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Irish Setter Grooming.
Informtion on how to groom your Irish Setter
DBT highly recommends the How To Professionally Groom Your Dog At Home ebook when learning to groom your dog or pet.
The Irish 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 Irish setter.
Brushing:
. Removes dirt and debris
. Invigorates the skin
. Spreads oils to moisturize skin and keep its coat shiny
. Prevents mats and tangles which are irritating and painful and can harbour bacteria, fungus and other infection
. Keeps your house clean, especially during shedding seasons
. Bonding, massaging, loving interaction
. Early detection of fleas, ticks, eczema, infection and smells that may alert you to 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 Irish setter daily, using the Bristle brush for body, the slicker, combs and spray conditioner for untangling feathers.
Line brushing consists of holding the dogs hair up and out of the way, then brushing/detangling a small amount of hair, a line or a row at a time from underneath.
Always work from the inside out on a coat and from the bottom to the 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 Irish setter's coat, the medium to long length and the tall, elegant bone structure require that it be hand plucked and stripped the way wire-haired dogs are.
If you'd like to show your Irish setter contact a professional groomer that can show you exactly what specifications and techniques 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 Irish 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.
Perfectionists always hand pluck. This involves holding the pelt 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 pulling 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 a better grip. Some swear by a rubber glove or finger cap.
Stripping is plucking with a tool. Make sure this knife is blunt. The purpose is not to cut the dog, the hair or yourself but to grip the 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 give a quick pull.
Hand plucking and stripping are time and labour intensive. Its purpose with the Irish 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 Irish 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 under coat with a fine-toothed comb does pull some of the problem hairs out and this can become part of your routine. Be sure to use the comb only where there is dull color showing through or a thickening going on.
At the end of this article is a brief overview of the grooming that an Irish setter might get at a professional salon.
Eyes: Check your dog's eyes daily.
Debris is flushed to the corners of the eyes and daily wiping with a wet cloth or paper towel can prevent the build up of bacteria.
Ears: Check ears once a week.
Your dogs ears should be pink and healthy inside. If not, don't do anything to them until you see a vet. Keeping your dogs' ears clean minimizes odour, removes dirt, bacteria and mites trapped in wax. Never use a cotton swab on the inner ear.
Tools: cotton wool balls or soft cloth and ear solution.
There are solutions 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 ear and rub and massage to loosen wax. Swab out with cotton wool balls or cloth.
Ear Hair Plucking: Every two weeks.
The Irish 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 the hair along the inside of the ear between thumb and forefinger and then pull firmly. This hair should come out easily.
Use tools to help grip slippery hair.
Teeth: Regularly.
80% of 3 year old dogs have periodontal disease due to lack of brushing. 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 Irish setter off with this practice takes patience. Reward them constantly so they will begin to enjoy grooming more.
Start off by getting it used to its mouth being handled.
Progress to touching the teeth with your finger.
Get some meat-flavoured toothpaste and apply with your finger.
Then introduce the brush. Clean 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 once or twice a month to get rid of the build up of plaque. It accumulates mostly on the outside of the teeth and on the back molars. This won't be much fun for your or your dog 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 Irish 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. It will affect its gait, posture, and eventually it's 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 on the kitchen floor, clipping is overdue.
Tools: Doggie Nail Clippers (scissors, pliers, guillotine), Dremel or file, Styptic or Kwikstop.
Introducing your dog to nail clipping should start off by getting it used to its paws being handled. Stroke, touch and play with 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 soon let you know. Use Styptic pencil or Kwikstop to staunch the bleeding.
Buff the ragged edge with a file or Dremel.
If it 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 look close enough. Clip using 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 frequently as this encourages the quick to recede farther away from the tip.
Paws: Check daily/Trim every two weeks.
It is very important to Check between your dogs pads for foreign objects that may have wedged there and check the pads themselves for cuts, scrapes and infection.
Tools: Small, blunt scissors, slicker brush or comb.
The Irish 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 paws to keep them clean. Only do this when the dog is standing on the paw.
