We bought our first Gordon Setter from Bydand Kennel, breeders Bill and Diane Klumb from
Maple, Wisconsin. Diane would send out quarterly newsletters with information from vets
and other dog owners among other items of interest that would make living with a Gordon
fun. The following grooming narrative appeared in one of her newsletters and we have used
the instructions on our Gordons ever since. This summer cut really does work. Thanks
Diane!
“The old school of thought regarding the dog’s coat held that the more hair a dog had, the
better insulated he was against heat.
Fortunately for dogs, most of us don’t believe it anymore. Running around in a thick fur coat
when the thermometer reads 90 degrees is uncomfortable for both man and beast, and the
biggest favor you can do your furry buddy is to remove as much of it as possible. Setters,
spaniels, and goldens are going to benefit from it the most, although a heavy coated
wirehair can also gain ground from this treatment as well.
The tool of choice for this job is the Oster A-5 clipper with a #10 blade. Starting at the front
and working toward the tail, remove all the excess hair on the skull and around the top of the
ears and underneath them, running the clippers down the shoulders and throat to the point
of the breastbone. Brush out the longer feathering on the chest and leave it alone. Take
the back hair off in smooth lines from neck to tail. Angle down the sides of the dog, leaving
the feathering from about halfway down the ribs as a fringe. Then run the clippers down the
front of the front legs trimming the feet to the “wrist”, leaving the feathering on the back of
the foreleg from the elbow to the wrist.
The flanks and croup should be taken down short as well, as this is the first place hot spots
will develop. Dogs will invariably get hot spots under any thick or matted coat. Run your
clippers down the flanks, leaving only a fringe on the back of the rear legs. Clip off any hair
on the hocks and feet and trim all the inside of the thighs. On dock-tailed breeds, trim the
excess feathering off the tail and take the top of the tail short (another great place for hot
spots to develop!) On long-tailed breeds, trim the thick hair that surrounds the base,
thinning the top and cutting it all off underneath about two inches from the base. Pull all the
long feathering out to the end and cut it off at the very tip (see diagram). When you release
the feathering, it will be the perfect triangular shape that setters’ tails look like in pictures.
Have a helper stand the dog on his hind legs while you clip off all the hair on the belly from
the armpits to the groin, being careful of the reproductive anatomy (this makes a lot of male
dogs justifiably nervous) leaving a strip of feathering on each side, along the ribs. When
you stand the dog back on all fours, he will look like he still has feathering, but there will be
nothing to get matted or full of burrs, and he’ll stay cooler in the summer.
This job is most easily accomplished on a grooming table. If you don’t want to spend the
money for one, you can make one for a fraction of the cost. The Oster A-5 small animal
clipper is the best investment you can make in dog grooming equipment. The clipper will
outlast your dog and very possibly you.
Aside from keeping the dog cooler, this summer clip has several other advantages. If your
area is bothered by fleas (that’s everywhere within the lower 48 states as far as I can tell)
and ticks, the stripped-down dog is easier to examine and treat if necessary. (Flea products
are designed to be applied to the dog’s SKIN not his fur.) The dog that’s been stripped
down is easier to keep clean, and won’t drag dirt into the house with him nor will he shed
constantly. In fact, if a dog starts to shed heavily, this is about the best thing you can do.
Either you clip it off and sweep it into a bag all at once, or you vacuum it up little by little. If
he has been swimming, he’ll dry faster and smell better when wet. Giving him a bath will be
much less of a chore. In hot weather, bathing with an antibacterial shampoo up to once a
week (YES!) will avoid many of the skin problems that summer brings. If you doubt that
washing a dog frequently is good for his skin and coat bear in mind that show dogs with their
long flowing glossy coats are shampooed constantly.
All in all, it will make summer dog care easier and your grouse hunting buddy will love you
for it. All Bydand dogs are stripped down for the summer, as are all training dogs. It simply
keeps them in better condition for summer work, which pays off in the fall. And that’s the
name of the game.”
