The Spanish water dog is a very popular dog known for being a great help to sailors, coast guards, forest police, firefighters, and in any situation where fresh water or s alty is present.
He is obviously a very good swimmer, and his hair has the rare quality of resisting well the ravages that water wreaks on the hair of other dog breeds. Precisely this article will deal with the specific care that this breed requires in its coat.
Continue reading our site and you will learn how to take care of the coat of a Spanish water dog.
Characteristics of the Spaniel's coat
The main characteristic of Spaniel hair is that it forms cords or dreadlocksIt is convenient to cut the coat according to the activities carried out by the dog. Nor does it shed hair, since if it falls out of the dermis it becomes part of the dreadlock.
Other very differentiating characteristics are that they should not be brushed, they should be bathed more frequently (once a month), and neither towels nor hair dryers should be used. The spaniel should dry itself, and if it is in the sun much better.
What you have to check is that it does not have parasites that force it to scratch and form knots. If knots form, they must be removed.
Haircuts in Spaniels
There are 3 types of haircuts that can be practiced on the spaniel: the uniform cut, work cut and long hair.
The even cut
This is the most practical cut for water dogs that live in flats and apartments. It consists of shearing them completely, without any decoration or pompom In this way it is very easy to keep them clean and odour-free. However, it is very advisable not to cut the hair below 1 cm, since during the summer sunburns could occur.
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The working cut consists of an ideal type of cut for dogs on board, or that must carry out maritime rescue work. It is also used by shepherds.
Labor court
Modality of haircut consisting of shearing the dog's face and the legs below the hocks. The rest of the body must keep the full hair length.
The function of this haircut is to make it easier for them to swim, and also to prevent spikes, berries, gill rakers from getting caught, or any other plant element that can irritate them or get stuck in their legs. The long hair on the rest of the body is to keep them warm and protect them from the temperatures and blizzards that occur in the sea or the mountains.
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It will depend on several factors to leave their mantle completely intact. The quality of the dog's hair is the main reason.
Long hair
It consists of Leaving them their full coat It will be convenient to check that they do not carry fleas or other parasites that force them to scratch and form knots. The hair should not be brushed, it should be allowed to naturally form the beautiful dreadlocks that identify and differentiate the spaniel from other canine species.
The only care this type of hair requires is a monthly bath with water and shampoo used in minimal amounts on the face, genitals and anus, then leaving it to dry naturally in the open air. It is not advisable to fluff the dog's dreadlocks using an excess of shampoo that could eliminate the natural and protective fat of the dog's body.
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Other care
If the dog is sheared, it should be done in May and October, coinciding with the shearing of the sheep. If the spaniel must enter a dog show, its hair must be cut following some established rules: it must not exceed 15 cm in length, nor be less than 2 cm.
Seawater beautifies the coat of the spaniel if it is treated as follows: after bathing it in the sea, let it dry naturally without clarifying the s altpeter. After two days, on the third day we will rinse it with plenty of fresh water. S altpeter is a great natural disinfectant and dewormer. At the same time, it fixes and forms a prettier curl, slightly bleaching the coat. We should not leave the dog without rinsing beyond the third day, since the action of the s altpeter would cease to be beneficial and would become problematic for the dog's dermis.
The spaniel should bathe in cool water, never hot. We will also not use a hand dryer or towels to dry it. It should be dried naturally so that the dreadlocks retain their original shape.
We will undo the knots with our fingers, from the outside to the inside.
