Pro Technique: Grooming a Springer Spaniel

Ask two groomers how to trim a Springer and you might get two answers, and both can be right, because the English Springer Spaniel arrives in two very different coats. The show-bred Springer carries a fuller jacket with generous feathering, traditionally hand-stripped and shaped. The working Springer, the one that spends its weekends in the beating line, tends to have a shorter, coarser, more weatherproof coat that owners want kept practical and burr-free. The first job on the table is deciding which dog is in front of you, because it changes everything that follows.

Working coat versus show coat

A working-type Springer usually has a tighter, harsher body coat with lighter feathering, and the owner's priority is a low-maintenance, tidy dog that dries quickly and picks up fewer seeds and mud. A show-type carries more coat, more feathering on the legs, chest, belly and ears, and a jacket that, done to standard, is hand-stripped to keep its texture. Most pet Springers sit somewhere in between and get a sensible clip-and-tidy. Reading the coat texture with your hands, harsh and flat versus soft and cottony, tells you whether stripping is even an option on that dog.

Step one: prep and de-matting

Springers collect debris and mats in the feathering, the ears, the armpits and the groin. Line-brush through the feathering with a slicker and comb down to the skin, and check between the toes and pads where grass seeds hide. Clip out any tight mats rather than tearing them.

Welfare note: Grass seeds are a genuine hazard in this breed, especially in the feet and ears. If you find a swelling, discharge or a dog obsessively licking a paw, stop and advise the owner to see a vet. A seed that has migrated under the skin is a veterinary job, not a grooming one.

Step two: the bath

For a coat you intend to strip, wash in a texturising or clarifying shampoo and skip conditioner on the jacket, because softening works against the strip. For a pet clip, a gentle shampoo with conditioner through the feathering keeps it flowing and tangle-free. Rinse the belly, the deep ear feathering and the groin thoroughly.

Step three: high-velocity dry

HV dry with the direction of growth to straighten the feathering and lift loose undercoat, which a working Springer can carry a fair amount of. Keep the nozzle moving over the long ear leathers and steady each ear by hand. A fully dried, straightened coat is essential before you scissor the feathering, or your lines will drop and look uneven once it settles.

Step four: clipper work (the pet trim)

For a pet Springer body I clip with the coat to keep a natural, weatherproof look and avoid track lines. A #7F blade gives a tidy, practical body length, and a #5F leaves a little more for thinner-coated or cold-natured dogs. Where an owner wants a fuller finish, a snap-on comb (around 16 to 25mm) over a #10 sets the body length and blends nicely into the feathering. Do the throat and under the chin with the clipper to give a clean spaniel neckline.

Step five: the sanitary tidy and outline

Clear the sanitary area gently with a #10 blade around the genitals and under the tail. Clean up the belly line and tidy the top third of the ear leather (both sides, front and back) with a #10 or #15 to lighten the ears where the feathering begins, leaving the long fall to hang. For a coated show-type where the owner wants the jacket kept correct, hand strip the body rather than clipping, to preserve the harsh texture, and roll the coat little and often to keep it in condition.

Step six: feet, feathering and scissor finish

Springer feet should read tight and cat-like. Scissor the feet round, trim the excess between the pads and toes, and neaten the hocks. Comb the leg feathering down and trim it into a clean straight line that follows the leg without over-thinning. Level the skirt along the belly, blend the clipped body into the leg and chest feathering with a thinning shear so there is no hard shelf, and tidy the tail feathering to a neat taper. Stand the dog off and check the whole silhouette reads as one balanced spaniel outline, then correct any dropped lines.

Breed standard versus pet trim

To the breed standard the Springer carries a close, straight, weatherproof body coat with moderate feathering, and the Royal Kennel Club breed standard sets out that weatherproof coat and workmanlike feathering. In the ring the jacket is hand-stripped and the feathering shaped rather than clipped short. A pet or working trim reasonably prioritises practicality: a clipped or shortened body, tidy feet and manageable feathering that stays clean in the field. There is a useful overview of the working versus show coat split on the English Springer Spaniel Wikipedia page, and the PDSA Pet Health Hub is a sensible reference for coat and skin health you can point owners toward.

Frequently asked questions

How do I tell a working Springer coat from a show coat? Feel the texture. A working coat is usually shorter, harsher and lighter on feathering, built to shed water and mud. A show coat is fuller with more feathering and, kept correctly, a hand-stripped jacket. Most pets fall between the two and take a sensible clip-and-tidy.

Can I clip a Springer, or should it be hand-stripped? A harsh, coated show-type is best hand-stripped to keep its texture. A soft or blown coat, or a low-maintenance pet, is fine to clip. Clipping a harsh coat softens it over time, so make that choice with the owner rather than by default.

How should Springer feet look after grooming? Tight and cat-like. Scissor them round, clear the excess hair between the toes and pads, and neaten the hocks. Check carefully for grass seeds while you are down there.

What is the biggest welfare risk when grooming a Springer? Grass seeds and moisture trapped in the feet and ears. Always dry thoroughly, check between the toes and pads, and advise a vet visit if you find swelling, discharge or obsessive licking.

Written from the salon floor by Lucy, City & Guilds Level 2 & 3 qualified groomer and owner of Fluffs, a one-to-one dog grooming salon in Wigginton, York. For more professional grooming guides, explore the Fluffs grooming blog.