Shaving ears

For you setter/spaniel/britt folks... I do not clip my dog. I do keep his feathers and paws trimmed with scissors but he doesn't carry a lot of coat so I do not clip the rest as I am worried it would end up coming back longer and need to be clipped regularly... Which leads me to my question. I cannot handle his ears! He's constantly getting terrible mats, and with bird season around the corner it's just a matter of time until they're covered in burrs and other unwelcome tag-alongs. How do you go about shaving the ears? How short do you go? With or against the hair? How do you restrain a high strung dog long enough to get it done (LOL)? I think its in my best interest this year to shave them down. He has mats right now that I'm unable to get out so I think it's my only option.

I don't think it's a good idea to shave a dog right down unless you are removing mats. After a good run when they are worn out works best.

I go over the dog in the summer with a clipper with a #10 blade. My wife insists on doing the ears with scissors, but if she doesn't get to it I do the same to the ears. She's shaved down for the summer, but not after the start of September.

I just cut out the burrs where needed- ears included. They won't win any beauty contests but................:)


edited for won't not will

#10? That sounds awfully long lol. I was thinking a #1 or #2

I figure that's why god gave me children and grooming tools. Girls have it down pretty good by now. I count on at least 30 minutes of burr removal after a day's hunting. I have a groomer around the corner that keeps him looking halfway presentable but by the end of the season there are some stupid looking patches on him. It grows back.

A product called "show sheen " it's a liquid works well for taking out burrs etc . Used on horses , should be able to get at tack shop or feed store . Rub a little on long ear hairs before going to bush & nothin catches on . Luck

I use show sheen. It's pretty good but he's a burr magnet. Be easier if the hair just wasnt there

I don't mean a #10 comb, i.e. attachment, I mean the blade itself is a #10 blade. I'm shaving the dog with the bare blade. This leaves only 1/8" to 1/4" of hair. (Nominal length left by a #10 blade is 1.8 mm.) But I leave more on the chest, for protection from cuts & scrapes.

Since I don't shave her after Sept 1, by the time the season rolls around she has enough coat to protect her. I use Show Sheen also - Show Sheen & short hair makes burrs much more manageable.

I bought a quality clipper for the first time last year. That's the best thing I ever did.

I never shaved my dogs, I cut along (not across) the hair if I couldn't get the matts/burrs out. There are special tools for that, but smallish scissors work fine.
Dogs need hair/fur to protect from cuts and sticks (depends where you hunt).
The only spots I trimmed the hair was behind the ears on cockers where it mats easily, in armpits on some super hairy dogs and between the toes in the winter to avoid snow balls.