Without the proper equipment, grooming your Clumber is a very difficult task. But here are some pointers.
Buy the best equipment you can afford. Take good care of it, and it will last for years. Start with a good pair of 7-inch straight-edge shears with a fine point, and fine-tooth (44 teeth) thinning scissors. (I prefer 5-inch thinners.) Look for shears made of carbon or stainless steel – it does not rust and holds its edge longer. You will need a long-tooth and a medium tooth comb, stripping knives and stone, pin and slicker brushes, and a nail clipper or grinder. It is also beneficial to have a grooming table. All these items are available by catalog.
I teach my young puppies to lie quietly on their sides on the grooming table while I initiate scissoring. (You can groom an older dog while it is standing – whatever is most comfortable for you and the dog.) I take off the hair on the pads of the feet, removing as much as possible from between the pads. Do not remove any hair from the top of foot at this time. Lift the ear and remove any excess hair under it with the thinning scissors. Removing this hair is necessary for aeration of the ear and preventing infections. Remove hair along the line of the neck under the ear, until you get to the throat area. Work the medium comb through the hair, and make the coat stand up while you use your thinners parallel to the back of the comb. This will prevent you from removing too much hair and will also make an even cut.
The hair toward the inside and on the back of the ear is particularly prone to matting. Removing this hair prevents mats. However, the trimming is not readily visible when the ear is hanging down. Thin the hair on the front of the ear so that it is not hanging much longer than the ear itself. If the hair is curly, thin it closer to the ear. Remove hair along the line of the lip and cut off the whiskers if you wish. When the dog is standing, check for unwanted tufts of hair and, again, clean up the outline of the ear and neck.
Cut the nails by holding the dog’s foot lightly in your hand and locate the quick of the nail where the pink blood vessel will show. Cut or grind the nail as close to the quick as possible and along a diagonal, shorter on top. I prefer to use a Dremel grinder that leaves a soft, rounded nail that will not scratch. If you cut into the quick, apply some styptic powder and continue. Nails should be cut at least monthly.
Hold the shears perpendicular to the table and cut around the foot as close to the nails as possible. Fluff up the hair with the slicker brush, and trim off the excess hair on the top of the foot with the thinning scissors, following the contour of the foot. Do not trim around the individual toes or cut hair from between the toes. Leave enough hair to give a nice arch to the toes. Cut the hair over the dewclaw area close to the leg with the thinning scissors. Trim the feathering on the front leg by combing the hair straight down. While grasping the leg and hair tightly in one hand (or the hair between two fingers), cut off the excess feathers at the point of the pad. The feathers should clear the table by one-half inch.
Neatening the feet and rear. Pick up the back foot and lay it in the palm of your hand. Use the long-blade shears to cut the hair from the back of the pad, lightly placing the shears against the bottom of the pad. Do not cut from near the tip of the shears. Set the foot down perpendicular to the table and comb the hock hair straight out. Pinch the hair between your fingers and cut a single, straight line. Comb the hair away from the hock on either side and remove any straggling hairs. When the dog is viewed moving from behind, no hair should stick out to the sides of the hock and give the appearance of a close rear.
Next, trim the hair on the end of the tail. Comb the hair down and use shears to trim off the excess under the tail in a diagonal manner to the end of the tail. Leave several inches of hair toward the rump.
Stripping and dematting. The Clumber Spaniel should never be shaved. The hair on the back, rump, chest and topskull should be left natural. Use a thinning knife or stone to remove dead, dry hair. Drag a coarse stripping knife through the coat as you would a comb. Grasp the skin with one hand and stretch it toward the dog’s head while stripping toward the dog’s tail with the other hand. When you have removed all the dead hair you can, switch to the medium stripping knife or the fine one. I use a stripping stone and my thumb to pluck out the dead hair on the topskull. The outline of the dog can be greatly enhanced if you strip the fuzzy hair off the front of the legs, over the elbows and along the side of the neck.
Longhaired dogs should have all mats removed before bathing and grooming. Use a dematting comb which will cut through the mats or use a silicone-type dematting spray or diluted creme rinse and gently work a long-tooth comb through a section of hair. Work small areas at a time to avoid major hair loss and discomfort to your dog.
Bathing your Clumber. If you use the proper pH-balanced shampoo, you can bathe your Clumber as often as you like. Use a shampoo containing blueing to brighten the Clumber’s white coat. Dilute the shampoo appropriately with soft water. Stuff cotton balls in the dog’s ears to prevent water from leaking into the ears and causing future problems. Always use comfortably warm water when bathing. Lather the coat with a sponge, working the soap along the grain of the hair, and use a squirt bottle to apply shampoo. Rinse the dog thoroughly to remove every trace of soap.
Next, pour about one-quarter cup of creme rinse into a small pail and mix it with warmwater. Apply this to the entire coat and do not rinse it out. Using creme rinse reduces static electricity and makes the long hair more manageable between grooming’s. Blot the excess water out of the coat and put the dog in a crate lined with dry towels to soak up the water.
Drying and toweling. Put the dog on the table and comb out the coat in the direction you want the hair to lie. Dry the dog with a blow dryer on medium heat until it is nearly dry. Comb the hair down flat and straight.
Fold a cuff of about 4 to 6 inches on a large towel and place the cuffed part of the towel around the dog’s neck, laying the remaining portion of the towel on the back of the dog without messing up any hair. Carefully pin the towel ends under the dog’s throat using big horse-blanket pins, then pull the towel backward over the dog and fasten another large pin under the belly, just behind the rib cage. The towel should extend over the rump.
When the towel is removed in the morning, the coat should be straight, flat and clean.
The secret to a good coat is keeping your dog healthy and free of internal and external pests, feeding a superior diet and keeping the coat clean.