The English setter is elegance distilled. The long, silky double coat flows like water. Maintaining this beauty takes a pretty high level of commitment.

Regular brushing is one of the most important things you can do to make your pet healthy and happy and you should find yourself spending daily quality time with your English setter.

Brushing:

. Removes dirt and debris
. Invigorates skin
. Spreads oils to moisturize skin and keep a shiny coat
. Prevents mats and tangles which are irritating painful and can harbor bacteria, fungus, other infection
. Keeps your house much cleaner especially during shedding seasons
. Bonding, massaging, loving interaction
. Early detection of fleas, tics, eczema, infection and smells that signify sickness

Tools: Slicker, Bristle brush, Fine Stripping Knife, Powder chalk or rubber finger cap, Medium-toothed comb, Fine-toothed comb, Thinning Shears and Straight Scissors, Spray conditioner

Brush and comb your English setter daily using the Bristle brush for body, and the slicker, combs and spray conditioner for untangling feathers.

Line brushing consists of holding hair up and out of the way and then brushing/detangling a small amount of hair at a time from underneath. Always work from the inside out on a coat and from the bottom to top of the hair. Brace the skin of your dog with one hand while working on knots and always brush in the direction of hair growth.

The combination of extreme silkiness of the English setter's coat, the medium to long length, and the tall and elegant bone structure require that it be hand plucked and stripped the way wire-haired dogs are.

If you'd like to show your English setter, consult with a professional groomer that can guide or instruct you on the exact specifications and technique to use on your dog.

If you're not interested in showing, you'll still need to pluck or strip its undercoat to maintain the flow and fall of its coat. You can send your English setter to the groomers or learn to do it yourself and make it part of your weekly routine.

Hand-Plucking or Stripping Basics:

Hand plucking or stripping is the act of removing hair from either the top coat or the undercoat of your pet by hand.

Purists always hand pluck. This involves holding the pet down with one hand, grasping some hairs between thumb and forefinger, and giving a firm, fast tug in the direction of hair growth. Never twist the wrist. This cuts the hair rather than getting it from the root. Dead hair comes out easily. If needed, apply powder or chalk to the dog's fur or your own fingertips for better grip. Some swear by a rubber glove or finger cap for the same process.

Stripping is plucking with a tool. Make sure this knife is dull. The purpose is not to cut the dog, the hair or yourself but to grip hair. Grasp the stripper and hold it perpendicular to the dog's hair growth. Grab some hair between the stripper's teeth and your thumb, rotating the blade away from the thumb and giving it a quick pull.

Hand plucking and stripping are time and labor intensive. Its purpose with the English setter is to thin the lighter-colored undercoat in places so that the dark and glossy top coat falls in a uniform and flowing way.

Un-stripped or un-plucked, the coat of your English setter can look duller as the lighter undercoat begins to show through. The flow of the hair can also be disrupted by dense areas of growth. These can appear as bumps and uneven patches.

Combing the undercoat with a fine-toothed comb does pull some of the problem hairs out and this can become part of your routine also. Be sure to use the comb only where there is dull color showing through or a thickening going on.

Eyes: Check your dog's eyes daily.

Debris is flushed to the corners and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can keep that bacterial breeding ground from building up.


Ears: Check ears once a week.

They should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping ears clean minimizes odor, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.

Tools: Cotton balls or a soft cloth and ear solution.

There is solution made specifically for dogs but substitutes include: hydrogen peroxide, alcohol, mineral oil, witch hazel, and tea tree oil.

Place a few drops of ear solution in the ear and rub and massage it to loosen wax, then swab out with a cotton ball or cloth.

Ear Hair Plucking: Every two weeks.

The English setter has hair growing into the ear canal. This can prevent the canal from drying properly, trapping bacteria, and causing fungal infections.

Tools: Tweezers, powder, chalk, rubber gloves all optional

Lift the dog's ear and lay it back. Grasp hair along the inside of the ear between thumb and forefinger and pull firmly. This hair removes easily.

Use tools to help grip slippery hair.

Teeth: Regularly.

Should you brush your dog's teeth? Yes. 80% of 3 year old dogs have periodontal disease. Cavities and gum disease are painful for your dog; they diminish its pleasure and ability to eat. Bacteria that develops can infect the heart, kidney, liver and brain. Really bad breath is usually a sign of gum disease.

Tools: Toothbrush/finger cap/cloth, doggie toothpaste, tooth scraper

Never use human toothpaste. It is not edible.

Starting your English setter out with this practice takes patience, so constant rewards are required. Start out by getting them used to their mouth being handled, then moving on to touching the teeth with your finger. Get some meat-seasoned toothpaste and apply with your finger. Then introduce the brush. A few teeth at a time and soon you will have a routine that takes just minutes. Brush in a circular motion and get under the gum line.

