The Small Munsterlander is a versatile German gundog in a spaniel-like package, and its coat reflects the job: dense and medium-long, glossy on the body, with real feathering on the ears, the backs of the legs, the belly, and a well-plumed tail. It is more coat than a short-haired pointer and less than a setter, and it needs brushing two to three times a week — plus a comb-through after the field, forest, and water work this energetic breed demands daily, because that feathering comes home carrying the countryside with it.
Brushing and Combing the Feathering
Work over the body with a slicker or pin brush, then take a steel comb through every feathered area until it runs clean. The tangle map of a Small Munsterlander is predictable: behind the ears, where the long ear hair meets the neck; the armpits and belly fringe; and the backs of the thighs. Fine feathering felts quickly when it is damp, and this breed swims and works wet cover happily, so combing after the coat dries — not just on scheduled days — prevents most mats. Trim the hair between the paw pads regularly so it stops packing with mud and ice, and tidy ragged feathering ends if you prefer, but leave the body coat its natural length.
Ears, Baths, and Water Work
The Munsterlander's ears are spaniel-type: feathered, hanging, and prone to trapping moisture after the swimming the breed loves. Lift and check them weekly, dry the inner ear carefully after every swim, and let a vet look at any ear that smells sour or makes the dog shake its head repeatedly. Bathing about once a month, or after genuinely foul mud, suits the coat; use the bath to fully comb out the feathering once the dog is dry. Between baths, legs and belly usually need only a rinse. Shedding is moderate, heavier in spring, when an added weekly comb-through keeps loose hair out of the belly fringe.
Coat Change and the Young Munsterlander
A Small Munsterlander puppy swaps its soft first coat for the denser adult one during its first year, and during that change the feathering comes in unevenly and tangles out of proportion to its length, so comb gently and often rather than waiting for the adult schedule. Teach the youngster to accept ear lifting and paw handling between swims and walks, not during a grooming battle, and the adult routine becomes easy. In households that also hunt, agree early who combs the dog after a shoot day; the post-field comb is the session most often skipped and the one that prevents the worst matting and finds seeds in the ears.
A Routine Built Around an Active Household
Small Munsterlanders are family dogs as much as hunting dogs, and their grooming lands on whoever walked them, dried them, or noticed the burrs first. That informality works until a wet week stacks up unwatched ears and uncombed feathering. Agreeing the pattern — scheduled brushes, after-swim ear drying, post-walk comb-throughs — and keeping it visible to the whole household keeps the standard steady. KinsLe's Family Sharing puts a Small Munsterlander's whole coat routine on one profile that every family member can open, sharing the same brushing schedule and care notes so the dog gets identical care from whoever is on duty.