Spangle Clipping/Grooming

[JoG]

Has anyone got any tips?! How long does Spangle fur take to grow??!!

I decided yesterday to give them a tidy up (especially as they appear to be Solar-powered Spangles ) so found the posh clippers once purchased on eBay, chose a grader and pinned down Spangle one.

Sadly I think my technique is suitable for horses only as Archie is now sporting a No2 all over Am i supposed to go with the hair or against?!

I think he looks quite cute though

Molly faired slightly better as the OH returned, saw the state of Archie and decide he would take charge of the clippers But I had butchered her trousers and she appears to now have pointer back legs on a spangle body

Photo thankfully doesn't show the worst of the damage as the clever girl is sitting on the source of embarassment Hopefully we won't meet anyone on walks for a while!

 

[Spudlet]

Oh dear lol lol lol lol

I have no techniques to offer as I pay someone else to clip Henry, coward that I am Although a number 2 all over is what Henry gets too, so at least you are not the only owner of a scalped spangle

I hate to tell you this, but it takes Henry quite a long time to grow his fur back

 

[Patches]

You left her cockatoo head on!

I have always clipped my dogs myself. Depends which clippers I'm using as to which way I take them over the coat. The trimmers clip closer, so I go with the coat. I tend to use my big horse clippers with a coarse blade in and I can clip over the back, head, face, ears, sides with that against the coat as it won't cut too closely. I then run the clippers around the top of the feet as well as underneath to trim the hair and stop them bringing too much mud in on their paws. After that, the trousers are done with scissors. If the dog holds still, you can lightly run clippers away from the skin to give you the desired length of feather on the skirt and trousers. I will also tidy up between the claws with scissors if necessary.

 

[JoG]

I bought the clippers as i thought i could do a better job then the groomer (who left Molly looking ghastly last time) I now realise that it is actually quite a skill

Completely agree that she needs to loose those curls but OH loves them

 

[Slinkyunicorn]

I too pay someone else to do it!! That way I can blame them for my scalped spangle and Sweep still loves me!!

Sweep has everything off - no feathers or curly bits left anywhere - and he is clipped roughly about every 3-4 months depending on the time of year - more frequently in the spring and summer as he gets so hot and his long curly coat means stinky spangle!!

St Sweep before......

and after!!

 

[kirstyhen]

I don't clip my Spangle as it actually a crime But I used to groom a bit, so was often forced into clipping off their lovely coats

You need to go with the coat. Start at the top of her head and go all the way along her back, clip all over her back until you get half way down her sides, then turn the clippers so they face toward the ground and run them straight down to graduate her clip into her skirt. Clip the front of her legs, again graduating out to her feathers, on her front leg clip the back of her legs to her stop and her back legs clip until her hock. Clip her thigh and around her bum graduating out towards her skirt again.
Then her neck - clip round behind her ears and down towards her chest, graduating out to her ruffle. Clip under her chin and the top of her throat.
Get scissors and trim her fluffly toes and feet, her skirt and her tail if necessary - cut her tail in a curving line towards the end. Brush her toe hair so it sticks up and the cut against the direction of the hair. Then hold the scissors flat against her pad and trim any hair that sticks out between them.
You can clip the top of her ears where it joins her head and then trim the bottom into a curve - but personally I don't like it.

OR, you can just do a No.2 all over as it means less hair, less muck and a cooler dog.

But like I said, clipping Spaniels is against my religion!!

 

[kirstyhen]

Imagine the smooth bits are clipped, that is what it should look like when you finish.

 

[JoG]

kirstyhen - Thanks LOADS!!! Think my mistake with Molly was clipping above her hock so giving her a weird chicken leg look

I couldn't cope with as much hair as the pic though Sorry!! Archie was probably like that to start which wasn't too bad, he is now some sort of convict dog with his uber short back and sides!!

Molly has a double coat and so somehow the sticky burrs tangle back on themselves and get embedded into her fluff when she went to a groomer she ended up worse - I don't think she even looks like a Spaniel in this pic:

hopefully the trousers will be back soon....maybe i can remove the curls and use them for natural fur extensions?!?!

 

[kirstyhen]

That is a show Spangle, so far too hairy for my tastes and always shown 'natural' to some extent. But it was the only decent picture I could find quickly. The ones that had been clipped wouldn;t show on my puter for some reason - it probably has the same opinion on clipping Spangles as I do

Otto has only a small amount of feathering and a beautiful coat, and my Mother would shoot me for clipping him! He does get fluffy breeks though, so I occasionally hand-strip him, when I can be bothered.

They both look fine to me, you're doing it for convenience not looks, so it doesn't matter that much. Most people I know clip their dog in a way that works for them, if you want it short, take it all off, I'm sure the dogs won't care!

 

[Spudlet]

What is that woman doing with that poor dog's tail?

When I get home I'll post a before and after pic of Henry, I think he looks loads better clipped and he is definitely happier not to collect half the vegetation of Norfolk in his fur everytime he leaves the house - and he dries quicker which I think is better for his joints But it was a shock to the system the first time I picked him up from the groomers, in fact I didn't immediately recognise him as he was a completely different colour

 

[posie_honey]

my spangle gets a full clip... with horse clippers! he lies down and falls asleep - loves it! then gets all hyper and excited as he's not too hot anymore lol

 

[CAYLA]

I don't think he looks bad at all....give yourself some credit missus, practice make almost perfect
I groom and most of my clients have their spangles shaved right down, I use osters so number 7f sometimes a 10 if they want them short as u like as Hen suggests go with the coat, and yep I will tell u it's not as easily as it looks if you want to leave skirts and feather, it's a skill to have them all neat and even
I personally think he look ok

 

[JoG]

Thank you Cayla

It must be because i am used to her uber fluffy stompy little back legs that she now looks oddly proportioned....I think i shall buy a collection of cheap toys with long "fur" so i can find the best clipper attachment and techniques on something that keeps still!!