If you don't want to brush everyday, use a tooth scraper to get rid of the plaque buildup once or twice a month. Most accumulation is on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won't be so much fun for your dog or you though.

Lots of bones and hard, crunchy foods can minimize plaque but not to a truly effective degree.

Nails: Every two weeks.

Nail care is very important for your English setter. Nails that aren't trimmed can splinter and infect the quick or grow and curl into the flesh. This can be painful for your dog to walk on and can affect their gait, posture, and eventually their skeletal and ligament health. Nails should never touch the ground. When your dog is standing, its nails should rest above the ground. If you hear clicking while they walk on the kitchen floor, clipping is past due.

Tools: Doggie Nail Clippers (scissors, pliers, guillotine), Dremel or file, Styptic or Kwikstop.

Introducing your dog to nail clipping should start out with getting them used to their paws being handled. Stroke, touch and manipulate your dog's paws whenever you are giving it affection.

Getting it used to the Dremel is your best bet to avoid clipping altogether.

Sit beside your dog and put your arm around its shoulders if you can so that you are clipping from underneath and at the right angle. Lift the paw and press on it to expose the claw.

If it has a clear nail you should be able to see the quick: a dark bundle of nerves and blood vessels. Clip from underneath close to the quick but do not cut into it. If you do, your dog will let you know soon enough. Use Styptic pencil or Kwikstop to staunch the bleeding. Buff the ragged edge with a file or Dremel.

If your dog has a dark nail, clip just under the curve of the nail and then you will be able to look inside and see the quick if you are close enough. Clip tiny snips at a time.

Don't forget to check for dewclaws: an extra claw dogs may have farther up on the leg that works like a thumb.

It is better to clip your dog's nails more frequently than not as this causes the quick to recede farther away from the tip.

Paws: Check daily/Trim every two weeks.

It is very important to check between dog pads for foreign objects that may have wedged there and to check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infection.

Tools: Small, blunt scissors, slicker brush or comb.

The English setter has hair that grows between its pads. This hair can mat and trap bacteria besides becoming painful to walk on. Trim hair around the paw to keep them cleaner. Only do this when the dog is standing on the paw. Push the feathers growing on top of the foot down through the toes to the pad. Lift the paw and from the back, brush out hair and trim to the pad level. Push the feathers back up through the toes and trim from the top.

Hygienic trimming: 2 to 4 weeks.

Tools: Blunt-nosed scissors, Thinning Shears, Electric clippers

Trimming at the front of ears, under the tail and around the privates keeps your dog feeling better as well as keeping them and your house cleaner.

Expressing Glands: Every 2 to 4 weeks

This is a task normally done when you take your dog in for professional grooming. Your dog uses scent glands in the anus to mark its territory.

These glands also excrete when your dog defecates. At times, they may get impacted. Signs of this include: increased doggie odor, excessive licking and chewing of the behind, and worst of all, scooting. That's when your dog drags its butt/bottom along your carpet.

There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it's a good habit to become accustomed to as it will lesson your dogs' odor.

Tools: Warm cloth

Lift the dog's tail and hold the cloth against it's behind. Place your fingers at 5 o'clock and 7 o'clock. Press inward and squeeze to expel.

Bathing: As needed

Most dogs do not need regular bathing. Their coats contain natural oils to moisturize their skin and keep them resistant to dirt and water. Stripping these oils with frequent bathing dries out the skin and is a detriment to a healthy coat.

The English setter on the other hand, does need frequent bathing. The texture of its long silky hair and the fact that it is a wholly outdoor hunting breed means that it can pick up fleas, ticks, cockleburs, brush and mud quite easily. These can all lead to skin irritation, infections and painful mats.

Tools: Non-slip mat, sprayer hose, dog shampoo, conditioner, leash, towels.

Choose a place where you can close off escape routes and expect 1-3 water-spraying shakes.

A leash tied to a higher point than your dog's head will keep it standing and deter escape. This is highly recommended as it's really hard to stop a slippery dog.

Never bathe your dog in standing water and never use human shampoo.

If you choose to bathe your English setter outside, attach the hose to your kitchen sink for warm water. Grooming salons often offer self-service use of their well-equipped facilities.

Wet your dog using your hand to massage and lift the hair to get to the undercoat. Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears. Cotton can be stuffed into the ear canal to deter water. Massage lather down to the undercoat.

Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet's skin. Condition the feathers and rinse and siphon off excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing. Towel your dog dry, blow-dry flat and downward. This dog needs to be completely dry to avoid hotspots. If your blow-dryer is becoming too hot or doesn't have enough force to do the job, make use of a self-serve grooming salon.