Burr control w longer haired dogs

[LLEWELLIN]

I am not a fan of clipping my setter for hunting season but the burrs were bad down where I have hunted recently so I was considering it untill if was told of spraying on a horse mane and tail detangler. It allows the burrs to pull right out by hand. I tried some Showsheen worked great but seemed to have a bit of a perfumed scent which i didn't care for on a bird dog so will switch over to Mane and Tail which comes unscented. I used the spray on type, and just sprayed legs, chest, underbelly and little around the ears. Still had to cut a couple out where I didn't get enough spray, but the majority just pulled right out. Much better than before.

[wildweeds]

The trick to hunting a shaggy dog is to execute the haircut at the right time,Shortcuts in the summer will grow out to be just the right length as to keep them warm but not be a burr magnet.Like my buddy the retired warden told me of his owning of an english setter and some cocker spaniels........."They got the burrs in there they can get em out..............keeps em quiet at night with a job to do" 

   I just buck the hair off em pretty short around mid july,sooner if the temps dictate the need.

[LLEWELLIN]

Just a FYI, tried the Mane and Tail detangler this weekend. Didn't work very well, most burrs still had to be cut out with scissors. Will just have to deal with the fresh scent of the showsheen.

[Ellensburg]

The trick to hunting a shaggy dog is to execute the haircut at the right time,Shortcuts in the summer will grow out to be just the right length as to keep them warm but not be a burr magnet.Like my buddy the retired warden told me of his owning of an english setter and some cocker spaniels........."They got the burrs in there they can get em out..............keeps em quiet at night with a job to do" 

   I just buck the hair off em pretty short around mid july,sooner if the temps dictate the need.

What your buddy told you is *censored*.

Some of the burrs and cheet grass cannot be removed by the dog and they lead to infection. U gotta get that stuff outta your dog quickly.

[wildweeds]

Apparantly e-burg you didn't pay attention to detail...........notice the laughing icon in the post.My buddy the Retired Warden/Range manager was a closet comic,he's an animal man through and through,uses his social security check to pay for roping entry money at team roping events.However I don't think he's all that far off the mark,I've witnessed lots of self grooming afield with birddogs especially in the snow,when they stop to de ice the area between their toes.

The trick to hunting a shaggy dog is to execute the haircut at the right time,Shortcuts in the summer will grow out to be just the right length as to keep them warm but not be a burr magnet.Like my buddy the retired warden told me of his owning of an english setter and some cocker spaniels........."They got the burrs in there they can get em out..............keeps em quiet at night with a job to do" 

   I just buck the hair off em pretty short around mid july,sooner if the temps dictate the need.

What your buddy told you is *censored*.

Some of the burrs and cheet grass cannot be removed by the dog and they lead to infection. U gotta get that stuff outta your dog quickly.

[sisu]

Apparantly e-burg you didn't pay attention to detail...........notice the laughing icon in the post.My buddy the Retired Warden/Range manager was a closet comic,he's an animal man through and through,uses his social security check to pay for roping entry money at team roping events.However I don't think he's all that far off the mark,I've witnessed lots of self grooming afield with birddogs especially in the snow,when they stop to de ice the area between their toes.

The trick to hunting a shaggy dog is to execute the haircut at the right time,Shortcuts in the summer will grow out to be just the right length as to keep them warm but not be a burr magnet.Like my buddy the retired warden told me of his owning of an english setter and some cocker spaniels........."They got the burrs in there they can get em out..............keeps em quiet at night with a job to do" 

   I just buck the hair off em pretty short around mid july,sooner if the temps dictate the need.

What your buddy told you is *censored*.

Some of the burrs and cheet grass cannot be removed by the dog and they lead to infection. U gotta get that stuff outta your dog quickly.

This is BS some of time also. I've seen sled dogs go lame by not wearing booties. I  monitor my dog in the field and if there appears to be problems I either have the solution in my pack or I am done for the day. My dogs are family and get so treated.

[Happy Gilmore]

put petroleum jelly on burs and you'll be able to pull them out easily once they are moist. no need to hack the dog apart. If burs are close to skin they "can" cause infections. No need to panic about it or shave your dog unless he looks like he's been attacked by a porcupine. Usually they get a couple here and there and it is easier to just cut them. I've had a chessie covered head to tail in them before upland hunting. not fun. a lot of swimming to get them wet and soft then a lot of brushing breaks them apart.

