Should you clip your dog’s coat for the summer?

I have become a great believer in getting a dog’s coat clipped out for the summer and I’m particularly talking all the different types of spaniels here. Every summer I see an increasing number of spaniels, including both cockers and springers, that have had their coats shorn.

Why you should clip your dog’s coat for summer

• It’s much easier to spot lumps or bumps that might need medical attention
• Finding and removing ticks is simpler
• Long hair and feathers pick up dirt and debris – a short-haired dog is cleaner around the house
• A clipped spaniel won’t suffer from cleavers in the ears as much
• A trip to the groomer can help keep dogs cool when the temperature rises
• Liver patches on liver and white spaniels look brighter
• A daily groom with a dog friendly metal comb will keep tangles at bay on a clipped dog

Spaniels particularly benefit from a clipped coat in summer

How much will it cost?

Spaniel coats vary, and if you’ve got one with silky fur there’s probably little reason for a full clip – a trim of leg and ear feathers is probably all that is needed. However, many spaniels have more woolly coats and I’m convinced that dogs like these benefit from a full trim. You can do it yourself if you are confident with the clippers, but it’s probably better to get a professional to do it for you. It should take less than an hour, and is likely to cost between £20 and £30.

More comfortable

My springer Rowan looks like a spotty pointer puppy when she comes back from the groomer and the clip always seems to put a spring in her step. In the summer dogs are certainly more comfortable with less fur and though dogs have an amazing ability to adapt to the conditions they find themselves in, a thick fur coat when the temperature is pushing 30° is hardly an asset. (Read this advice on keeping your dog cool in hot weather.)

Clip your dog’s coat and it may start behaving like a youngster again!

It’s much easier to see ticks on a dog with short hair

Remove burrs and ticks

There’s another compelling reason for getting your spaniel clipped, as it makes it so much easier to remove burrs and ticks. Of all native plants, my least favourite is what is generally known as goose grass, though it also goes by a number of other names such as sticky willy, catchgrass and cleavers. It is its seeds that create all the problems. They grow in small clusters and are covered in tiny hooked hairs that help the seeds to disperse so successfully. It is all too easy for a spaniel to fill its ears and feathers with scores of these burrs, and combing them out is a tedious and at times painful business. It is, however, much easier if your spaniel is not too furry. (Read this advice on keeping your spaniel’s ears free from grass seeds.)

Just brief the dog groomer on exactly what your requirements are. But book ahead, with the rise in dog ownership (particularly working cockers) groomers get very booked up.