How to Groom an Irish Water Spaniel

The Irish Water Spaniel, also referred to as a Whiptail, is the biggest of the spaniel breed. They are smart and eager to please their masters. Depending upon their personalities, they can be great dogs for families or good companions for just one person. They have a hard, curly coat which is blackish and almost purple. They should be given a full grooming every four to eight weeks.

Difficulty: Moderately Challenging

Instructions

Things You'll Need:

• Slicker brush
• Steel comb
• #10 blade
• Blending shears

1. Use a slicker brush and steel comb on this dog's coat as needed. The body has fairly long hair as opposed to the shorter length hair covering the face and tail. Comb your Irish Water Spaniel regularly to keep the hair from tangling and knotting. This breed sheds very little hair, if any.

2. Clip the hair on the face using a #10 blade. This is done by cutting away hair from the nose to the muzzle to the ear opening.

3. Trim the hair on the tail with blending shears from the base to about three inches towards the tip. The look of the Irish Water Spaniel's tail is called the "rat tail."

Tips & Warnings

• Irish Water Spaniels are expected to live for 12 to 14 years.
• It is widely thought that the Irish Water Spaniel is descended from the Poodle and the Irish Setter. They gained a good name for themselves by excelling at making dangerous catches by jumping into freezing water. The American Kennel Club considers them a retriever.
• Irish Water Spaniels are very susceptible to hypothyroidism and eye entropion. This breed may also drool and have frequent ear infections.