[hunter12]

i have been told mineral oil works... I have not tired it...

[Stilly bay]

shave your dog between the toes, armpits and any other area that has friction. horse hair detangler is all well and good but what if your pup gets a burr or piece of cheat grass stuck in his fur right at the beginning of a hunt? you don't notice it and the thing is just grinding away all morning long. next thing you know your dropping a pretty penny at the vet for an abscess or foreign body to be removed.

having a long haired bird dog that doesn't get properly shaved before hunting season is borderline negligence IMO. are all those pretty feathers on the dogs legs and tail worth the time spent ripping burrs out of them? not to mention the fact that long hair hides alot of other hazards, ticks and small cuts to name a few.

I had a buddy who was hell bent on keeping his setters long haired and pretty. until one hunt where one of his dogs got a 5" long stick jammed up under his skin. the dog showed no sign of injury, and guess what? all that long hair was hiding the stick pretty good. who knows how long it was in there just tearing up every thing around it. short hair wouldn't have stopped the stick but it sure as hell would have been easier to spot the injury and get him to a regular vet instead of a super spendy after hours emergency vet.

you  don't have to shave em bald, but save the flowing locks for the off season.

[LLEWELLIN]

shave your dog between the toes, armpits and any other area that has friction. horse hair detangler is all well and good but what if your pup gets a burr or piece of cheat grass stuck in his fur right at the beginning of a hunt? you don't notice it and the thing is just grinding away all morning long. next thing you know your dropping a pretty penny at the vet for an abscess or foreign body to be removed.

having a long haired bird dog that doesn't get properly shaved before hunting season is borderline negligence IMO. are all those pretty feathers on the dogs legs and tail worth the time spent ripping burrs out of them? not to mention the fact that long hair hides alot of other hazards, ticks and small cuts to name a few.

I think if Iwas that paranoid about a longer haired dog i would just get a pointer or a GSP. That being said there is a little more maintenance with a setters hair, my Llew has a field coat so that helps,   I do cut the hair between the toes to help prevent cheat working its way in. And when in the field i do full body checks when i water him. Leg and tail feathers are the least of the worries, showsheen will take care of the underside for burrs. But each to his own.

[Stilly bay]

shave your dog between the toes, armpits and any other area that has friction. horse hair detangler is all well and good but what if your pup gets a burr or piece of cheat grass stuck in his fur right at the beginning of a hunt? you don't notice it and the thing is just grinding away all morning long. next thing you know your dropping a pretty penny at the vet for an abscess or foreign body to be removed.

having a long haired bird dog that doesn't get properly shaved before hunting season is borderline negligence IMO. are all those pretty feathers on the dogs legs and tail worth the time spent ripping burrs out of them? not to mention the fact that long hair hides alot of other hazards, ticks and small cuts to name a few.

I think if Iwas that paranoid about a longer haired dog i would just get a pointer or a GSP.

all that stuff I mentioned is just basic maintenance for a full time hunting setter. I have had several GSPs, and now I hunt with gordons and labs. sure the GSP's are less maintence, but the Gordons and other long hair breeds don't take much more up keep to have them hunting with out many burr issues.  maybe if you get to pay some vet fee's for abcesses that could have been easily avoided or get to deal with lyme disease you will be a little more "paranoid" too. but to each their own as you so eloquently put it.

[Happy Gilmore]

put petroleum jelly on burs and you'll be able to pull them out easily once they are moist. no need to hack the dog apart. If burs are close to skin they "can" cause infections. No need to panic about it or shave your dog unless he looks like he's been attacked by a porcupine. Usually they get a couple here and there and it is easier to just cut them. I've had a chessie covered head to tail in them before upland hunting. not fun. a lot of swimming to get them wet and soft then a lot of brushing breaks them apart.

sorry- someone else said it and reminded me the correct answer, mineral oil, not petroleum jelly- brain fart there-= get those confused- prefer lotion over oils- 

[LLEWELLIN]

   Stilly Bay, my point is that you don't need to shave your setter down to hunt him safely, it is more for the owners convenience than safety or health and there are ways to control the burrs or ticks etc. We disagree. Thats all.

Just don't try to lay the negligence card cause as they say that dog don't hunt.
And that is all I have to say on the subject.