Then, Push the feathers growing on top of the foot down through the toes and trim to pad level.
Lift the paw and from the back, brush out the hair and trim to pad level.
Push 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 it 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 odour, excessive licking and chewing of the behind and worst of all, scooting (when your dog drags its bottom along the floor or carpet).
There is no risk of overly expressing these glands so it's best to get accustomed to doing it regularly as it will lessen dog odour.
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 and 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 prevents your dog having a healthy coat.
The Irish 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. These all can 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 block 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 prevent it from escaping. This is highly recommended as it's really difficult to hold a slippery dog.
Never bathe your dog in standing water and never use human shampoo.
If you choose to bathe your Irish setter outside, attach the hose to the tap of your kitchen sink for warm water. Grooming salons often offer self-service use of their well-equipped facilities.
Wet your dog using your hand so as to massage and lift the hair to get to the undercoat.
Avoid getting water into the eyes, nose and ears.
Cotton wool can be stuffed into the ear canal to deter water.
Massage lather down to undercoat.
Rinse thoroughly as leftover shampoo can severely dry out and irritate your pet's skin.
Condition the feathers well.
Rinse and squeeze off excess water by running your hands along its body and pressing down gently.
Dry with a towel.
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.
The Salon Treatment:
Tools: Slicker, Bristle brush, Fine Stripping Knife, Powder chalk or rubber finger cap, Medium-toothed comb, Fine-toothed comb, Thinning Shears and Straight Scissors
After the bath, ear-cleaning, pad-trimming, blow-dry and brush the groomer would begin the hand plucking/stripping treatment.
First, take a good look at your Irish setter. Walk around it getting your eyes accustomed to the flow. You will begin to see the bumps and breaks in flow, the undercoat color coming through and the differing dense areas where hair grows faster.
Think flat. How do you make this fur flatter?
After you've started to see this you begin the stripping and thinning. When using the thinning scissors never cut across the hair. Scissor lines show up glaringly on Irish setter's coats. They break up that flow. Always use your thinning scissors in the direction of the hair growth. Never cut across or up against that direction.
Start with the face and head and work your way down the English setter's body to the tail.
Comb or brush the hair so that you can reach under the top coat to grasp and pull undercoat hair.
The back of the head at the neck and the shoulder area tend to be thick, requiring more attention. This hair also tends to curl up in different directions as it meets obstruction.
Use both the thinning shears under the top coat and plucking or stripping. Stop frequently and comb hair back to take stock.
The base of the tail and top of the rump is another place hair may grow faster and thicker.
As you step back to check on your work frequently, remember to look at the whole picture: don't thin the haunches too much if they'll look like they taper too much from the front. If the shoulders are a weak spot on your Irish setter bone-structure-wise then leave them fuller.
This may sound difficult but with practice it becomes a moving meditation.
The top of the tail should be thinned and stripped so that it is flat on top and falls to the side. You don't want a part though.
At the front again, work on the thick and curling throat, shoulders and chest.
Thin under the chest at the breastbone.
Strip and pluck the front of all four legs. Use your stripping knife to comb and de-fuzz.
Thin and shape the haunch. Keep it rounded. Thinning from the inside helps the flow. You can reach under the back legs of the Irish setter and thin.
To do the feathers on the back of the legs, brush the hair up the leg, blend the ends. Brush them back down and trim them even with the back pad. Your scissors would point in a vertical line. This gives you a tapered look.
Trim the back heel of the foot below the hock.
Brush feet. Push the feathers between the toes that are on top of the foot down through the toes to the bottom.
Brush the bottom of the feet and trim hair level with the pads. Trim the heel.
Push the feathers back through to the top of the foot. Brush.
With the dog standing flat-footed, trim around the foot so that hair just covers nails.
Time for the ears. Brush the hair upward. Thin and strip the undercoat. Brush back down and thin the top of the ears so that the hair here blends with that of the head. De- fuzz and then trim around the outline of the ear.
Work on the sides and underbelly. Thin and blend.