Products in this guide
You brushed the dog on Sunday. By Wednesday there is a felted lump behind each ear you could not have missed, and the feathering down the back of the front legs has gone the same way.
Springer ears knot because of what they are and where they hang, not because you missed a brushing. This guide covers why the ears and featherings go first, how to comb them so the knots stay away, what to wash oily ears with, how to get the shedding jacket to lie flat, and when the answer is thinning scissors in a groomer's hand.
Why do my Springer Spaniel's ears get so knotted?
Springer ears knot because they carry long, fine, silky feathering that hangs in constant motion against the neck, gets wet every time the dog drinks, and sits over a canal that produces more oil than most breeds. Fine hair tangles more readily than coarse hair, oil makes it sticky, water sets any tangle that is already there, and the swing of the ear supplies the friction that turns a tangle into felt. The jacket on the back is a completely different coat, short, flat, weatherproof and thornproof, which is why the dog can look neat from above and be matted underneath the ears.
The same applies everywhere the fine coat grows: the feathering on the back of the front legs, the trousers, the chest, the belly and under the tail. Those are the friction zones, where movement, the harness and the ground rub soft hair against soft hair.
| Area | Coat | Why it knots | Attention |
|---|---|---|---|
| Ear leathers | Long, fine, oily | Swing, water bowl, oil | Comb every 2–3 days |
| Leg feathering and trousers | Long, fine | Friction, wet grass, burrs | Comb twice weekly |
| Chest, belly, armpits | Fine, soft | Harness, lying down | Check with every comb |
| Jacket (back, sides) | Short, flat, dense undercoat | Does not knot, sheds | Deshed weekly |
How do I comb out my Springer's ears without hurting him?
Mist the ear with a detangling spray, hold the ear leather flat in your palm, and comb from the tips upward in short strokes with the fine end of the comb, working toward the head a centimetre at a time. Never start at the top and pull down through a knot, and never comb a dry ear. Dry hair drags, drag pulls the skin of the ear leather, and that is the moment the dog decides ears are off limits.
The order that works
- Spray a detangler lightly through the feathering, getting it under the hair rather than across the top. Wait a minute.
- Lay the ear flat in your open hand, feathering hanging over your fingers, so the leather is supported and cannot be pulled.
- Start at the bottom edge with the coarse pins. Comb the last two centimetres until it runs clear, then move up two centimetres and repeat.
- Where the comb stops, hold the hair above the knot between finger and thumb so no tension reaches the skin, and tease the knot apart from the bottom with the comb's end pins.
- Finish with the fine pins over the whole leather, root to tip, then behind the ear where it meets the skull. That crease is where the felt hides.
- Do the same on the leg feathering, trousers and chest, then run the fine pins under the armpits and the collar line.
A light leave-in conditioning spray for wet or dry hair that does not leave a sticky feel on the coat. Mist it through the ear feathering and leg coat before combing. Anything tacky on a Springer ear attracts the very dirt and oil that starts the next knot.
ProGroom STYLE Grooming Comb - Large
A 248 x 45mm steel grooming comb with coarse and fine pins. The coarse end opens the feathering, the fine end is the check that runs root to tip on the ear leather. If the fine pins pass, the ear is done. If they stop, it is not, however brushed it looks. More in combs.
Pin brush, not slicker, on the featherings
Use a pin brush on the feathering and save the slicker for the jacket. Long, fine ear and leg coat breaks under a slicker's short wire pins, which is what leaves the ends frizzy and thin. A pin brush with rounded tips separates the feathering without snapping it.
Plush Puppy Ultimate Pin Brush
21mm nickel-plated polished pins with rounded tips on an aeroelastic rubber cushion, beechwood handle. Built for drying and refreshing a coat and for daily maintenance across all coat types, and the right brush for a Springer's feathering, where a slicker would break the hair. More in brushes.
Why do my Springer's ears feel greasy and smell?
Springer ears feel greasy because the skin of the ear leather and the canal underneath it produce more oil than the rest of the dog, and the hanging feathering holds that oil against itself and picks up water from the bowl every time the dog drinks. Oil plus water plus fine hair is a knot, and oil plus a warm, covered canal is the smell. It is a breed trait rather than a hygiene failure, and it is why a Springer's ears need a different wash from the jacket.
Wash the ears with a deep-cleansing shampoo that cuts through oil, rinse them completely, and dry them completely, while the rest of the body stays on a milder wash. Fold the leather forward over the opening while you rinse so water runs off the flap rather than into the canal, towel it straight away, and finish the featherings with a dryer, because damp feathering knots as it dries.
A deep-cleansing shampoo built on activated charcoal that removes build-up and odour, with sandalwood, marjoram and lavender essential oils and vitamin E. No SLS, parabens or synthetic perfume. The one for the ear leathers and feathering when they have gone oily, rinsed thoroughly.
Melanie Newman Everyday Conditioner
Formulated for drop, harsh, wired, gundog and Spaniel coats, with tea tree, peppermint and eucalyptus essential oils. It smooths the feathering, controls frizz and makes combing easier. Use it on the ears, legs and trousers only, diluted and rinsed well, and keep it off the jacket.
Condition the feathering, never the jacket
Conditioner goes on the long coat only. Squished through the ear and leg feathering it keeps the coat hydrated and combable; on the short body coat it lifts the hair and makes it fluffy, and a Springer jacket is meant to lie flat and shed water. Condition the ears, legs, chest and trousers, rinse, and leave the back alone.
Between baths, a water-soluble coat oil hydrates without grease. Sprayed through the featherings and around the rear, it adds shine and helps stop discolouration and breakage without altering the texture of the jacket.