Maple, Wisconsin. Diane would send out quarterly newsletters with information from vets
and other dog owners among other items of interest that would make living with a Gordon
fun. The following grooming narrative appeared in one of her newsletters and we have used
the instructions on our Gordons ever since. This summer cut really does work. Thanks
Diane!
“The old school of thought regarding the dog’s coat held that the more hair a dog had, the
better insulated he was against heat.
Fortunately for dogs, most of us don’t believe it anymore. Running around in a thick fur coat
when the thermometer reads 90 degrees is uncomfortable for both man and beast, and the
biggest favor you can do your furry buddy is to remove as much of it as possible. Setters,
spaniels, and goldens are going to benefit from it the most, although a heavy coated
wirehair can also gain ground from this treatment as well.
The tool of choice for this job is the Oster A-5 clipper with a #10 blade. Starting at the front
and working toward the tail, remove all the excess hair on the skull and around the top of the
ears and underneath them, running the clippers down the shoulders and throat to the point
of the breastbone. Brush out the longer feathering on the chest and leave it alone. Take
the back hair off in smooth lines from neck to tail. Angle down the sides of the dog, leaving
the feathering from about halfway down the ribs as a fringe. Then run the clippers down the
front of the front legs trimming the feet to the “wrist”, leaving the feathering on the back of
the foreleg from the elbow to the wrist.
The flanks and croup should be taken down short as well, as this is the first place hot spots
will develop. Dogs will invariably get hot spots under any thick or matted coat. Run your
clippers down the flanks, leaving only a fringe on the back of the rear legs. Clip off any hair
on the hocks and feet and trim all the inside of the thighs. On dock-tailed breeds, trim the
excess feathering off the tail and take the top of the tail short (another great place for hot
spots to develop!) On long-tailed breeds, trim the thick hair that surrounds the base,
thinning the top and cutting it all off underneath about two inches from the base. Pull all the
long feathering out to the end and cut it off at the very tip (see diagram). When you release
the feathering, it will be the perfect triangular shape that setters’ tails look like in pictures.
Have a helper stand the dog on his hind legs while you clip off all the hair on the belly from
the armpits to the groin, being careful of the reproductive anatomy (this makes a lot of male
dogs justifiably nervous) leaving a strip of feathering on each side, along the ribs. When
you stand the dog back on all fours, he will look like he still has feathering, but there will be
nothing to get matted or full of burrs, and he’ll stay cooler in the summer.
This job is most easily accomplished on a grooming table. If you don’t want to spend the
money for one, you can make one for a fraction of the cost. The Oster A-5 small animal
clipper is the best investment you can make in dog grooming equipment. The clipper will
outlast your dog and very possibly you.
Aside from keeping the dog cooler, this summer clip has several other advantages. If your
area is bothered by fleas (that’s everywhere within the lower 48 states as far as I can tell)
and ticks, the stripped-down dog is easier to examine and treat if necessary. (Flea products
are designed to be applied to the dog’s SKIN not his fur.) The dog that’s been stripped
down is easier to keep clean, and won’t drag dirt into the house with him nor will he shed
constantly. In fact, if a dog starts to shed heavily, this is about the best thing you can do.
Either you clip it off and sweep it into a bag all at once, or you vacuum it up little by little. If
he has been swimming, he’ll dry faster and smell better when wet. Giving him a bath will be
much less of a chore. In hot weather, bathing with an antibacterial shampoo up to once a
week (YES!) will avoid many of the skin problems that summer brings. If you doubt that
washing a dog frequently is good for his skin and coat bear in mind that show dogs with their
long flowing glossy coats are shampooed constantly.
All in all, it will make summer dog care easier and your grouse hunting buddy will love you
for it. All Bydand dogs are stripped down for the summer, as are all training dogs. It simply
keeps them in better condition for summer work, which pays off in the fall. And that’s the
name of the game.”
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