Clumber Spaniel Grooming

The Clumber Spaniel has a dense, medium-length coat that has thick feathering on the ears, underbelly, and legs. The white (or off-white) coats also have a thick frill of hair, often called an apron, around the neck. Clumber Spaniel grooming will take some work, and will need to include frequent brushing to minimize shedding and regular bathing to keep these dogs' coats clean.

See below for plenty of details on maintaining the Clumber Spaniel coat.

In addition to coat care, these dogs will need regular maintenance in other areas. Brush the dog's teeth 2-3 times per week with a regular toothbrush; clean the ears monthly using canine ear cleaning solution; and if your Clumber's nails click on hard surfaces, it's time for a trim--which you can do with standard nail clippers.

Overall Clumber Spaniel grooming can be a bit time-consuming--and a lot of the work involves caring for these dogs' thick, feathered coats. The coats shed a good bit throughout the year, so frequent brushing will be necessary to help collect dead hairs. Tangles can form in the coat, especially in the longer featherings, if the coat isn't brushed consistently.

Clumber Spaniel brushing will need to happen often (3-4 times per week, if not daily). How to brush a Clumber Spaniel: first wet the coat with mist from a spray bottle. Then starting at the shoulders, use a pin brush to go through the coat section by section, brushing in sweeping strokes in the direction of hair growth. If you do encounter a tangle, first try working it out with your fingers, then if needed continue working through it with the end teeth of a greyhound comb.

Some Clumber owners also find it helpful to use de-shedding tools like a Furminator on their dogs' coats every few days to help with dead hair collection.

Since these dogs' coats are white, they get dirty pretty easily--so Clumber Spaniel bathing will need to happen regularly. Owners say they bathe their Clumbers about once a month, unless of course the dog gets especially dirty or stinky and an "emergency bath" is called for. When bathing a Clumber Spaniel, be sure to use canine shampoo, as the kind made for humans has a different pH and can irritate the dog's skin. Also take the time to rinse the shampoo completely from the coat; leftover soap residue will cause further skin irritation.

For the Clumber Spaniel, haircuts aren't required, but many owners have the thick coats trimmed a bit (and often thinned out with thinning shears) to keep them under control.

Though owners can learn to perform all aspects of Clumber Spaniel grooming themselves, a lot of people rely on professional groomers for major tasks like bathing and haircuts. In any case, it's a good idea to take your Clumber to a pro at least once. The groomer can give the dog a nice makeover, and provide tips on how to groom a Clumber Spaniel at home.