Water dogs have a beautiful curly coat that forms cords and that requires regular care that we cannot always provide as we would like. For this reason or simply because we prefer to see our spaniel with shorter hair, we have the option of cutting his hair. However, there are many doubts that may arise before daring to make the first cut. Therefore, in this article on our site we explain how to cut a spaniel's hair
First haircut for a water dog, when to do it?
The hair of water dogs is not the same as a puppy as it is as an adult, since the quality of the coat will be different. In general, while they are small, more or less up to a year, it will not be necessary to make any cuts and regular grooming will suffice, better daily, as it is a coat that tangles easily. Even so, from 4 months it is considered that a first cut could be made in the spaniel.
What do I need to cut a water dog's hair?
First of all, the most important utensil when it comes to cutting a Spaniel's hair is the clipping machine Choose a quality one, such as Max45 or Max50 from the brand MOSER Animal, is decisive for getting a good cut. In this way, we ensure that the blades make a fast, effective and safe cut for our dog. It's also a good idea to have dog-specific scissors for finishing touches.
Before cutting you can pass your hands all over the body to separate the cords or curls or, depending on the state of the coat, a card or comb, as well as a knot cutter, if necessary, to make cutting easier. See that all these utensils are suitable for the characteristics of the hair of this breed.
Before the cut, we recommend bathing the dog, preferably with special products for its type of fur, and drying it completely. To do this we will use towels, without rubbing, and then a dryer.
How to cut a spaniel's hair at home?
Before starting your water dog's haircut, we recommend getting him used to handling his coatand any part of his body, as well as the sound of the cutting machine. For this, it is essential to regularly caress your dog since he is a puppy, both his legs and his belly, head, etc. Likewise, it is appropriate to let him smell the machine and give him a prize to associate his presence with positive stimuli.
Once this is done, you can turn it on so that it listens and, again, reward. When he has got used to the sound, try to cut a strand and reward. This process may take a while, but it's important to avoid stress during the final cutting session.
Once we have achieved the above, the most important thing when it comes to cutting our water dog's hair at home is having the necessary materials at handand long enough to be able to do it calmly, especially if it is the first cut. It would be convenient to prepare a place, preferably with a table, more or less at the height of our hips, where we could have all the necessary utensils at hand so as not to have to move and let the dog go. Help from another person may be needed to hold or position it.
The cutting technique is easy if you follow these basic steps:
- Bathe your dog as usual and dry well to remove any dirt or mud, etc. Why is it so important to dry it very well? Very simple, since water dogs have curly hair, it is easier to see how the cut will look if we do it dry, since the length will not be the same when wet. In addition, for the clipper to slide well and cut well, the coat must be completely dry.
- Choose the right blade to the cutting length you are looking for. Or you can also use metallic combs. Remember that zero shaving is not advisable and should be reserved for surgeries, injuries, etc. Leave at least 1-2 centimeters, depending on the length of cut you need.
- Run the machine starting from the top of the head to the tail, in the direction of hair growth.
- Then, slide it up the sides, outside of the hind legs, under the tail, neck and chest.
- Leave more delicate areas for the animal, such as the face, ears, legs, belly and tail for last.
- You can finish the cut by outlining the contours with scissors in case some hairs are longer than others. Avoid cutting whiskers, that is, whiskers and eyelashes. Don't pull out the hairs inside the ears either.
In this way, you will achieve an even cut of the hair all over the body. If what you want is a specific hairstyle, with areas of more or less hair, you will simply have to pass the machine only in the selected parts, leaving the hair longer in the others. In these areas you can help with scissors.
Once the cut is made, you can keep it running through the machine or trimming the ends with scissors when necessary.
My dog won't let his hair be cut, how do I do it?
For dogs, haircuts can be very stressful. The recommendation is to accustom them from a young age to manipulations throughout the body and to different stimuli, among which would be razors and hair dryers, to get them used to noise. But it is not always possible to perform this stimulation. If our dog is one of those that resists a haircut, we can try to overcome the situation with the following measures:
- Positive reinforcementWe must make the dog associate the haircut with positive feelings. To do this, we can offer food prizes, caresses, affectionate words, toys, etc. We must give the reward just when we are with the cut so that the association occurs correctly. As we have mentioned before, we can start simply by showing him the machine, putting it into operation and rewarding him so that he is not scared by the noise.
- Hairdressing sessions should be short and our maxim will be patience. We can start by cutting through the area of the withers or the chest, less sensitive, rewarding at the same time, for which the help of another person may be necessary.
- Never yell, let alone hit the dog. If it strongly resists, the recommendation is to stop and try again at another time, once you have calmed down.
On the other hand, if even positive reinforcement doesn't make any headway, you may need to see a dog behaviorist or professional groomer.
How often do you cut a spaniel's hair?
This question does not have a single answer. There is no fixed time between haircuts, so you can decide based on your tastes. For example, you can keep your hair longer in the winter and cut it more often in the warmer months, or keep it short if you don't have time to care for it and longer when you can.
On the basis of hair growth, to keep it short it may be necessary to cut it every 3-4 months.
