment — see a vet for anything sore, smelly or inflamed — but it removes one of the contributing factors.

Can I groom a Springer Spaniel at home, or do I need a professional?

Home grooming is realistic for this breed provided you brush and comb properly first. The body clip is straightforward. The parts that need judgement are the feathering, the ears and the feet, and those are scissor work rather than clipper work. Start with a pet trim rather than attempting a show outline.

What is the difference between a show trim and a pet trim?

A show trim keeps the full breed outline and feathering, shaped by hand so nothing looks cut. A pet trim shortens the feathering and takes the body to a manageable length. A pet trim is quicker, more practical for a muddy or working dog, and much more forgiving if you are grooming at home.

Do working Springers need different grooming?

Yes. Keep feathering shorter through the working season — long feathering collects burrs, mud and grass seeds. Grass seeds are the specific hazard: they work into feathering, between the pads and into ears, and they only travel inward. Check between the pads and comb the feathering after every outing, and dry the dog properly rather than letting moisture sit under the feathering.

How do I trim around the feet?

Trim the hair between the pads level with the pad surface, then tidy around the outline of the foot. Use safety-tipped scissors. On a dog that works in stubble or walks through long grass this is a welfare job rather than a cosmetic one — hair between the pads traps grit and grass seeds.

Are Sprocker Spaniels groomed the same way?

Broadly yes. A Sprocker is a Springer crossed with a Cocker, and the coat can favour either parent or land somewhere between. Work to the coat the dog actually has: heavier feathering means more comb work, a tighter coat means less clipping. The same tools cover both.

What tools do I actually need for a Springer Spaniel?

A slicker brush, a metal comb with wide and fine teeth, clippers with a range of comb guides, thinning scissors for the feathering, and safety-tipped scissors for the face, ears and feet. Nail clippers sized for a medium breed and an absorbent drying towel complete it. Buying a breed clipper set removes the guesswork about which blade suits which part of the dog.