The hair is profuse on the legs and abdomen. However, this should not be so excessive as to impair its function as a sporting dog. The coat is silky, flat or slightly wavy.

Equipment needed: Mat-breaker (if necessary), pin brush or slicker.

The nurtured coat is not brushed out while dirty, as this removes too much hair.

• Brush out the entire coat using an untangle product or a dematter, and mat-breaker where necessary . However, if the coat is so severely felted or clogged that brushing will cause the dog severe pain or undue stress, then the only solution may be to remove the coat and ensure the dog is then groomed on a regular basis to prevent this happening again.
• With pet dogs, it is a good idea to clip under the arms, under the elbows, along the stomach and inside the thigh with an Oster No. 10 blade, even when the dog is coated. Carefully done, this is not seen when the dog is standing. One would not do this to a show dog.
• Clip the dog’s face with an Oster No.15 blade from the top of the eye to the back of the skull.
• Clip above the ears, including about one-third 
downwards to accentuate the ear.
• Clip down the cheeks to produce a clean appearance, tightening the skin where necessary to ensure a smooth finish and so as not to catch loose skin.
• Clip under the chin , down the neck to the chest in a V-shape to each side of the chest bone.
• The coat on the body is clipped, stripped, carded or thinned according to requirement ( if it is a pet or show dog), but the shape is the same . Make a visual line between the chest bone and the bottom of the pelvis, and work from the neck down to this line. Leave a profuse skirt, which will almost reach to the ground in dogs whose coats are significantly groomed.
• Trim the tail upwards, away from the body.
• Clean off the hair from around the anus by clipping with an Oster No. 10, or by shortening the hair with scissors.
• Bathe the dog in a protein shampoo.
• Rinse thoroughly and apply conditioner.
• Blow the hair dry, brushing with a pin brush or slicker.
• Lightly spray with a coat-enhancer and brush through.
• Check the dog’s nails, ears and teeth.
• Trim the feet to a round shape and clip out the hair from under the pads.
  Trim the bottom of the leg to give a bell-bottom appearance.
• Blend in the clipped neck area to the shoulder, making the shoulder clean by shortening the hair to accentuate the outline.
• Blend in the body skirt to a harmonious look without any appearance of a doorstep effect between the body and the skirt. Pay particular attention to the clipped area at the rear to ensure this is well blended.
• Bring the hair on the ear fringe down. Hold it in your fingers and trim lightly across with curved scissors to enhance the look, rather than to shorten the hair to any degree.
• Strip the topknot where possible, depending on the coat texture and depending on whether the dog will be shown. Blend in with thinning scissors. Brush the hair first to one side. Then trim, using thinning scissors or by clipping with an Oster No. 10 with the growth of the hair. Then brush the hair to the other side and trim back. Then brush over the top to give a clean appearance.
• The hair at the edge of the skirt is leveled to appear neat. Remember, this dog should appear stunning.