Clipping Setter - Tail

[nitrex]

Hey Setter Guys & Gals,

I need some advice on clipping the hair on my setter. I body clip several times a year and have been leaving the feathering on the legs and tail. I usually trim the feathering on the legs to keep most of the burs away and about 3" up the base of the tail, but not sure what to do with the rest of the tail. I've posted a pic...as you can see it is thick and bushy! I like some hair and the "hatchet" look, but this may be a little much! It looks like some shave the front side of the tail???

Any opinions? I'd love to see some pics to get an idea of what other do!

Thanks,

Nitrex

[shags]

I think that tail looks too bushy.

On my dogs, i grab the hair at the very end of the tail and scissor it off*, being careful to leave just enough for protection from banging around. This gives a nice tapered shape. Then, I use thinning shears on the top of the tail to get rid of the bushiness on the 'wrong side'. Using clippers carefully works too, just don't take it down too short or you'll have a mess when it grows in. I also thin the flag, then scissor to the length I like.

*Grab the tip of the tail in one hand, allowing all the long hair to stick out of your fist. Cut those.

[DonF]

Excuse me for saying this, his tail look's terrible. I trim my dog's the same way you do except, I use thinning shears on the tail to keep them thinned and then with scissors I cut the tail from maybe three inch's from the tail down and make it shorter as I go to the tip. Try to get close at the tip. it looks like your dog's tail is matted badly too. I'd just shave it all off and start over. Squirt really got his tangled up before clipping this spring and I shaved it off. Took awhile but it grew back.

[DonF]

Excuse me for saying this, his tail look's terrible. I trim my dog's the same way you do except, I use thinning shears on the tail to keep them thinned and then with scissors I cut the tail from maybe three inch's from the tail down and make it shorter as I go to the tip. Try to get close at the tip. it looks like your dog's tail is matted badly too. I'd just shave it all off and start over. Squirt really got his tangled up before clipping this spring and I shaved it off. Took awhile but it grew back.

[PntrRookie]

I clip up the first 3-4 inches just like the body (in these picts that is about 5-6 inches - a little too much but you get the picture). The I hold the tail straight out horizontally (9-3) and run the clippers all the way down the top side of the tail. Then I hold the tail straight up vertically and "round off/shape" the feathering. This is even a bit to long...it was my first attempt. I love showing the judge a nice flag

[nitrex]

Excuse me for saying this, his tail look's terrible... it looks like your dog's tail is matted badly too. .

No offense! I thought the same thing!!! But before I hacked it to death, I thought I would ask for some tips on trimming it. I thought my intensions were clear in my first post...guess we can all learn to communicate better.

The hair is NOT matted! It's the thickest hair I've ever seen on a setter, but a comb goes through it. I'll work on thinning it tomorrow.

Thanks for the pic PntRookie.

Any other pics for ideas would be appreciated...

Nitrex

[shags]

I try to take curve out of some tails by trimming the tail farther up and making the tip fairly short so no hair hangs over the top; I trim the hair to camouflage the curve longer and shorter where effective. My straight tailed dogs I trim only a couple inches above the vent and leave the rest of the flag as long as practical.

I'd thin and trim your dog's flag then let it grow farther toward the vent, keeping it neat until the root is grown out. That will take until spring season. He has a nice tail and you ought to emphasize it not diminish it. Unless you run with a lot of anti-shaggites In that case, wear those scissors out

Don't forget to post your "after" pics.

[nitrex]

Well...I'm I getting close? Maybe a little more thinning?

[shags]

That looks a lot better!

It appears that you clipped the dorsal side of the tail, and down into the sides with a 10 blade. If you lightly run your clippers over the dorsal side so you don't get such a close cut, or use a 5 blade, and then use thinning shears on the sides, your trim will look much more natural and may grow out better ( meaning not all bushy and sticky-outy).

You probably can afford to thin a bit more. Sometimes I thin a lot so burrs have less hair to tangle in. Smetimes I leave more hair because it thins over the course of the season from combing.

You have such a nice-looking dog.