Springer Spaniel Grooming Guide

If you share your home with a Springer, you already know the deal: a beautiful, busy dog who treats every puddle, ditch and bramble as a personal invitation. That working-dog enthusiasm is exactly why grooming matters. The Springer's coat and ears aren't high-maintenance in a fussy, show-ring way — they're high-maintenance because this is a dog built to get filthy, and a bit of regular upkeep keeps them comfortable, sweet-smelling and free of the lumps and infections that catch a lot of owners out.

The coat you're working with

The English Springer Spaniel has a medium-length double coat: a softer undercoat for insulation and a firmer, weather-resistant outer coat. The body hair is fairly short and may be flat or slightly wavy, but the real work is in the *feathering* — the longer, silky hair on the ears, chest, belly, and the backs of the legs (the "trousers"). That feathering is where mud, burrs and tangles collect, and it mats far faster than the body coat. The Kennel Club lists the Springer as needing grooming more than once a week, and in practice most owners settle into brushing several times a week to stay on top of it.

Brushing: little and often

A good rule is a proper brush-through two or three times a week, plus a quick once-over on high-mess areas (ears, trousers, belly) after muddy walks. A slicker brush lifts dead undercoat and surface debris, and a metal comb is your honesty check — run it through the feathering and behind the ears, and if it snags, there's a mat forming. Work mats out gently with your fingers and the comb rather than dragging the slicker through them. Springers tend to "blow" their undercoat heavily a couple of times a year (often spring and autumn), and during those weeks a daily slick over keeps the tumbleweeds of fluff under control.

Those ears: the bit people regret skipping

Springers' long, low-set, hairy ears flop down over the canal, trapping warmth and moisture — exactly the conditions bacteria and yeast love. That makes the breed genuinely prone to ear infections, and the feathering on the ears also collects seeds and dirt on every country walk. Check inside the ears regularly: they should look pink and clean and smell neutral. Redness, a yeasty or sour smell, dark gunk, head-shaking or scratching are all signs to get your vet to look — don't just keep cleaning over a problem.

For routine care, use a proper dog ear cleaner (never cotton buds, which push debris deeper — PDSA recommends cotton wool and a vet-approved cleaner instead). Keeping the hair tidy around the ear opening helps air circulate, which is one of the simplest things you can do to reduce infections. Always check and dry the ears after swimming and bathing.

Trimming, hand-stripping and clipping

How you tidy a Springer depends on the dog. Working-bred Springers are often left more natural, with light tidying of the feathering and the hair around the feet and ears so they pick up less mud and fewer seeds. Show-type coats are traditionally kept by hand-stripping the body (plucking dead outer coat to keep the texture and colour) and tidying the feathering with thinning scissors. Many pet Springers are simply clipped by a groomer every 8–12 weeks for convenience — clipping is gentler on the dog and easier to maintain, though over time it softens the coat's texture. There's no single "right" answer; pick the routine that suits your dog's coat and your lifestyle, and a good groomer can show you what works.

Bathing, feet and nails

Bath only when genuinely needed — over-bathing strips natural oils. Most of the time a rinse and a thorough towel-and-brush dry after a muddy walk is plenty. When you do bath, use a dog shampoo, rinse well (suds left in the feathering cause itching), and dry the ears and trousers properly. Check the hair between the pads, which mats and balls up with mud, and trim it level with the pad. Keep nails short enough that you can't hear them clicking on a hard floor.

After every country walk

This is the habit that saves vet bills. Springers crash through long grass, so run your hands over the ears, armpits, belly, groin and between the toes feeling for grass seeds and ticks. Grass seeds are dangerous because, as PDSA warns, they can burrow under the skin — eyes, ears and toes are common spots. Ticks attach in the same warm, hidden places; check after walks in long grass and remove any you find promptly with a tick-twisting tool, twisting rather than pulling so the head doesn't break off.

Start young, keep it positive

Get a Springer puppy used to being brushed, having ears and feet handled, and standing on a table, with plenty of treats and short sessions. A dog that enjoys grooming makes every check, trim and tick-removal far easier for the rest of their life — and given how much of the world a Springer insists on rolling in, you'll be doing it a lot.

Sources

• The Kennel Club (Royal Kennel Club) — Spaniel (English Springer) breed information: https://www.royalkennelclub.com/search/breeds-a-to-z/breeds/gundog/spaniel-english-springer/
• PDSA — How to clean a dog's ears: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/pet-health-hub/other-veterinary-advice/how-to-clean-a-dog-s-ears
• PDSA — Grass seeds in dogs: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/pet-health-hub/conditions/grass-seeds-in-dogs
• PDSA — How to remove a tick from a dog or cat: https://www.pdsa.org.uk/pet-help-and-advice/pet-health-hub/conditions/how-to-remove-a-tick-from-a-dog-or-cat