Calendula, wheat germ and evening primrose extracts in a water-soluble, non-greasy oil that hydrates and conditions skin and coat. Spray the topline and featherings between baths, or add 1 tablespoon to 4 litres of water as a leave-in final rinse after shampooing. Do not rinse it out.
Why is my Springer shedding, and how do I keep the jacket flat?
A Springer sheds because the jacket is a true double coat, a flat weatherproof top coat over a dense undercoat, and the undercoat lets go in bulk whenever the temperature swings. Across most of Australia that is close to year-round, heavier as the weather warms and again as it cools. Dead undercoat does not fall out cleanly. It works up through the top coat and lifts it, and the flat jacket starts to look open, which is when most owners reach for a slicker and damage the feathering instead.
Deshedding is the answer for the jacket, and it is a different job from brushing. A deshedding tool with a short blade head pulls loose undercoat out from under the top coat without cutting healthy hair, and once the dead coat is gone the jacket drops flat again. Work with the lie of the coat over the back, sides and neck only. Keep it off the feathering, where it will take live coat.
Refuresh Gentle Deshedding Brush for Short/Medium Hair
A vertical blade head with double C-shaped edges that lifts loose undercoat without cutting or stressing healthy hair, a push-button ejector to clear the hair, and an adjustable head. The short and medium hair head is the one for a Springer's jacket, in three sizes; the medium suits most Springers. More in deshedding and detangling.
Bathing helps the shed along. A warm bath loosens undercoat, and force drying blows the dead coat out in one session rather than around the house over a fortnight. Deshed once the dog is fully dry.
Should I trim my Springer's ears, or have them thinned?
Tidy the ears with thinning scissors rather than clipping them, and if you are not confident with thinners, leave it to a groomer. The breed standard allows trimming around the head, ears, neck and feet to remove excess feathering, but not the chopped look straight scissors leave in fine coat. Thinners take bulk while keeping the natural edge, so an ear that knots because it carries too much coat can be lightened without looking cut.
The jacket is stripped rather than clipped. Clipping a Springer's back takes the top coat off with the undercoat, and what grows back is softer, fluffier and holds more dirt. Heavy undercoat is thinned by hand or with a stripping knife, a job for someone who has been shown how. The Learn to Groom courses cover gundog coats and where the thinners go.
How often does a Springer Spaniel need grooming?
Comb the ears and feathering every two to three days, deshed the jacket weekly, bath every four to six weeks, and book a professional groom every eight to twelve weeks for the thinning and tidy. Skip the midweek ear comb and the schedule falls apart, because a knot behind the ear at three days is a felt at seven.
| Task | How often |
|---|---|
| Ears combed, fine pins, with detangler | Every 2–3 days |
| Leg feathering, trousers, chest combed | Twice weekly |
| Jacket deshedded | Weekly, more in a heavy shed |
| Bath, ears on a deep-cleansing wash | Every 4–6 weeks |
| Professional groom, thinning and tidy | Every 8–12 weeks |
Notes for professional groomers
A pet Springer arriving with felted ear leathers and an open jacket is two separate problems and two separate products. Degrease the ears and featherings on a deep-cleansing wash first, because a detangler on oily coat just slides; wash the jacket on an everyday shampoo and keep conditioner to the long coat so the back drops flat. Force dry and deshed the jacket while the ears sit in conditioner, then comb the feathering from the ends up with the leather supported in your palm. Thinners on the ear edge and feathering, never a straight blade in fine coat. If the owner has been slicker-brushing the ears you will see the breakage; show them a pin brush and the fine end of the comb at pick-up. Where the back has been clipped before and come back soft, say so on the card.
Common questions
Can I just cut the knots out of my Springer's ears with scissors?
No, not with scissors pointed into a knot on an ear leather. The skin of the ear is thin and moves with the hair, and a knot that feels like hair can have skin folded into it. Split the knot from the bottom with the end pins of a comb after a detangler, or take the dog to a groomer who will use thinners or a blade with the skin held flat.
My Springer's ears smell even after a bath. What am I doing wrong?
Usually the ears are going home wet. Water runs down the leather into the canal during the rinse, the flap closes over it and the warmth does the rest. Fold the leather forward over the opening while rinsing, towel it straight away, dry the featherings completely with a dryer, and wipe the canal opening with an ear cleaner once the dog is dry. If the smell persists or the ear is red, that is a vet visit.
Is it okay to shave a Springer Spaniel in summer?
No, shave the feathering back if it is unmanageable, but leave the jacket. The double coat on the back insulates against heat as well as cold and shields the skin from the Australian sun, and a clipped jacket grows back softer and fluffier and holds more dirt. Deshed the undercoat out instead, keep the dog out of the midday heat, and have the ears and feathering thinned.
My Springer hates having his ears touched. How do I start?
Start with the ear in your palm and no comb at all. Hold the leather flat, feathering over your fingers, for a few seconds while the dog eats something, and stop. Add a mist of detangler and two strokes at the very bottom edge the next day. Most ear-shy Springers have had a dry comb dragged down through a knot, and it takes a week of short, pain-free holds to undo that.
Do working-bred and show-bred Springers need the same grooming?
The same routine, at different intensities. A working-bred Springer carries a lighter jacket and less feathering, so the ears might go a week between combs and the deshedding is quicker. A show-bred dog carries heavy feathering and a fuller undercoat, so the ears are a two to three day job and the thinning matters more. Check with the comb rather than the calendar: if the fine pins stop, it is due.
What to do this week
Lay each ear in your palm tonight and run the fine end of a comb from the bottom edge up. If it passes, you have a routine to keep. If it stops, mist a detangler through, split the knots from the bottom, and put a reminder in for three days' time. If the leather is felted flat to the skin, book the groomer and ask for thinners, not a clip.